In this domain name dispute case study video, I discuss an update to my masterclass video about the Uniform Rapid Suspension System (URS), noting that this policy now applies to .org domain names, allowing a trademark owner to get a .org domain name temporarily suspended.
As I explain in this new video, the URS is a relatively new domain name dispute policy that was created by ICANN primarily to address the growth of the so-called new generic or global top-level domains or gTLDs that were revealed in 2012. But a new decision -- involving the domain name <verbraucherritter.org> -- shows that a trademark owner who identifies a problematic .org domain name registration can consider filing a complaint not only under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) but also under the URS.
Despite this recent change, I don't expect to see much growth in URS complaints for .org domain names, for at least two reasons:
First, cybersquatters don’t frequently target .org domain names. While .org is the third-most popular top-level domain in UDRP cases (behind .com and .net), .com remains — far and away — the most commonly disputed TLD. For example, in the third quarter of 2020, as my GigaLaw Domain Dispute Digest shows, .com domain names represented more than 74% of all UDRP disputes, while .org domains only made up about 3% of the cases.
And second, the general limitations and obstacles of URS proceedings remain a concern. URS proceedings have a higher burden of proof than the UDRP, stricter filing requirements, a complicated appeals process and, perhaps most importantly, only allow a trademark owner to get a disputed domain name temporarily suspended, not transferred.
As result, the UDRP remains the most popular option for trademark owners, but the URS is now worthy of consideration in some cases.
