UDRP

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UDRP proceedings give trademark owners a fast, cost-effective way to recover domain names from cybersquatters, and we handle complaints and defenses before WIPO, the Forum, and other approved providers.

The Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy is a streamlined process for getting a domain name back from a cybersquatter, without the cost and timeline of a federal lawsuit. We prosecute UDRP complaints and defend against them before WIPO, the Forum, and other approved providers, and we tell you up front whether UDRP is the right move for your situation.

Filing as the Complainant

To win a UDRP case you have to prove three things, and we build the record around all of them: that the domain is identical or confusingly similar to your trademark, that the registrant has no rights or legitimate interest in it, and that it was registered and used in bad faith. We assemble the evidence and write the complaint so the panel has a clean path to ordering transfer.

Defending a Registration

Not every UDRP complaint is fair. Trademark owners sometimes use the policy to grab domains from people with a legitimate claim, a practice known as reverse domain name hijacking. We defend legitimate registrants by showing rights or a legitimate interest through bona fide use, genuine noncommercial use, or a name you are commonly known by, and we push back when a complaint overreaches.

Is UDRP the Right Tool

UDRP is fast and inexpensive, but it only delivers transfer or cancellation of the domain, not money damages. When you need damages, a court order, or relief UDRP cannot reach, ACPA litigation may be the better path despite the higher cost. We weigh the tradeoffs with you so you spend your money on the remedy that actually solves your problem.

Choosing the Provider

The approved UDRP providers do not decide cases identically, and the choice of provider and the number of panelists can shape your odds. We select the provider strategically for your facts and watch how individual panelists have ruled on similar disputes. These tactical decisions are easy to overlook, but they can be the difference in a close case.

Frequently asked questions

You have to prove all three of these: the domain is identical or confusingly similar to your trademark, the registrant has no rights or legitimate interest in it, and they registered and are using it in bad faith. If you miss any one of the three, the complaint fails. So the case usually comes down to whichever element is weakest for your situation.

Common signs are offering to sell the domain to you, a pattern of grabbing other people's trademarks, registering a competitor's name to disrupt their business, or running ads and links that trade on confusion with your brand for profit. You don't need all of these; one strong fact often carries it. For example, an unsolicited email asking $10,000 for the domain is the kind of thing panels treat as bad faith.

They can defeat you by showing they have a legitimate interest in the name. That usually means real use of the domain for a genuine business before they heard about your dispute, being commonly known by that name, or making legitimate noncommercial or fair use of it. If they establish any of these, you lose the second element and the complaint fails.

No. A losing party can take the dispute to court by filing a lawsuit within 10 business days, which holds up the transfer. The court doesn't defer to the UDRP panel; it reviews the matter fresh (de novo). So a UDRP decision isn't truly final if either side is willing to litigate.

It can. WIPO, the Forum (formerly NAF), and the other approved providers tend to draw on different pools of panelists who can lean differently on close questions. We look at the facts of your case and the providers' panelist tendencies before deciding where to file.

No. A UDRP panel can only transfer the domain to you or cancel it; it can't award damages. If you want monetary recovery, you need a lawsuit under the federal Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) or another court claim.

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