In March 2019, the Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs launched MYMARK, a collaborative programme between MYNIC and MyIPO that enables trademark owners to secure their domain name from being exploited by unauthorised use and cyber squatters as these threats have been growing in this digital era.

MyIPO is an agency under the scope of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs responsible for the development and administration of intellectual property rights in Malaysia. Meanwhile, MYNIC is the official .MY domain registry, recognised by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which provides Malaysian organisations and individuals with their unique brand identity online.

This programme offers a cost-effective special package for registered trademark owners to register their domain name at a lower cost, which comes in handy during this technology era to have an online presence. The package offers either a basic or premium package, with a choice of either 5-year or 10-year subscription. Brief details of the domain protection offered under the basic and premium MYMARK package is outlined below:

Basic MYMARK package : 1 - 2 domain names
E.g.:
.my
.name.my

Premium MYMARK package: 3-5 domain names
E.g.:
.my
.name.my
.com.my
.net.my
.org.my

Individual applicants are only eligible for the Basic package whereas organisations are free to choose either the Basic or Premium packages.

Some of the advantages of registering and securing multiples domain names under MYMARK are:

• cost-effective (cheaper than the usual prices offered);
• assists in building or expanding business;
• protects digital brand identity;
• provides a dynamic online identity;
• encourages low risk in brand abuse; and
• does not require the renewal of registration process during the duration of protection.

The eligibility of this programme is only extended to registered MyIPO trademark owners and anyone with a pending application with MyIPO. Applicants must also comply with the requirements of MYNIC for registering a domain name.

The eligible person would need to have a valid trademark application or registration number with an active status from MyIPO to apply for MYMARK. Individual applicants must have a valid Identity Card (IC) number and organisations must have a valid company registration number. The registration steps are listed as follows:

Details of the prices of the packages and necessary contact details can be found on MYMARK’s official pamphlet here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EW9cwbac_mvtoQzyENSbqrjobmTvsGbg/view

For more details, visit the FAQ and Terms & Conditions on MYMARK’s official website here: https://mymark.ichoose.my/

Registration can be performed by the owner themselves or by a trademark agent. Please do not hesitate to contact info@law-partnership.com if you have any queries.