Uniform Domain Name
Dispute Resolution Policy
Policy Adopted:
August 26, 1999
Implementation Documents Approved: October 24,
General Information
All registrars in the .com, .net,
and .org top-level domains follow the Uniform Domain-Name
Dispute-Resolution Policy (often referred to as the "UDRP").
Under the policy, most types of trademark-based domain-name
disputes must be resolved by agreement, court action, or
arbitration before a registrar will cancel, suspend, or transfer
a domain name. Disputes alleged to arise from abusive
registrations of domain names (for example, cybersquatting) may
be addressed by expedited administrative proceedings that the
holder of trademark rights initiates by filing a complaint with
an approved dispute-resolution service provider.
To invoke the policy, a trademark
owner should either (a) file a complaint in a court of proper
jurisdiction against the domain-name holder (or where
appropriate an in-rem action concerning the domain name) or (b)
in cases of abusive registration submit a complaint to an
approved dispute-resolution service provider (see below for a
list and links).
Principal Documents
The following documents provide
details:
