ICANN Policy Changes in 2025: What Brand Owners Need to Know

Overview of 2025 Policy Landscape

The year 2025 brought significant updates to domain name policies under ICANN – changes that brand owners must understand to protect their online assets. ICANN’s ongoing policy work has introduced new procedures for domain ownership records, data access, and rights protection mechanisms. The focus is on enhancing security, accuracy, and accountability in domain registrations.

Notably, 2025 is a ramp-up period for the next round of new gTLD applications, improved WHOIS (via RDAP) and updated rules on who is recognised as a domain’s legal owner. For trademark holders and businesses, these changes mean adjusting how you register and manage domains to remain compliant and secure.

New Top-Level Domain (TLD) Launch Procedures

ICANN is preparing for a new application round for gTLDs. This means businesses will soon have the chance to apply for their own .brand TLD or other custom strings. The 2025 policies have streamlined some aspects of this process to encourage innovation while maintaining stability.

For brand owners, the next round (anticipated to officially open in the coming years) is an opportunity – you could secure a branded TLD (like .yourbrand) to bolster your online presence. However, it also means hundreds of new TLDs may emerge, which translates to more space for potential infringements.

Brand owners should stay tuned to ICANN announcements and consider participating in the new TLD programme or at least monitoring new extensions relevant to their industry. The Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) will continue to be crucial – it’s expected to be updated/extended to cover new TLDs so that brand owners can use Sunrise periods and Claims services to protect trademarks in those TLDs.

Streamlined Application Process

ICANN has learned from the first new gTLD round (2012) and is making the next round smoother. Expect clearer guidelines, a digital application portal, and possibly a rolling acceptance process instead of one big batch.

Brand owners considering a .brand TLD should start preparing now – conduct internal discussions on ROI, gather necessary documents (like proof of trademark), and budget accordingly. The application fees and requirements will be significant, but for some global brands the control over a proprietary namespace can be worth it.

Enhanced Rights Protection Mechanisms (RPMs)

Alongside new TLDs, ICANN’s 2025 updates bolster RPMs to protect trademarks. The Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) system and UDRP are under review for improvements. While no full UDRP overhaul has been implemented yet, there’s active discussion about how to make dispute resolution more effective for clear-cut cases.

One idea floated in the community is expedited UDRP processing for obvious cases (e.g., blatant cybersquatting with no response) – a sort of fast-track to suspension or transfer. Another focus is on ensuring respondent protections – for instance, measures to reduce abuse of the UDRP by overzealous trademark owners.

According to UDRP experts, panels are reminded that the UDRP is intended only for “clear cases of cybersquatting”, and that more complex disputes or close calls should be left to courts. This reinforces that brand owners should use UDRP when appropriate (e.g., obvious bad faith registrations), but not as a weapon to try to gain domains in legitimate grey-area disputes.

AI and Automated Registration Safeguards

Recognising the era of bots and scripts, ICANN’s policies are moving toward mitigating automated bulk registrations that often fuel abuse. CAPTCHA and rate-limiting at registrars are being emphasised to prevent cybercriminals from programmatically registering hundreds of typo domains in minutes.

There is also discussion of using machine learning to flag potentially abusive registrations (e.g., domains that are confusingly similar to famous trademarks might trigger alerts or require manual review). For brand owners, this means the ecosystem might catch and stop some infringements even before they happen.

However, no system is foolproof – so companies should continue their own monitoring. On the flip side, brand protection services themselves are using AI to scan new registrations and detect likely squats. The result by 2025 is a somewhat higher bar for opportunistic mass cybersquatters.

Enhanced Ownership Verification Requirements

ICANN’s Registration Data Policy effective August 2025 introduced new ownership verification steps. The biggest change: the formerly optional “Organisation” field in WHOIS (now RDAP) records now determines legal ownership of a domain by default.

If the Organisation field is filled, that organisation is considered the registrant; if it’s blank, then the individual name is the owner. This is a critical change for companies: you must ensure your domains list your company name in the Org field if you want the company to be the legal owner.

Example Impact

A corporation has John Doe as the contact name and “XYZ Corp” as organisation on a domain. Under the new rule, XYZ Corp is the owner. If “XYZ Corp” was blank, John Doe would be considered the owner. Brand owners should audit all their domain WHOIS records and update the Organisation field where needed.

Note that any change to that field now triggers a change-of-registrant confirmation (to prevent hijacks), so you’ll need to approve emails to finalise edits. This measure protects against unauthorised transfers – it’s essentially treating Org changes like an ownership transfer, adding security.

Updated UDRP Procedures

While the core UDRP policy hasn’t been rewritten yet, supplemental rules by providers (like WIPO and Forum) in 2025 reflect some updates. Panels now more frequently accept electronic evidence and links (instead of requiring attachments of everything), making it easier for brand owners to submit social media proof, web archives, etc., that support their case.

There’s also a push for more uniform panel practices via the WIPO Jurisprudential Overview and resources like UDRP Perspectives. These help ensure panelists approach issues consistently – good news for brand owners seeking predictability.

A key aspect unchanged is the standard of proof: UDRP remains a “balance of probabilities” (preponderance) standard. This means complainants must put forward sufficient evidence for each element (trademark rights, no legitimate interests by respondent, bad faith) to tip the scale just over 50% in their favour.

Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) Enhancements

The TMCH, which is a database of verified trademarks used during domain launch phases, has new features in 2025. It now offers ongoing Claims services for an extended period (not just the first 90 days of a new TLD general availability, but some registries voluntarily use it longer).

This means if someone tries to register a domain that matches a mark in the TMCH, they’ll receive a warning, and you (the mark owner) might be notified – even beyond the initial launch period. Also, TMCH in 2025 is exploring integration with DPML (Domains Protected Marks List) and other blocking mechanisms.

The Domains Protected Marks List (DPML) is a subscription service some registries offer, allowing trademark owners to block their mark (and similar strings) across hundreds of TLDs at once. For example, a DPML subscription can prevent anyone from registering YourBrand.news, YourBrand.guru, etc., across an entire portfolio of TLDs managed by that registry.

Brand owners should re-evaluate these services: while they have a cost, they might be cheaper than fighting multiple UDRP battles later. The TMCH is required if you want to use Sunrise periods and some of these blocking services, so ensure your trademarks are recorded there and renewed as needed.

Impact on Trademark Enforcement

Key Action Items for Brand Owners

Audit Domain Portfolio: You need to audit your domain portfolio in light of the Org field rule – make sure your company, not an individual employee, is listed as owner for important domains. This avoids internal disputes and ensures you don’t accidentally lose control if that person departs.
Engage with New TLD Programme: Stay engaged with the new TLD programme – either to apply for your own or to defensively register in new extensions that could be high-risk for you. If .brand or .industry terms relevant to you launch, use sunrise to grab your exact brand, and consider DPML blocks for variations across large portfolios.
Leverage Improved RPMs: Use the TMCH to get Sunrise advantages and Claims notifications. If a squatter registers your mark in a new TLD during the claims period, they’ll get a warning (and if they proceed, you’ll be alerted) – that’s your cue to take action quickly.
Be Thorough in UDRP Filings: With panels clamping down on insufficient evidence and punishing overreach, ensure your complaints are well-founded. Provide evidence of your trademark, evidence of the domain’s misuse, and ideally show if the respondent has a pattern.

Cost Impact Analysis

Overall, ICANN’s 2025 policy updates aim to reduce costs from disputes and security incidents by encouraging preventive measures. A secure, accurately-documented domain space means fewer ambiguities to litigate.

The statistics from WIPO show an upward trend in disputes, but also that most cases (over 80%) result in transfers to the complainant (meaning the system works when invoked) and only a small fraction (~3%) are denied. The fact that 82% of cases result in transfer and only 3% outright denial, with ~14% settlement, indicates if you follow best practices and have a legitimate case, you will likely succeed.

Looking Forward: 2026 and Beyond

Beyond 2025, watch for the actual opening of the new gTLD application window (possibly 2026) – this will be a headline event in the domain world. Also, Phase 2 of ICANN’s Rights Protection review may bring some tweaks to UDRP.

We might see more user-friendly tools for brand owners, such as a centralised IP rights portal for WHOIS data requests or an evolved WIPO Arbitration for certain cases that fall outside UDRP’s narrow scope.

Key Takeaways

2025’s ICANN policy changes are largely positive for brand owners – they clarify ownership, enhance dispute tools, and prepare the domain landscape for growth in a more secure way. The onus is on you to adapt by updating your domain records and enforcement playbooks.

By doing so, you’ll ensure that your brand’s online presence remains well-protected and that you can capitalise on new opportunities (like branded TLDs) safely. Stay informed, stay proactive, and your brand will continue to thrive amid the evolving domain name system.