The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has just released its annual report on cybersquatting, confirming my earlier post that a record number of domain name disputes were filed in 2017.

A "new gTLD" is a generic top-level domain that was approved by ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) following an application process in 2012 to create alternatives to .com, .net, .org and other preexisting extensions. Interestingly, some of the new gTLDs are not -- despite what the name may indicate -- generic.

Obtaining an appropriate screenshot of a website associated with a domain name is an important task for anyone preparing for or filing a complaint. Including that screenshot as part of the complaint, typically as an annex or exhibit, is evidence that the panel will consider in reaching its decision.

About 16 cases involving domain names with the word "Bitcoin" have been filed as of this writing under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). Each of the disputed domain names contains what appears to be a well-known trademark in addition to the word "Bitcoin."

While punycodes can serve a useful function by allowing internationalized domain names that contain characters appropriate for certain audiences, they can also be used for malicious purposes, such as deceptive domain names used for phishing-style attacks or other"malicious endeavors.

The International Trademark Association (INTA) has won a decision under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) for the domain name <inta2018.org>.

The Czech Arbitration Court (CAC) has long offered the least expensive (by far) filing fees for complaints under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), but its fee are about to become more expensive, at least in most cases.

The year 2017 turned out to be a record-setting year for domain name disputes, in two ways: The number of complaints filed as well as the total number of domain names in those complaints.

Here's another example of a domain name dispute where the top-level domain (TLD) was essential to the outcome of the case -- because it formed a part of the complainant's trademark: <mr.green>.

A study from researchers at Georgia Tech and Stony Brook University has attracted attention to what it calls "combosquatting," but the practice has been around since the early days of domain name disputes.