The Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) is the database of verified trade marks that every new generic extension must use for its sunrise and claims services. Recording a mark gives you priority registration during each sunrise period and alerts when someone registers a matching name. With ICANN’s 2026 round closing to applications on 12 August, brand owners who record their key marks now will be ready when the new extensions launch.
Update (October 2026): on 22 September 2026 ICANN confirmed 1,663 applications received in the 2026 round, 1,616 of which proceed, and said Reveal Day would take place no later than 14 October. ICANN, 22 September 2026.
Key takeaways
- ICANN’s TMCH requirements for the 2026 Registry Agreement (12 March 2026) oblige every new registry to run a sunrise of at least 30 days (60 for an end-date sunrise) and a claims period of at least 90 days.
- Sunrise registrations require a Signed Mark Data (SMD) file, which the TMCH issues only after verifying the mark and proof of use.
- The TMCH accepts registered word marks of national or regional effect, marks protected by statute or treaty and court-validated marks; it does not accept applications.
- Paying by card, a record costs USD 155 for one year, USD 465 for three or USD 775 for five.
- A .brand applicant must support its application with TMCH SMD files, and ICANN warns that adjusting TMCH filings can take several months.
What is the Trademark Clearinghouse and why does it matter now?
The TMCH is a central repository of verified trade mark data connected to every new gTLD. Its role is fixed by the Trademark Clearinghouse Rights Protection Mechanism Requirements published by ICANN on 12 March 2026, which form part of Specification 7 of the Registry Agreement. Every registry that signs that agreement must comply.
The 2026 round is the first opportunity to apply for new generic extensions since 2012. ICANN’s reminder of 13 July 2026 set the close of the application window at 23:59 UTC on 12 August. After evaluation, contracting and delegation, each new extension will open with a sunrise and a claims period, and only marks already in the TMCH can benefit.
Sunrise and claims: what you get from a TMCH record
| Service | What it does | Minimum duration (TMCH Requirements) |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise | Priority registration of names matching your recorded mark before the public can register | 30 days for a start-date sunrise, announced 30 days in advance; 60 days for an end-date sunrise (section 2.2.1) |
| Claims notices | Anyone trying to register a matching name sees a warning and must confirm to continue; you receive a notification if they register | First 90 days of general registration, without overlapping the sunrise (section 3.2.1) |
| Ongoing notifications | TMCH alerts after the claims period, also for .com, .net and .org and for variations you add | Indefinite while the record is active (TMCH service) |
The claims notice must be shown in English and in the language of the registration agreement, with a link to translations in the six UN languages, and the acceptance box cannot be pre-ticked (section 3.3.1.2). If a registry releases a reserved name after claims have started, that name is subject to 90 days of claims from its release (section 2.4.3). The TMCH describes the post-claims alerts on its ongoing notifications page.
Registries keep some discretion. They may limit sunrise to marks in classes or jurisdictions related to the extension, add nexus requirements, require the SMD data to match the registrant’s details or set date restrictions to prevent gaming (section 2.3.1). Every registry must also run a Sunrise Dispute Resolution Policy, while challenges to the validity of a TMCH record go through the TMCH’s own dispute procedure (sections 2.3.6 and 2.3.7).
Which marks can you record in the Trademark Clearinghouse?
According to the TMCH’s accepted trademarks and registered trademarks pages:
- Word marks registered with national or regional effect, such as Spanish, EU, Mexican or South African registrations.
- Marks protected by statute or treaty, and marks validated by a court.
- Madrid international registrations, as long as the basic registration is valid or the international registration is more than five years old.
Not accepted: applications, sub-national registrations, marks that have been cancelled or invalidated, and marks containing a top-level extension such as “brand.com”. To take part in sunrise you also need proof of use: a specimen and a signed declaration, as the TMCH explains on its sunrise service page. Once verified, the SMD file can be reused in every sunrise while the record stays active.
What does a TMCH record cost?
The TMCH’s card payment pricing is USD 155 per record for one year, USD 465 for three years and USD 775 for five. Its pricing overview adds that the fee includes verification, access to sunrise in all new gTLDs, claims, ongoing notifications and up to 10 domain name labels per record, and describes prepaid structures for holders and agents with larger portfolios. Registration fees charged by registries during sunrise are separate.
What this means for your business
- Choose the marks that matter: house marks and main product brands, in their word form.
- Check the basis: a national or regional registration in force, or a Madrid registration that meets the five-year rule. Fix lapsed or pending marks first.
- Prepare proof of use now: current packaging, websites or catalogues showing the mark in use.
- Decide the term: a multi-year record avoids renewals in the middle of the launch period.
- If you have applied, or plan to apply, for a .brand, review your SMD files urgently; the Applicant Guidebook (section 7.3.3.1) warns that adjusting TMCH filings may take several months.
For portfolios spread across Europe, Latin America and Africa, our domain name and Trademark Clearinghouse team can select the marks, prepare the records and plan sunrise budgets by extension.
Where companies get the TMCH wrong
- Recording too late. Verification takes time, and a sunrise that closes before your record is verified is lost.
- Recording the wrong owner. Sunrise criteria may require the SMD data to match the registrant; a mark held by one group company and a domain held by another causes problems.
- Relying on a pending application or a weak Madrid basis. Neither produces a valid record.
- Assuming claims stop registrations. A claims notice warns, but the applicant can still proceed; you must decide whether to act.
- Forgetting the record expires. Without renewal there is no SMD file and no notifications. When a matching registration does need action, our IP enforcement team can take it from the notice to the dispute.
Frequently asked questions
Is recording a mark in the Trademark Clearinghouse mandatory?
No. It is voluntary for brand owners, but the sunrise and claims services in every new gTLD only work for marks recorded and verified in the TMCH. Without a record you cannot register in sunrise, and nobody receives a warning when they try to register your brand during the claims period.
Can I record a Spanish, EU or Mexican trade mark in the TMCH?
Yes, if it is a registered word mark with national or regional effect, such as a Spanish, EU or Mexican registration. Pending applications are not accepted. A Madrid international registration is accepted while its basic registration is valid, or once it is more than five years old, provided it has a valid designation.
How long do sunrise and claims last in a new extension?
Under ICANN’s TMCH requirements of 12 March 2026, a start-date sunrise lasts at least 30 days and an end-date sunrise at least 60. Claims notices run for at least the first 90 days of general registration. Registries can extend both periods, and the TMCH’s ongoing notifications continue afterwards.
Can IP Global Guard record our marks and manage sunrise registrations?
Yes. We review which marks qualify, prepare the TMCH records and proof of use, monitor launches and manage sunrise registrations through accredited registrars, together with your trade mark filings in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Everything runs through a single point of contact and one billing relationship.
Get your marks ready for the 2026 round with IP Global Guard
The TMCH is the one step that pays off in every new extension: sunrise priority, claims warnings and the SMD files that blocking products and .brand applications require. IP Global Guard, the IP services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, manages trade marks, TMCH records and domain portfolios across more than 25 jurisdictions with one strategy; see our coverage in Europe, Latin America and Africa.
Send us the list of marks you want ready for the new extensions, with their registration numbers. We will check eligibility, prepare the records and give you a sunrise plan by market. Contact our domain team.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects the position on the date of publication.
Sources
- ICANN, Trademark Clearinghouse Rights Protection Mechanism Requirements, 2026 Registry Agreement (12 March 2026)
- ICANN, Reminder: 2026 round application window closes 12 August (13 July 2026)
- ICANN, 2026 Round Applicant Guidebook, Module 7 (section 7.3, .Brand eligibility)
- Trademark Clearinghouse, Sunrise service
- Trademark Clearinghouse, Ongoing notifications service
- Trademark Clearinghouse, Accepted trademarks
- Trademark Clearinghouse, Registered trademarks
- Trademark Clearinghouse, Credit card payment pricing
- Trademark Clearinghouse, Pricing overview
- ICANN, Applications proceeding in the 2026 round (22 September 2026)
