What is the Uniform Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP)?

All registrars in the .biz, .com, .info, .name, .net, and .org top-level domains follow the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (often referred to as the "UDRP"). According to ICANN, under the UDRP, most types of trademark-based domain name disputes must be resolved by agreement, court action, or arbitration before a Registrar will cancel, suspend, or transfer a domain name.

Disputes that arise from abusive registrations of domain names (e.g., cybersquatting) can be addressed by expedited administrative proceedings that the trademark holder initiates by filing a complaint with an approved dispute-resolution service provider. To invoke the policy, a trademark owner should either (a) file a complaint in a court of proper jurisdiction against the domain name holder (or where appropriate an in-rem action concerning the domain name) or (b) in cases of abusive registration, submit a complaint to an approved dispute-resolution service provider. The following documents provide relevant details:

• Uniform Dispute-Resolution Policy – This policy is followed by all ICANN-accredited Registrars. It can be found at http://www.icann.org/udrp/udrp-policy-24oct99.htm.
• Rules for Uniform Dispute-Resolution Policy – These rules are followed by all dispute-resolution service providers, with supplementation by each provider's supplemental rules. This can be found at http://www.icann.org/udrp/udrp-rules-24oct99.htm.
• List of approved dispute-resolution service providers – This list can be found at http://www.icann.org/udrp/approved-providers.htm.