WIPO Identifies The GigaLaw Firm as 'Top 10' Filer of Domain Name Dispute Complaints

The GigaLaw Firm was one of the “top 10” representatives that filed domain name dispute complaints at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2024, the United Nations (UN) agency said in a report about cases under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) and other policies created to combat cybersquatting.

Led by attorney Doug Isenberg, GigaLaw has been a prolific filer of domain name complaints for many years and filed the largest UDRP complaint ever in 2009. For the first time, WIPO — the most active of the five ICANN-approved UDRP service providers — identified those law firms and others that have represented trademark owners most frequently in cybersquatting cases.

GigaLaw’s clients range from individuals to some of the largest corporations in the world, representing a wide variety of industries, including nearly all of those listed among the top sectors identified in the WIPO report: retail; banking and finance; biotechnology and pharmaceuticals; Internet and IT; heavy industry and machinery; fashion; entertainment; food, beverages and restaurants; media and publishing; and hotels and travel.

In its own analysis of cybersquatting enforcement — GigaLaw’s Domain Dispute Digest — GigaLaw recently reported that domain name disputes under the UDRP rose by 3.1 percent in 2024, an indication that cybersquatting remains a significant problem for trademark owners, and that more than 95 precent of UDRP decisions last quarter resulted in orders to transfer disputed domain names to the trademark owners who filed the complaints.

Doug Isenberg Appointed as Panelist at Asian Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre

The Asian Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre (ADNDRC) has appointed Doug Isenberg as a panelist. Doug has already been serving as a panelist for the ADNDRC’s Hong Kong Office (the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre), but this new appointment allows him to decide cases filed at any of the ADNDRC’s offices under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP).

The ADNDRC is one of five UDRP dispute providers authorized by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). With this appointment, Doug serves as a panelist for all of them, including the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Forum (formerly the National Arbitration Forum), the Czech Arbitration Court (CAC), and the Canadian International Internet Dispute Resolution Centre (CIIDRC).

The ADNDRC has four offices, in Hong Kong, Seoul, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur. In addition to providing services for the UDRP, the ADNDRC also provides services under the Uniform Rapid Suspension System (URS) and several other domain name dispute policies.

As a longtime domain name panelist, Doug has written hundreds of UDRP and other decisions.

Westlaw Quotes Doug Isenberg About Cancellations in Domain Name Disputes

An article published by Thomson Reuters Westlaw Today quotes Doug Isenberg about the unusual situation in which a disputed domain name is cancelled — rather than transferred — in a decision under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP).

The article discusses a recent decision in a UDRP case brought by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) involving the domain name <sanofi-asia.com>, which contains the “Sanofi” trademark. Although Sanofi won the case, the panel ordered cancellation of the domain name registration rather than transferring it to Sanofi.

“In my view, if a trademark owner is willing to incur the time and expense of filing a UDRP complaint in the first place, then it should always request a transfer of the domain name, to ensure that the domain name can't fall into the hands of another cybersquatter, which is always possible with a cancellation,” the Westlaw article quotes Doug as saying.

“Some trademark owners might make a decision to request cancellation if they don't want to use the domain name for themselves,” Doug adds in the article. “But I think that's very short-sighted, because it's certainly significantly more efficient — and less expensive — to maintain a domain name that has been transferred instead of having to file yet another UDRP complaint for the same domain name if it is picked up by another cybersquatter.”

Doug Isenberg to Speak About Domain Disputes at IP CLE Conference in Colorado

Doug Isenberg will speak again at the annual IP CLE Conference in Colorado from January 8-11, 2025. Doug’s presentation, on January 9, is titled, “Domain Name Disputes: Looking Back and Looking Ahead.”

In his presentation, Doug will provide statistics about domain name disputes in 2024, including under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP); review some of the most important and interesting decisions from the year; and discuss plans for the expansion of the number of top-level domains and changes to the UDRP system.

The IP CLE Conference, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt in Vail, Colorado, provides 16 hours of continuing legal education credit with presentations from distinguished intellectual property experts including regulators, judges, academics and in-house counsel. Learn more or register.

The GigaLaw Firm Ranked in 'Best Law Firms' for Technology Law

The GigaLaw Firm has received national (United States) and regional (Atlanta) rankings in the 2025 edition of “Best Law Firms,” in the area of technology law.

“Since 2010, Best Law Firms has served as a definitive law firm guide and trusted resource for those seeking authoritative legal insight,” according to Best Lawyers, which publishes the Best Law Firms rankings. “Through a rigorous, data-driven approach, Best Law Firms identifies firms known for quality, specialized knowledge and commitment to excellence.”

The GigaLaw Firm, founded by attorney Doug Isenberg, helps companies of all sizes protect their brands online — against cybersquatters, counterfeiters, copyright infringers and other bad actors on the Internet who trademarks and content for their own advantage, without permission. Isenberg is one of the most prolific and accomplished domain name attorneys in the world, having practiced in this area of the law for more than 25 years.