In a decision that seems surprising at first glance, Warner Bros. lost a UDRP case for the domain name <dumbledore.com>. “Dumbledore” is the name of a popular Harry Potter character, and Warner Bros. is a sophisticated trademark owner, but the UDRP panelist found that the registrant of the domain name had rights or legitimate interests in <dumbledore.com> and that it did not register or use the domain name in bad faith. The decision was based largely on the fact that the word “dumbledore” has a dictionary meaning.

Although the overwhelming majority of domain name dispute decisions won by trademark owners result in transfers of the disputed domain names, the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) includes an alternative remedy that occasionally arises: cancellation of the disputed domain name.

The Uniform Rapid Suspension System (URS) continued declining in importance in 2019, with the fewest number of cases, 138, decided in the six-year history of the domain name dispute policy.

The number of domain name disputes filed at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) climbed for the sixth consecutive year in 2019. The total number of cases increased more than 7 percent, setting another all-time record for the most popular provider of services under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) and other domain dispute policies.

Domain name privacy and proxy services, which allow registrants to shield their identities and/or contact information from public view, have long been the subject of much debate. But, a recent criminal case provides what may be the best justification of privacy and proxy services yet: to protect registrants from armed attempts to hijack their domain names.

In one of the first UDRP decisions under the Forum’s new supplemental rules, a three-member panel issued what could be considered important advice about the submission of supplemental filings. The panel’s footnote in the case is important. and it should be read as this: If you intend to submit a supplemental filing in a UDRP case, do so as quickly as possible.

The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), which has been the preferred way for trademark owners to resolve cybersquatting issues for 20 years, applies to registrants of .com and other specified domain names because it appears in the relevant registration and renewal agreements to which every registrant must agree when registering or renewing a domain name. Or does it?

Trademark owners looking to file a complaint under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution (UDRP) now have another provider where they can submit their disputes: the Canadian International Internet Resolution Centre (CIIDRC).

As a domain name panelist, I always attend an annual meeting at the headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, but this year’s meeting was different — because it was devoted to the 20th anniversary of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP).

The Forum has revised its supplemental rules for the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), finally eliminating its controversial mandatory fee for supplemental filings but also raising the base price for complaints slightly.