The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center's domain name dispute resolution services for generic TLDs give effect to the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP Policy), adopted by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on August 26, 1999, and the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP Rules), approved by ICANN on October 24, 1999. In addition to the ICANN Policy and Rules, the WIPO Center has developed its Supplemental Rules for the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) that entered into effect on December 1, 1999.
These proceedings provide an efficient remedy against the bad faith, abusive registration of domain names that violate trademark rights. This administrative procedure is without prejudice to recourse to competent courts.
The UDRP applies to .com, .net and .org, as well as to a number of more recently introduced gTLDs, such as .aero, .biz, . cat, .coop, .info, .jobs, .mobi, .museum, .name and .travel. Since commencing its UDRP service, WIPO has processed over 10,500 cases.
The UDRP is based on recommendations made by WIPO in the Report on the First WIPO Internet Domain Name Process, focusing on the problems caused by the conflict between trademarks and domain names. A number of further issues identified in that Report were considered in the Second WIPO Internet Domain Name Process.
WIPO makes available a wide variety of resources specifically related to domain name cases and issues." (Source: WIPO: General information on UDRP disputes)