The Web3 Domain Alliance is a member-led, member-driven organization dedicated to improving the technological and public policy environments for users of blockchain naming services.
... with more web2 & web3 partners being announced soon.
This alliance to promote the development of the blockchain naming ecosystem and the functioning of blockchain domain registries with and across blockchain-based and traditional web applications.
The Web3 Domain Alliance is dedicated to the technological advancement of blockchain domain registries, as well as consumer protection by ensuring the interoperability of blockchain domain registries.
The Web3 Domain Alliance believes that blockchain-based generic web3 Top Level Domains (“TLDs”) developed and marketed by a specific organization are intellectual property, and that industry participants should respect the intellectual property rights of all blockchain naming services for the benefit of consumers as well as applications that want to support blockchain domain functionality.
As a member of the Web3 Domain Alliance, companies pledge the following:
To abide by the Web3 Domain Alliance’s principles of developing unique, interoperable blockchain domain namespaces, NFT domains, and advocating for the legal protection and market acceptance of blockchain namespace.
To protect users and endeavor toward the development of interoperable NFT domain naming systems by promoting voluntary avoidance of namespace collisions with existing Web3 naming systems in the Web3 domain industry.
To advocate for the policy position that NFT domain registry owner-operators create trademark rights in their web3 TLDs through first commercial use with market penetration.
To protect our intellectual property rights, including trademark rights, in our web3 TLDs.
To work with fellow Web3 Domain Alliance members to promote the advancement of the Web3 Domain Alliance’s policy positions.
To work with fellow Web3 Domain Alliance Members to advocate for recognition of NFT domains by a broad community of stakeholders, and the public.
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Q: What is the Web3 Domain Alliance?
A: The Web3 Domain Alliance is a member-led, member-driven organization dedicated to improving the technological and public policy environments for users of Web3 naming services. It exists to promote the development of the Web3 naming industry and the functioning of Web3 domain registries with and across blockchain-based and traditional web applications. The Web3 Domain Alliance is also dedicated to the technological advancement and interoperability of Web3 domain registries.
Q: What is a Web3 domain?
A: Web3 domains, such as sandy.nft or nate.hbar, are human-readable names that are minted on the blockchain and stored in a cryptocurrency wallet. Web3 domains provide infrastructure that allows people to own their web3 identity and data on the Internet. Web3 domains have many uses: They can be used to replace long, alphanumeric crypto wallet addresses; log in to web3 applications, games and metaverses; create and host decentralized websites; and as a username across Web3 and the Metaverse.
As this technology matures, Web domains could be used to build a system of online reputation – one where people can prove their identity without having to broadly share their personal data.
Q: What do members of the Web3 Domain Alliance agree to?
A: As a member of the Web3 Domain Alliance, companies pledge the following:
To abide by the Web3 Domain Alliance’s principles of developing unique, interoperable blockchain domain namespaces, NFT domains, and advocating for the legal protection and market acceptance of blockchain namespace.
To protect users and endeavor toward the development of interoperable NFT domain naming systems by promoting voluntary avoidance of namespace collisions with existing Web3 naming systems in the Web3 domain industry.
To advocate for the policy position that NFT domain registry owner-operators create trademark rights in their web3 TLDs through first commercial use with market penetration.
To protect our intellectual property rights, including trademark rights, in our web3 TLDs.
To work with fellow Web3 Domain Alliance members to promote the advancement of the Web3 Domain Alliance’s policy positions.
To work with fellow Web3 Domain Alliance Members to advocate for recognition of NFT domains by a broad community of stakeholders, and the public.
Q: What commitments has Unstoppable Domains made regarding its patents?
A: Unstoppable Domains has made what’s referred to as a “non-assertion commitment.” What that means is that Unstoppable Domains has promised that it will not assert any of its “Necessary Claims” under that patent against anyone that implements any standard that Web3 Alliance may develop. “Necessary Claims” are any patent claims that would be unavoidably infringed by the implementation of the standard in question.
In order to prevent anyone from unfairly benefiting from Unstoppable Domains’ non-assertion commitment, Unstoppable Domains may withdraw its commitment to any given implementer if that vendor sues, or threatens to sue, Unstoppable Domains for infringing one of the implementer’s own patents that would be infringed if Unstoppable Domains were to implement the same standard. Intellectual property rights (“IPR”) policies refer to this as a “defensive suspension” term.
Q: How do I join the Web3 Domain Alliance?
A: You can submit a membership inquiry here.
Q: Will the Web3 Domain Alliance collaborate with ICANN?
A: The Web3 Domain Alliance aims to proactively engage in discussions with ICANN to increase ICANN’s awareness and recognition of Web3 Top-Level Domains (W3TLDs).
Q: What are the benefits to Namespaces that join the Web3 Domain Alliance?
A: Benefits include:
- Added to the list of TLDs recognized by the alliance (shared with app ecosystem)
- Join efforts that the Web3 Domain Alliance is taking to engage ICANN
- Best practices for avoiding/resolving collisions
- Share best practices on protecting IP in the Web3 domain space
- Access to patents and other IP made available to the alliance
- Access to other Web3 domain providers and apps who support Web3 domains
