May 12, 2012
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a United Nation agency. Part of its function is to arbitrate and mediate resolution of domain name disputes; an activity that has kept it very, very, busy.
WIPO's domain dispute services hit the ground running over 12 years ago and has seen nearly 39,000 cases through its virtual doors since.
The following statistics apply to cases heard in relation to gTLD (generic Top Level Domain) extensions - aero, asia, biz, cat, com, coop, edu, info, mobi, museum, name, net, org, pro, tel, travel and xxx:
Year/Cases
1999 - 1
2000 - 3739
2001 - 2402
2002 - 2002
2003 - 1718
2004 - 2497
2005 - 3173
2006 - 2605
2007 - 3294
2008 - 3428
2009 - 4290
2010 - 3861
2011 - 4220
2012 - 1745
Domain names with a .com extension have been the most contested, with 30,889 cases since 1999. The index of WIPO UDRP Panel Decisions can be viewed here.
Where the owner of a trademark believes a domain name registration infringes on that mark, a complaint can be filed under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). The registrant is given the opportunity to defend itself and a service provider such as WIPO appoints a panelist or a number of panelists to review the complaint and the defense and then makes a decision as to who is entitled to the domain.
In addition to WIPO's role for generic top level domains, the Center also hears disputes over numerous country code Top Level Domains (ccTLD); including the .au space.
If you have attempted to register a .au domain name and it's already been taken by a party you feel is not entitled to that name; i.e. the party doesn't satisfy .au registration criteria or infringes on your trademark, you may be able to gain control of it. The first step is to consult the . au equivalent of the UDRP; the .au Dispute Resolution Policy (auDRP).
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How to register a name: Enter your choice in the search tool and click 'GO'. If after the check the domain names search results show your choice is available, you will then have the option to proceed to purchase registration; which is a very quick and easy process - start a search and find your ideal website address now.
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