IP lawyers play key role in protecting brands by helping lock down their Canadian online identities
This article was produced in partnership with CIRA
The recent TikTok debacle in the United States demonstrates just how important it is for businesses to be in control of their online presence—and it underscores how critical CIRA’s mission is.
“When a company doesn’t have ownership over its web presence, it’s at the mercy of these platforms causing a single point of failure,” explains Adam Eisner, Vice-president of .CA and Registry Services at CIRA. “That’s why it’s more important than ever to secure a .CA domain and create a website so you can have the control and flexibility you need to run your business your way.”
CIRA helps build Canada's corner of the internet as the operator of the .CA domain registry. CIRA also supports local and small businesses by providing them with a trusted, recognizable online presence that connects them with Canadian customers. By way of its Lock down the .CA domain campaign, CIRA is advocating for IP lawyers to encourage clients to protect their business’ online identity and safeguard its digital presence for the future. 
Though there are many benefits to this approach, from Canadian pride—85% of Canadians prefer a .CA domain—to greater online visibility due to boosted local SEO, most importantly, a .CA domain enhances brand security and strengthens trust within Canada’s borders.
Backed by CIRA’s Canadian Presence Requirements, owning a .CA domain is more than just a digital address; it’s a powerful statement to Canadian customers signalling credibility, trust and a commitment to the local market. Never an either-or proposition, business owners who hold a .com and a .CA domain are doubling down on security and minimizing risk. This approach prevents domain squatting and impersonation, limits opportunities for phishing and fraud and ultimately safeguards brand reputation while preventing unnecessary costs.
For Janice Bereskin, principal at Smart & Biggar, discussion around the value of .CA domains is a near-daily occurrence. She has extensive experience with the role of the extension, including challenges with third parties and cybersquatters. Positioning locking down a business’ respective .CA as a proactive measure is part and parcel of her role in helping clients safeguard their intellectual property.
“My advice is simple: any company planning to enter the Canadian marketplace should secure the .CA early on,” Bereskin says, adding that the risk companies face if they don’t is that another entity will beat them to it, making it costly—or simply impossible—to obtain it later.
Zak Muscovitch, another Canadian trademark lawyer, agrees with Bereskin, highlighting the difficulty of obtaining a .CA domain once registered by another party in bad faith. CIRA’s robust dispute resolution process does offer some recourse—and is another way the organization strives to protect brand owners’ .CA presence—but despite most decisions determining that the domain should be transferred to the complainant, they’re not easy victories. And he stresses, they’re ultimately an avoidable headache.
“Every IP professional should advise their clients that it can be a lengthy process to get a .CA domain transferred from bad faith registrants or domain name squatters hoping to sell it for top dollar,” Muscovitch says. “It’s better for the client to register it themselves as soon as possible.”
Though many IP professionals, especially trademark specialists, already promote the advantages of .CA domain names to clients, it’s an important facet of trademark protection—and it doesn’t hurt to double down on its benefits.
“Reviewing and securing a .CA, in addition to other top level domain names and social media handles, once they have conducted a full trademark clearance search, should be table stakes in any consultation,” Bereskin notes. “That said, clients and the stage they’re at may differ and it’s important to find out what they already own and who is managing their digital assets.”
It’s also a best practice to take clients through registration, a straightforward process that ensures they meet CIRA’s Canadian Presence Requirements. Muscovitch often helps his clients in this way and is a firm believer that it’s the route to strengthening their online presence, protecting their brand as it grows and reaping the rewards of highlighting the Canadian identity of the business.
“Taking the first step of registering a .CA domain will be the best money a business will ever spend to market itself to Canadians,” he says, and Bereskin agrees, adding that it’s inexpensive and easy to register—a win-win for clients.
Eisner sums up the value proposition like this: with low abuse rates, Canadian Presence Requirements and a widely known, country-specific brand, .CA is one of the most popular country-specific domain extensions worldwide. Your clients can and should cement those benefits for their businesses by securing their name as a .CA today.
Don’t wait. Encourage your clients to act now by visiting lockdownthe.ca and claim their .CA domain—before someone else does.
