What is the Trademark Clearinghouse Certificate Authority?

The Trademark Clearinghouse Certificate Authority (TMCH-CA), operated by ICANN, provides digital certificates to the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH), including the TradeMark Validator (TMV) certificate. These certificates are essential for signing and encrypting the Signed Mark Data (SMD) files, validating their origin from the Trademark Clearinghouse and ensuring ownership heritage. All SMD files generated by the Trademark Clearinghouse are signed under the TMCH-CA. When a third party, such as a registry or registrar, receives an SMD file, they can cryptographically decrypt it and verify its authenticity. Additionally, they can confirm that the signed content has not been altered since signing.

Renewal of these certificates is necessary to uphold standard security practices. It involves changing the Certificate Authority periodically and ensuring encryption levels meet current standards. Specifically, the TMCH-CA is renewed every ten years, while the TMV renewal occurs every five years.

The most recent renewal occurred at 18:00 UTC on February 15, 2023. As a result, all active SMD files were revoked and automatically regenerated within a maximum of 24 hours. The availability of the new SMD files gradually resumed after the renewal. Since the previous SMD files no longer met the new standards, Trademark Holders and Agents are required to obtain new SMD files from the TMCH platform after the new TMCH-CA and TMV certificates are in use.

Kindly note that it is possible to download the new SMD file in the web interface:

  • 1. Sign in to the TMCH application;
  • 2. Navigate to the "Services" tab;
  • 3. Find the trademark record for which you want to download the SMD file (keep in mind that only verified trademark records with valid POU documentation are eligible for SMD generation);
  • Click on the file icon in the SMD column;
  • Your browser will then download the SMD file.

    • FAQ

    Account

    What is a Silver Agent Account?
    As a Trademark Agent, do I need to obtain the written authorization of the Trademark Holder(s) on behalf of whom I am acting?
    Can a Trademark Agent register a single account for multiple Trademark Holders?
    How can a Trademark Agent change the contract data of their TMCH account? updated
    How can I contact the Clearinghouse if I have issues when creating my account? updated
    How can I get listed on the TMCH website as an Official Agent?
    How can I register as a Trademark Agent? updated
    How can I reset my password? updated
    How do I update my Agent listing?
    I am a Trademark Holder and would like to register more than 10 marks. Do I have to register those through a Trademark Agent?
    What if I do not agree to the Terms and Conditions? updated
    What is a Gold Agent account?
    What is the Clearinghouse User Interface? updated
    When will I receive my username and password? updated
    Who should sign the contract when a company registers as a Trademark Agent? updated

    API (Automated Interface)

    Can I test the API before registering?
    Can we submit documents (e.g. trademark certificate or Proof of Use) via the EPP system or are they running via a separate FTP system or similar?
    How can I add a label in the CREATE command via the API?
    How can I add IDN labels in the CREATE command via the API?
    How can I change the name of the mark via the API?
    How can I check which labels qualify as an identical match in accordance to the matching rules?
    How can I connect to the API?
    How can I POLL for changes via the API? updated
    How can I retrieve the SMD file for a trademark record via the API?
    How can I test the UPDATE command on the API test environment (OT&E)?
    How can I trigger the automated status change on OT&E for mark records in non-latin script?
    How can I view the comments made by a validator on my trademark record?
    How can we update the smdInclusion flags?
    How many connections are allowed from the whitelisted IP address on the production environment and OT&E?
    How should we handle the case of “N/A” in the API for description of goods and services?
    What do I have to configure in my account in order to get access to the API (PROD and OT&E) environment?
    What is the correct formatting for the trademark record ID (handle)?
    Why are poll messages removed from my poll queue without my knowledge?
    Will I be able to submit abused labels via the API?

    Financial

    I have received a paper invoice from the Trademark Clearinghouse, what should I do?
    Are there additional charges for correcting errors in my trademark record?
    Are there extra fees for opting in or opting out of Sunrise or Claims service?
    Can I become a Trademark Agent without opting for a Prepaid Account?
    Can I open a Prepaid Account even if I am not ready to provide the details of the trademarks I want to submit to the Clearinghouse?
    Can I pay using my native currency if my business is based overseas?
    Can I pay with a cheque?
    Can I receive a discount? Is bulk pricing available? updated
    Can I receive a paper copy of my invoice (by request)?
    Can I terminate my Prepaid Account?
    Do I have to pay VAT? updated
    Do Status Points expire? updated
    Does a trademark record registration fee in the Clearinghouse include the domain name registration fee in a Sunrise period?
    Does the limit of ten trademark registrations per credit card payment depend on the number of transactions or the number of credit cards used?
    How are currency and transaction costs handled? updated
    How can I keep track of my Status Points?
    How can I register for a Prepaid Account? updated
    How can I top up my Prepaid Account?
    How many trademarks can I register at a time when paying by credit card? updated
    How much do I need to pay to become a Trademark Agent? updated
    How much do I need to pay to become a Trademark Holder?
    How secure is my credit card payment?
    I have multiple Prepaid Accounts. Can I cover all invoices for those accounts in one payment?
    Is it possible to divide my bill into several payments? updated
    Is there an additional fee if I submit the Proof of Use documentation of a trademark at a later stage?
    What are Status Points? updated
    What happens if I run out of funds on my Prepaid Account?
    What is the cost for additional domain name labels? updated
    Where can I find information on the fees related to Abused Domain Name Labels? updated
    Which credit cards are accepted by TMCH?
    Which currencies are accepted by TMCH?
    Who is CHIP S.A.?
    Why am I not receiving any invoices?
    Why can’t I see my trademark on the Mark overview after paying by credit card?
    Why didn't I receive any confirmation after paying?
    Why is my credit card declined?
    Will I be charged if my trademark record is deemed invalid by TMCH?

    general

    Are company names accepted in the Clearinghouse?
    Are the Sunrise periods mandatory for every new gTLD?
    Are trademarks containing numbers accepted in the Clearinghouse?
    Are trademarks in IDN characters accepted?
    Are trademarks in non-Latin script accepted?
    Are trademarks registered at state level accepted in the Clearinghouse?
    Are trademarks subjected to cancellation or invalidation procedures accepted in the Clearinghouse?
    Are trademarks subjected to rectification proceedings accepted in the Clearinghouse?
    Are trademarks that are under application accepted in the Clearinghouse?
    Are trademarks that do not exclusively consist of letters, words, numerals, and special characters accepted in the Clearinghouse?
    Are well known or famous non registered marks accepted in the Clearinghouse?
    Can a Limited Registration Period overlap with the Claims Period?
    Can I submit information about trademarks with the same name, but registered in different countries, under the same trademark record?
    Do I need to be the trademark owner to register in the Clearinghouse?
    Does every Registry Operator have to use SMD files for its Sunrise Period? updated
    Does the Clearinghouse accept trademarks registered according to an accelerated procedure?
    How long must a Sunrise Period last? updated
    My brand is not yet registered as a trademark. Can I register it with the Clearinghouse?
    My question is not listed in the FAQ section. What should I do? updated
    My trademark has been marked as invalid as it contains a dot. Now that the dot rule has changed, what can I do?
    What are the roles of Deloitte and Kyndryl (formerly IBM) with regards to the Clearinghouse? updated
    What is a Limited Registration Period?
    What is the difference between a “domain name” and a “label”?
    What is the expected response time for customer support tickets? updated
    What is the Qualified Launch Program?
    What is the Trademark Clearinghouse Certificate Authority? updated
    What options does a trademark owner have if someone attempts to register a website using their trademark?
    Will Trademark Agents, Trademark Holders and the public have the ability to search the TMCH database to see all trademark registrations that have been registered in the Clearinghouse?

    proof of use

    Can a link to a website be submitted as sample of Proof of Use?
    Can a photograph of goods be accepted as sample of Proof of Use?
    Can a POU expire ? (5 year POU revalidation)
    Can a screenshot of a website be submitted as sample of Proof of Use?
    Concerning the Proof of Use for an international trademark, does a Proof of use in one country will be sufficient or will we have to send proof for all covered countries?
    Do I need to submit Proof of Use documentation when submitting my trademark record?
    How can I upload a Proof Of Use at a later stage?
    How do I renew the Proof of Use documentation?
    How many samples of Proof of Use do I have to submit to be able to use Sunrise Service?
    How much time do I have until the Proof of Use is expired?
    If I submit multiple trademarks records for the same trademark, do I need to submit multiple Proof of Use documentation?
    Should only one sample of Proof of Use be provided if there are multiple goods and services registered in my trademark?
    To benefit from the Sunrise service, do I need to submit a sample of Proof of Use even if my trademark registration is based on proven usage?
    What can I do in case I did not renew my POU on time?
    What is a Proof of Use?
    Where can I find the templates of signed declaration of Proof Of Use ?

    Registrars

    Registries

    Can a Registry Operator impose trademark related registration requirements during the Sunrise Period and curtail or eliminate these requirements in subsequent registration periods?
    Can a Registry Operator offer a “landrush period” at the start of its General Availibility?
    Can a Registry Operator register or allocate domain names to non-Sunrise Eligible Holders prior to completion of the Sunrise Period?
    Can a Registry Operator release a domain name that it had reserved in accordance with the Registry Agreement for allocation or registration purposes at a later stage?
    Can Registry Operators query the CNIS?
    Do Registry Operators have to offer dispute resolution policies for registrations during their Sunrise Periods?
    Does a Registry Operator have to apply to offer an Approved Launch Program?
    How can I, as a Registry Operator, connect to the TMDB?
    How does a Registry Operator apply for an Approved Launch Program?
    How does the 120 day no-activation period under the New gTLD Collision Occurrence Management Plan factor into the Sunrise Period?
    How should I proceed if I am a Registry and would like to post information in relation to my Sunrise period on the Trademark Clearinghouse website or social media channels?
    I am a Registry Operator who described a launch plan in my application for my TLD. How does that affect me if I apply for an Approved Launch Program?
    I am a Registry Operator who indicated in my application that my TLD would be a geographic TLD. What are my options with respect to Approved Launch Programs?
    If a Registry Operator plans to hold auctions at the end of its Sunrise Period, how does that comply with Section 3.2.4 of the TMCH Requirements?
    Is there any way for a Registry Operator to allocate or register domain names prior to the Sunrise Period?
    What is the difference with respect to the allocation or registration of domain names between a Start-Date Sunrise and an End-Date Sunrise?
    What restrictions can a Registry Operator impose during the Sunrise Period?

    TMCH Services

    As a Trademark Agent, will I be the only one receiving notifications from the Clearinghouse?
    Can a Trademark Agent use several email addresses in order to receive the notifications from the Clearinghouse?
    Can I benefit from the priority registration during a sunrise period offered by a new gTLD for a trademark which is not registered within the Clearinghouse?
    Can I try the TMCH services before ordering?
    Can two or more identical trademarks be registered in the Clearinghouse? Who will be able to register the corresponding domain name during a Sunrise period?
    How can I download my SMD file via the TMC Interface?
    How can the holders I represent automatically receive notifications generated by the TMCH?
    How can the registry verify if an SMD file is valid?
    How does registering trademarks within the Clearinghouse protect companies' brands?
    How does the ongoing notification service function?
    How does the Trademark Claims Service work?
    How to Download an SMD file: Step by Step Process
    I have received a trademark Claims notification. What should I do next? updated
    I have received an e-mail notification from the Clearinghouse, what do I need to do?
    If a parent company registers trademarks in TMCH under a subsidiary, will the parent company be authorized to use the SMD file to register domain names? Or does the submitting party (either the agent or subsidiary) have to register the domain names?
    If different Trademark Holders or Trademark Agents have two identical trademarks registered in the Clearinghouse, when will they be informed?
    If I decide to register my record for three (3) or five (5) years, will I receive notifications concerning the annual reverification of my trademark record?
    In which chronological order do the Sunrise and Trademark Claims period take place?
    Is the TMCH the only Clearinghouse or are there other providers providing these services?
    My SMD file is not available for download even though my record status is VERIFIED and POU status VALID, what should I do?
    To which email address are the notifications sent?
    What does domain name activation mean?
    What happens when I do not renew in time?
    What is an SMD file?
    What is the Claims Period?
    What is the deadline for registering my trademark record in the Clearinghouse in order for me to benefit from registering in a Sunrise period?
    What is the Ongoing Notifications Service?
    What is the purpose of an SMD file?
    What is the revocation of an SMD file?
    When does my SMD file expire?
    When will my SMD file be available?
    Which information does a SMD file contain?
    Why can I see my trademark record in the "Mark" tab but not in the "Services" tab.
    Will I be notified through the Trademark Claims service if someone applies for a domain name matching my trademark registered in the Clearinghouse? updated
    Will potential domain name registrants receive a claims notice when attempting to register a domain name that matches the name of a trademark recorded in the Clearinghouse during the Ongoing Notifications period?

    trademark record

    As a trademark holder, how can I edit my contract information (e.g. company name or address)?
    Can I receive a refund when I fail to correct my trademark record?
    Can I still correct my trademark record after receiving the "invalid" status?
    Can I submit a trademark composed of two different scripts?
    Can I submit paper evidence?
    Does the label rule only apply to typos, misspellings, or does it also apply to UDRP and courts cases where the trademark is simply included, ex. BrandSucks.com? updated
    How are domain name labels matching the name of my trademark generated?
    How can I correct my trademark record?
    How can I see why my trademark record has been assigned the "incorrect" status?
    How can I submit documentary evidence, which is not Proof of Use documentation?
    How can I transfer a trademark record if I don't have an SMD file?
    How can I transfer a trademark record if I have an SMD file?
    How do I know that my trademark has actually been submitted to the Clearinghouse?
    How do I manage the trademark renewal?
    How long will it take to complete the verification process? updated
    How many abused labels will I be able to add per trademark record? updated
    How many times can I correct my trademark record?
    How much does it cost to transfer a trademark record?
    How much time do I have to correct my trademark record if a correction is requested by TMCH?
    How often will my trademark record by re-verified?
    How should I proceed if the court case or UDRP case does not contain all the requested information (for instance the registration number of the trademark)? updated
    How will the verification process work? Will it involve a check against online databases or a more in-depth analysis?
    I have received a message saying my trademark is incorrect. What should I do?
    In which format should I enter dates into the Clearinghouse?
    In which language should the detailed description of goods and services be provided?
    Is it possible to register a trademark if the trademark name only consists of two characters?
    Is there additional Proof of Use documentation required when I want to renew my trademark record?
    My trademark contains a character with an accent. When generating the labels, will this character be replaced with the corresponding character without an accent?
    My trademark contains a hyphen (-). How will the domain name labels be generated?
    My trademark contains a space. How will the domain name labels be generated?
    My trademark has been set to "NEW", what does this mean?
    Should the court that has rendered the decision have to be a national court? updated
    Should the UDRP case be rendered by a specific provider in order to be accepted by the Clearinghouse? updated
    Some goods and services for which my trademark was registered have been cancelled. Should I indicate those in the field “DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES”?
    The address of the trademark holder available in the trademark certificate no longer corresponds to the current address of the trademark holder, how should I proceed?
    The address of the trademark holder is incomplete on the trademark certificate, what should I enter in the address fields?
    The jurisdiction in which my trademark is registered does not apply Nice classification, what should I do?
    The jurisdiction in which my trademark is registered is not listed as a jurisdiction in which an online database for registered trademarks is available. Can I still submit my trademark?
    The name of my company has changed but the trademark certificate has not yet been updated accordingly, what should I submit?
    What happens if I do not renew before the mark expiration date?
    What is required to renew my trademark record?
    What is the deadline for submitting trademarks to the Clearinghouse?
    Which information do I have to provide with regards to the court case? updated
    Which information regarding UDRP and court cases will be verified by the Clearinghouse? updated
    Why are there no labels attached to my trademark?
    Will all abused labels have to pertain to the same court decision or UDRP case? updated
    Will the abused labels be included in the SMD file for sunrise? updated
    Will the pricing be the same for both a UDRP case and a court case? updated