What are the requirements and alternatives for implementing BIMI with VMC certificates, especially regarding trademark jurisdiction and costs?

Summary

Implementing BIMI with VMC certificates involves several key requirements and alternatives. A VMC is essential for displaying a brand's logo in major email clients like Google and iCloud, confirming logo and trademark ownership. This requires a trademark registered in an accepted jurisdiction (e.g., US, Germany, Brazil), though only Brazil is currently accepted from Latin America. The cost of a VMC is a significant annual expense that can be a barrier. Alternatives include implementing BIMI without a VMC, which works in some email clients like Yahoo and Fastmail. Strategies to mitigate costs include trademarking in countries with faster processes or weighing benefits against expenses. Further, there are limited VMC vendors. Implementation issues may occur due to caching or slow DNS propagation, and Entrust and DigiCert are the only certificate authorities. Despite challenges, BIMI implementation with VMC increases brand trust and improves email marketing ROI. Ultimately, BIMI adoption has been slow due to VMC complexity, cost, and email provider support limitations.

Key findings

  • VMC Requirement: A VMC is required for BIMI to work in major email clients like Google and iCloud, confirming logo and trademark ownership.
  • Jurisdictional Limits: A trademark is needed in an accepted jurisdiction for VMC eligibility (e.g., US, Germany, Brazil; Brazil is the only accepted Latin American country).
  • Cost Barrier: The annual cost of a VMC is a significant barrier for many organizations.
  • Partial Functionality: BIMI can be implemented without a VMC, providing brand recognition in some email clients (e.g., Yahoo, Fastmail).
  • Vendor Limits: Only Entrust and DigiCert can issue VMCs.
  • Adoption Limitations: BIMI adoption is slow due to complexity, cost, and limited support.
  • ROI increase: Implementation with VMC increases brand trust and improves email marketing ROI.

Key considerations

  • Trademark Strategy: Consider registering a trademark in a jurisdiction with a faster and cheaper process.
  • Cost-Benefit: Weigh the benefits against the costs, particularly for smaller senders.
  • Troubleshooting: Be aware that it can take time for the BIMI logo to display due to caching or DNS propagation.
  • DNS Records: A valid BIMI record is required in DNS.
  • Jurisdiction Eligibiltiy: Confirm your trademarks are registered in VMC approved regions before applying.
  • Partial Implementation: BIMI can be implemented without a certificate but has limited benefits.

What email marketers say
12Marketer opinions

Implementing BIMI with VMC certificates involves several requirements and considerations. A VMC is necessary for BIMI to work in major email clients like Google and iCloud, which requires a trademark registered in an accepted jurisdiction (e.g., the US, Germany, or Brazil). The cost of a VMC is a significant factor, as it is an annual expense. Alternatives to using a VMC exist, such as implementing BIMI without a certificate, which will still function in some email clients like Yahoo and Fastmail. Strategies to mitigate costs include registering a trademark in countries with faster and cheaper processes, or weighing the benefits against the cost, especially for smaller senders. Display issues can also occur due to caching or slow DNS propagation, and there are limited certificate authorities (Entrust and DigiCert) that can issue VMCs. When BIMI is correctly implemented with VMC it improves brand trust and overall email marketing ROI.

Key opinions

  • VMC Requirement: A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is required for BIMI to display logos in major email clients like Google and iCloud.
  • Trademark Jurisdiction: VMCs require a trademark registered in an accepted jurisdiction to be valid.
  • Cost Barrier: The annual cost of a VMC is a significant barrier for many organizations.
  • Limited Support: Adoption of BIMI has been slow due to limited email providers supporting VMC.
  • Alternative Implementation: BIMI can be implemented without a VMC, providing brand recognition in some email clients (e.g., Yahoo, Fastmail).
  • ROI Improvement: BIMI implementation with VMC improves brand trust and overall email marketing ROI.

Key considerations

  • Trademark Strategy: Consider registering a trademark in a country with a faster and cheaper process, if applicable.
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis: Weigh the benefits of BIMI and VMC against the costs, especially for smaller senders.
  • Implementation Steps: High-level steps include trademarking the logo, obtaining a VMC, creating an SVG version of the logo, and publishing the BIMI DNS record.
  • Display Timing: Be aware that it can take time for the BIMI logo to display due to caching or slow DNS propagation.
  • Certificate Authority: Entrust and DigiCert are the only two certificate authorities that can issue VMCs.
  • Alternative Approaches: Can be implemented without VMC but has limited benefits.
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that a trademark in the US or other accepted jurisdiction is required for a VMC. Publishing a logo is still possible without it, but it won't work in Google or iCloud.

March 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares a strategy of registering the trademark in a country with a faster and cheaper trademark process, then using that registration to apply for a VMC.

March 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that a certificate is required for BIMI to work in Google and iCloud, and a trademark is needed from an accepted jurisdiction. Only Brazil is currently accepted from Latin America.

March 2025 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailhardener mentions that there are only two certificate authorities that can issue VMCs (Verified Mark Certificates), which are Entrust and DigiCert.

November 2023 - Mailhardener
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailGeeks shares that they publish BIMI without a VMC certificate because the cost is too high for the volume of emails they send.

January 2023 - EmailGeeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Stackoverflow suggests that it can take time for the BIMI logo to display, even after correct implementation, due to caching or slow propagation of DNS records.

November 2022 - Stackoverflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from OnlyDomains mentions that the cost of a VMC can be a barrier for some organizations, as it's an annual expense on top of trademark registration fees. They suggest weighing the benefits against the cost, especially for smaller senders.

May 2022 - OnlyDomains
Marketer view

Email marketer from LinkedIn shares that BIMI implementation along with VMC increases brand trust and improves overall email marketing ROI.

July 2024 - LinkedIn
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares they publish BIMI without a certificate because the cost is too high for the volume of emails they send.

October 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailOnAcid details the high-level steps to implement BIMI, including trademarking the logo, obtaining a VMC, creating an SVG version of the logo, and publishing the BIMI DNS record.

June 2023 - EmailOnAcid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Valimail shares that even without a VMC, implementing BIMI with a published logo can still work in some email clients like Yahoo and Fastmail, providing brand recognition benefits, albeit limited.

June 2024 - Valimail
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks mentions registering a logo in Germany for its fast-track trademark option as a way to get a VMC quicker.

August 2021 - Email Geeks

What the experts say
5Expert opinions

Experts indicate that implementing BIMI with VMC certificates is complex and limited by requirements like trademark jurisdiction. Deploying BIMI without a certificate can work in some places, but VMC requirements and region limitations can be challenging. Addressing edge cases may require contacting certificate authorities like DigiCert or Entrust. The slow adoption of BIMI is attributed to the cost and complexity of obtaining a VMC, as well as limited support from email providers. Trademarking in a supported country is suggested to overcome region limitations.

Key opinions

  • VMC Limitations: BIMI is limited by VMC requirements and trademark jurisdiction, making it inaccessible for many.
  • Partial Implementation: Deploying BIMI without a certificate can work in some places.
  • Adoption Challenges: Slow BIMI adoption is due to VMC cost, complexity, and limited email provider support.
  • Region Limitations: VMC region limitations can be a barrier, requiring trademarking in supported countries.

Key considerations

  • Contact CAs: Consider contacting DigiCert or Entrust to address edge cases and understand VMC requirements.
  • Trademark Location: Trademarking in a supported country is a strategy to address region limitations.
  • Partial Implementation: BIMI can be implemented without a certificate but has limited benefits.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource shares that the adoption of BIMI has been slow due to the complexity and cost of obtaining a VMC, along with the limited number of email providers that currently support it.

June 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that deploying BIMI without a certificate will still work in some places.

November 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks points to a video explaining VMC region limitations and suggests trademarking in a supported country as a solution.

July 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that BIMI is limited by the requirements for a VMC (Verified Mark Certificate) and having a trademark that is registered in certain jurisdictions, making it inaccessible for many senders.

June 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that the user is encountering edge cases. They suggest speaking to Digicert or Entrust about pushing VMC requirements, as they are the certificate authorities.

December 2023 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

The documentation consistently highlights the requirements for implementing BIMI with VMC certificates. A VMC is essential for displaying a brand's logo in supporting email inboxes and verifies ownership of the logo and trademark. The trademark must be registered with an approved trademark office, and specific jurisdictions are accepted. A BIMI record must be published in DNS, pointing to the SVG logo file. Let's Encrypt does not offer VMCs.

Key findings

  • VMC Required: A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is essential to display a brand's logo in supporting email inboxes using BIMI.
  • Trademark Registration: A trademark must be registered with an approved trademark office to obtain a VMC.
  • Approved Jurisdictions: Only specific jurisdictions are accepted for trademark registration to qualify for a VMC. Verify eligibility before applying.
  • BIMI DNS Record: A BIMI record must be published in DNS, pointing to the SVG logo file, and conforming to specific syntax.
  • LetsEncrypt Exclusion: Let's Encrypt does not offer VMCs.

Key considerations

  • Jurisdiction Eligibility: Confirm that your trademark registration is in an accepted jurisdiction before pursuing a VMC.
  • DNS Record: Ensure that your BIMI DNS record is correctly formatted and points to a valid SVG logo file.
  • VMC Source: VMCs are not offered by Let's Encrypt and must be obtained from a proper CA.
Technical article

Documentation from BIMI Group explains the necessity of publishing a BIMI record in DNS, pointing to the location of the SVG logo file. The record needs to conform to specific syntax for email clients to validate and display the logo.

December 2024 - BIMI Group
Technical article

Documentation from Entrust details that to obtain a VMC, the trademark must be registered with an approved trademark office. They list specific jurisdictions that are currently accepted, emphasizing the need to verify eligibility before applying.

October 2023 - Entrust
Technical article

Documentation from DigiCert explains that a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is required to display a brand's logo in supporting email inboxes using BIMI. It confirms the organization's ownership of the logo and trademark.

December 2023 - DigiCert
Technical article

Documentation from Let's Encrypt Community Support states that they do not offer Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs), which are required by Google and other major email providers to display a logo next to emails. They are unable to help with BIMI implementations.

April 2021 - Let's Encrypt Community Support
Technical article

Documentation from Red Sift provides a comprehensive list of accepted trademark jurisdictions for VMC eligibility, emphasizing that the trademark must be active and in good standing within one of those jurisdictions.

June 2021 - Red Sift