GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal | GMO BRAND SECURITY Inc.

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Media Coverage

Our GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal was featured in an article in Yomiuri Shimbun (October 3, 2024), titled "Official Site Proof: GMO Banner for Anti-Spoofing Measures."

↓What is GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal?
↓Why is GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal Necessary?
↓Effectiveness
↓How it Works
↓Terms of Use
↓Why you should choose GMO BRAND SECURITY
↓Related Pages

What is GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal?

GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal certifies that a website is operated under proper authority by verifying (1) the existence of the site operator, (2) domain authentication, and (3) trademark verification.

It proves the legitimacy of using brand marks, something that SSL/TLS cannot authenticate. GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal uses Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) technology, which is also adopted in BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification).

Why is GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal Necessary?

Over the past quarter century, the internet has become essential as digital infrastructure. However, alongside its convenience, it has been exploited for brand infringement issues such as impersonation, phishing, counterfeit product sales, and brand free-riding.

It has become increasingly difficult for users to determine if a website is genuine.

① SSL/TLS

One of the methods to verify website operators, SSL/TLS, is increasingly preferred without verifying the operator’s existence due to cost considerations, making it difficult to confirm the operator's identity.

② Domain Name

Domain Whois information has been increasingly privatized following the enforcement of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which classifies it as personal information, making ownership verification challenging.

③ Contents

Website content is created by the operator and is not authenticated by a third-party authority. Moreover, it is easy to copy.

A secure and reliable environment where users can access websites with confidence is required.

Effectiveness of GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal

GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal certifies that a website is operated under proper authority by verifying the existence of the operator, the domain, and the trademark through a Certificate Authority. In addition to EV SSL-level verification, the content’s trustworthiness is also ensured through trademark authentication.

Anti-Spoofing and
Phishing Measures

Existence verification involves a strict review process that includes not only document checks but also face-to-face interviews.

Anti-Counterfeiting Measures

Trademark authentication proves that the brand mark is being used by the rightful owner.

License Certification

The seal can also be used to certify licensing when a company is authorized to use a brand through an agency or another third party.

How GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal Works

Terms of Use

Condition 1Trademark Registration for Brand Mark

The trademark to be certified must be a registered trademark. As a general rule, the certified trademark must match the brand mark displayed on the website. Additionally, there is no issue if the registered trademark is from a country or region belonging to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The classification and designated goods or services do not matter.

Condition 2Apply for VMC

To apply for a VMC, you will need to provide application information and various documents.

Specify the domain name to be authenticated.
Prepare the registered trademark information to be authenticated. If you are licensed to use the trademark, you will need to obtain a usage permission letter from the registered trademark owner.
Prepare the logo file (SVG Tiny 1.2 version).
Please refer to https://support.google.com/a/answer/10911027?hl=en&sjid=18281942727403524387-AP for the file settings.
Prepare registry documents to prove you are the site operator. Below is a list of key documents:

Certified copy of the company registry (Certificate of all current matters)
Balance certificate
Tax certificates for the last 3 years

Invoice from a telephone company
Certificate of Employment for the Contract Signatory and Certificate Approver
Identification Document of the Contract Signatory or Certificate Approver

Read Frequently Asked Questions about Trademark and Image Creation Methods, Required Documents, and More

Condition 3Review

The review process involves domain, organizational, and trademark verification, similar to the EV SSL validation in SSL/TLS, with the addition of trademark verification.

Domain name Verification
Operator Existence Authentication
Trademark Authentication

This verifies that the domain name is being used by its legitimate owner. The verification can be done by either approving an authorization email sent to the domain’s public email address or by adding a specific string issued by the certification authority to the DNS.

This process confirms the existence of the organization and the authority of those involved in its operation. In addition to objective information, this verification may include phone calls or interviews to assess the organization’s legitimacy.

This ensures that the brand logo (SVG file) matches the trademark registration. The trademark must be registered in a country or region that is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The classification and designated goods of the trademark do not matter, but the brand logo must match the registered trademark. If the logo differs from the registered trademark (e.g., a standard character mark), a trademark application may be required.

Condition 4VMC Issuance

The VMC is issued by the certification authority in PEM file format. A PEM (Privacy Enhanced Mail) file is a file format used primarily for storing digital certificates or private keys for encryption and authentication purposes.

Condition 5GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal usage setup

The process for setting up BIMI is as follows:

Upload the PEM file and the brand logo (in SVG format).

Enter the BIMI record.
The PEM file and brand logo (in SVG format) should be uploaded to the designated location.
It is required that the URL be static.

Example:

https://www.〇〇.co.jp/bimi/vmc/〇〇.pem
https://www.〇〇.co.jp/bimi/logo/〇〇_logo.svg

Next, configure the BIMI record as follows:

Field	Value	Description
Type	TXT	DNS Record Type
Host	Valuedefault._bimi.[Verified Domain]	DescriptionPlease enter the verified domain after "default._bimi.".
Value	ValueV=BIMI1; l=[URL of the SVG file]; a=[URL of the PEM file]	DescriptionThis is your BIMI record
TTL	Value3600 seconds	DescriptionSet it to 1 hour

By using the https://bimigroup.org/bimi-generator/, you can create it accurately.

To display GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal on your website, please implement GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal logo and setup program provided by our company.

By installing GMO Anti-Spoofing Seal,
users can confidently use your services.
As a result, companies can enhance the trustworthiness of their brand.

Why you should choose

Reason 1

Trademark Services with 20 Years of Experience

GMO BRAND SECURITY has extensive expertise in trademarks. You can confidently rely on us for the crucial trademark verification needed for VMC issuance.

Reason 2

The root certificate authority is GlobalSign, the largest SSL/TLS provider in Japan

With GlobalSign, part of the GMO Internet Group, acting as the root certificate authority, stable BIMI operations are possible with all email vendors.

Reason 3

We also provide additional services such as brand infringement monitoring

We also offer solutions in case of brand infringement or cybersecurity risks. (Examples: brand infringement monitoring, site takedown, vulnerability assessment).

Reason 4

Our experienced staff designs solutions tailored to your company's specific challenges

We work with 2,000 companies, primarily large corporations, and specialize in providing solutions tailored to their specific challenges.