Reference Desk
ESSENTIAL TEXTS
The essential texts in resolving abusive registration and use of domain names corresponding to trademarks consist of the materials listed below. The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy is the outcome of a two year study by the World Intellectual Property Organization. Its recommendations were passed to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers in April 1999 which implemented the UDRP in October of that year. The US Congress passed the ACPA the following month,
Except for some procedural revisions to the UDRP neither it nor the ACPA have undergone any revisions since they became effective in 1999.
​​
ANTICYBERSQUATTING CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
The Lanham Act 15 U.S. Code S 1125(a), (c) and (d) (The ACPA is 1125(d). It is subdivided into two parts: part 1 is in personam jurisdiction and part 2 is in rem jurisdiction).
House of Representatives Report on the ACPA​
​
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)​
The Final Report of the WIPO Internet Domain Name Process, subtitled "The Management of Internet Names and Addresses: Intellectual Property Issues" (April 30, 1999)​
Report of the Second WIPO Internet Domain Name Process: Recognition of Rights and the Use of Names in the Internet Domain Name System, September 3, 2001.​
​
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) translated WIPO's recommendations into a statute like online arbitral policy which it implemented in October 1999 as the UNIFORM DOMAIN NAME DISPUTE RESOLUTION POLICY ​
ICANN Second Staff Report (October 24, 1999) (Implementation document)
ICANN DOCUMENTS​​
The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
The Rules of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
ICANN Registrar Accreditation Agreement
​​
WIPO OVERVIEWS
(2026) WIPO [deleted Jurisprudential] Overview, 3.1
(2017) WIPO Jurisprudential Overview, Third Edition
(2011) WIPO Overview, Second Edition
(2005) WIPO Overview, First Edition​
All gTLDs (Ranking): All Years (dot com disputes approximately 75% of the whole.
There have been no substantive amendments to the UDRP, but ICANN is likely in the near future to initiate a review of the Policy, albeit without any date certain of its commencement. However, in advance of any commencement, whenever it may be scheduled, the Internet Commerce Association and WIPO engaged in a deliberative dialog based on a set of proposals jointly put forward by Steve Levy, Georges Nahitchevansky, Zak Muscovitch, and Nat Cohen. This effort resulted in a joint statement of the ICA and WIPO in a Final Report issued on December 2, 2025.
The sequence of documents is: Proposals of The UDRP Exploratory Group (version 2). Version 2 was subsequently discussed with WIPO (Brian Beckham) that resulting in a joint proposal that was submitted to ICANN. The joint proposal resulted in an EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TABLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS: FINAL REPORT OF THE WIPO-ICA UDRP REVIEW PROJECT TEAM (December 2, 2025).
​
No domain name appeal has been accepted by the US Supreme Court. It has denied certiorari in two cases: Newport News Holdings Corp. v. Virtual City Vision, Inc., 650 F3d 423 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 565 U.S. 1037 (2011) and JFXD TRX ACQ LLC v. trx.com, et al. (Docket No. 25-188).
.
UDRP ARBITRATION PROVIDERS
ADNRC-Asian Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre
CIIDRC (Canadian International Internet Dispute Resolution Centre)
Forum: Supplemental Rules, Forum
WIPO Supplemental Rules, World Intellectual Property Organization
​-- Updated WIPO UDRP Fee Schedule and NEW Services, March 9, 2026
​
Each Provider has its own List of Panelists and some panelists are on others' lists. You can also view Panelists' credentials and their decisions at <udrp.tools>. This is a free tool created and generously offered by Nat Cohen, ICA Director.
​​​​​