In a simple, two-page PDF document, I offer a primer on "How to Resolve a Domain Name Dispute." This introduction to the topic describes the problems caused by cybersquatting and the popular legal tools that are available to trademark owners to resolve them.
'Beyond the Scope' of the UDRP
Not all domain name disputes are appropriate for resolution under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). While the UDRP is clearly the "go-to" legal tool for trademark owners pursuing cybersquatters, some disputes are about larger -- or different -- issues than the UDRP was designed to address.
The Role of Privacy and Proxy Services in URS Disputes
Dear Gimlet: An Open Letter About the Dark Side of Domain Names
A popular podcast that launched its new season with a profile on the domain name industry focused on how one well-known opportunist, Rick Schwartz, made riches by registering, using and selling domain names -- starting in 1995 -- that consisted of or contained generic words such as porno.com, candy.com and servicedepartment.com. But the podcast ignored an important -- and dark -- side of the domain name industry: Cybersquatting.
Fighting Phishing with Domain Name Disputes
Beware of Extra Fees in UDRP Proceedings
.site Domain Names Eclipse .xyz in Dispute Proceedings
Despite the launch of more than 1,200 new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) in recent years, .com remains -- far and away -- the top-level domain that appears most frequently in decisions under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). But, some new gTLDs are attracting more disputes, including .site, which has become the new gTLD that, so far this year, has appeared in the most UDRP decisions.
Where to Search UDRP Decisions
Searching decisions under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) is important -- for evaluating the merits of a potential case and also, of course, for citing precedent when drafting documents (such as a complaint and a response) in an actual case. But, searching UDRP decisions is not always an easy task.
When a Domain Name Dispute is 'Plan B'
While having a backup plan is usually a good idea, it's often not an effective way to obtain someone else's domain name -- at least not when Plan B consists of a company filing a UDRP complaint with the hope of getting a domain name to which it is not entitled and could not acquire via a negotiated purchase.
Trademark Registrations on the 'Supplemental Register' Don't Count (in Domain Name Disputes)
The UDRP has never required that a complainant own any trademark registrations to succeed in a domain name dispute, given that common law trademark rights (if properly established) are sufficient. But, as a pair of recent UDRP decisions reminds us, even some registrations are insufficient, such as those on the "Supplemental Register" at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).