UDRP URS Lawyer

A Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy ("URDP") is a policy put in place by the Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN"). All registrars must follow the UDRP. The UDRP requires trademark ("TM") domain disputes be resolved by:

• agreement,
• court action, or
• arbitration

before a registrar will cancel, suspend, or transfer an allegedly infringing domain. Agreement is less likely in a domain dispute, and court action is usually too costly to justify initiation of proceedings in court. As such, arbitration by an approved dispute-resolution service provider is used in cases of abusive registration. An example of an abusive registration is cybersquatting, which is the registration of a domain name of a known trademark in an attempt to obtain money from the rightful trademark owner by holding the domain from that rightful trademark owner.

A Uniform Rapid Suspension ("URS") is a policy similar to the UDRP policy, but provides for a more cost-effective and expedited process. It is worth noting that a URS only provides suspension as a remedy, which may not be a desired result with a domain dispute.

Essentially, the UDRP and URS complaint processes are a way to retrieve a domain that was registered improperly by another individual.