You open your inbox to find a customer complaining that yourbrand.com is redirecting to a competitor — or worse, to a page offering to sell the domain back to you for $10,000. Someone registered a domain built on your trademark, and they are using it to siphon your traffic or extort a payout. Going to court would take a year and tens of thousands of dollars. There is a faster route, and trademark owners have used it more than 80,000 times: the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy, or UDRP.
This guide covers how UDRP works in 2026 — the three things you must prove, what it costs, how long it takes, and when to file instead of suing. Every figure comes from WIPO's published fee schedule and caseload reports, ICANN's UDRP Rules, or the U.S. statute behind the court alternative.
What is UDRP?
The UDRP is an administrative dispute process created by ICANN, the organisation that coordinates the domain name system. It has been in effect since 1999 and applies to every generic top-level domain — .com, .net, .org, .io, .ai, .co, and all the new gTLDs — plus some country-code domains. Registering one means agreeing in the registration contract to a UDRP proceeding if a trademark owner complains.
It is not a court case. There is no hearing room, no judge, and no cross-examination. Everything happens online: the complaint and response are filed as documents, and a panel of one or three independent experts decides on the papers. The panel can only do two things — transfer the domain to the trademark owner, or cancel it. It cannot award money, damages, or costs.
The scale is large and still growing. Trademark owners filed 6,282 domain name cases with WIPO in 2025, a record, up from 6,168 in 2024. Since 1999, WIPO has administered more than 80,000 domain name disputes. The most frequent complainants in 2024 included Carrefour, Meta Platforms, and LEGO.
The three elements you must prove
Under paragraph 4(a) of the Policy, a complainant must prove all three. Failing any one of them loses the case, however strong the other two are.
1. The domain is identical or confusingly similar to your trademark
The panel compares the domain name with a trademark in which you have rights. The top-level domain is ignored — yourbrand.com is treated as "yourbrand". A registered trademark is the cleanest evidence, but common-law (unregistered) rights can also qualify if you can show the name has become distinctive through use. Adding a generic word rarely helps the registrant: yourbrandshop.com and yourbrand-support.com are routinely found confusingly similar.
2. The registrant has no rights or legitimate interests in the name
Once you make a basic case, the burden shifts to the domain holder to show a legitimate interest — known by the name before the dispute, a genuine business under it, or a fair, non-commercial use. A page that parks the domain with pay-per-click ads, or offers it for sale at an inflated price, is not a legitimate interest.
3. The domain was registered and is being used in bad faith
This is usually the deciding element. Panels look for an offer to sell the domain to you for far more than the registration cost, a pattern of registering other people's trademarks, diverting your customers to a competing site, or using the domain for phishing or counterfeits. Bad faith must cover both the registration and the use.
How a UDRP case proceeds, step by step
A typical case runs from filing to decision in about two months (WIPO's priority service, launched in March 2026, targets one month for an extra fee). The standard timeline, set by the UDRP Rules, is:
Step | What happens | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
1. File the complaint | File with an ICANN-approved provider (WIPO or the Forum handle the large majority of cases) and pay the fee | Day 0 |
2. Compliance check | Provider checks the complaint; registrar confirms the registrant's details and locks the domain | Within a few days |
3. Formal commencement | Provider notifies the registrant; the domain is locked against transfer or re-registration | About day 3–5 |
4. Response | The registrant may file a response arguing why they should keep the domain | 20 days from commencement (4-day extension on request) |
5. Panel appointment | Provider appoints one panelist, or three if either party requests it | Within 5 days of the response (10 for a three-member panel) |
6. Decision | The panel decides on the written record and sends its decision to the provider | Within 14 days of appointment |
7. Notification | Provider sends the decision to both parties and the registrar | Within 3 business days |
8. Implementation | If transfer is ordered, the registrar carries it out unless the losing party files a court case | After 10 business days |
The domain is locked from the start of the case, so the registrant cannot transfer it away mid-dispute — but the site keeps working while the case runs. And there is no default judgment in UDRP: if the registrant never responds, the panel still has to be satisfied that you proved all three elements on the evidence you filed.
What does a UDRP case cost?
The complainant pays the filing fee; the respondent pays nothing unless they ask for a three-member panel, when the extra cost is shared. WIPO's published fees, in US dollars:
Domains in the complaint | Single panelist | Three-member panel |
|---|---|---|
1 to 5 | $1,500 | $4,000 |
6 to 10 | $2,000 | $5,000 |
More than 10 | Set in consultation with WIPO | Set in consultation with WIPO |
The other main provider, the Forum (formerly the National Arbitration Forum), is slightly cheaper for a single domain: $1,330 for one or two domain names with a single panelist. For three to five domains held by one registrant, WIPO's flat $1,500 tier is usually cheaper.
WIPO's priority service, launched in March 2026, costs $4,000 for a single-panelist case covering up to five domains held by one registrant, with a decision targeted within one month. Remarkably, WIPO had never raised its UDRP filing fees since the policy took effect in 1999.
Lawyer fees are on top, and they are not recoverable: a UDRP panel cannot order the loser to pay your costs. For a straightforward single-domain case, many trademark owners budget $1,500 for the fee plus a few thousand dollars for a lawyer to draft the complaint — against five figures for even a simple federal court case.
What actually happens: outcomes in 2025
WIPO's published statistics for its 2025 domain name decisions show how cases end:
- Transfer — 79%: the domain was handed to the trademark owner.
- Terminated or settled — 15%: the parties resolved the case before a decision, or the complaint was withdrawn.
- Complaint denied — 5%: the panel found the trademark owner had not proved its case, and the registrant kept the domain.
- Cancellation — 1%: the domain was cancelled outright rather than transferred.
The high transfer rate reflects selection, not a rubber stamp: owners usually file only when they hold a registered mark and the bad faith is clear, and weak cases settle or are never filed. A case filed on a generic word, or a mark registered after the domain was, has a real chance of being denied — and a complaint filed in bad faith can earn a finding of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking, a formal rebuke that panels publish.
Two early decisions still frame how panels think. In 2000, Madonna won madonna.com from a registrant who had used it for an adult site (WIPO case D2000-0847), and Julia Roberts recovered juliaroberts.com from a registrant with no connection to her name who was advertising it for sale (WIPO case D2000-0210). The lesson is about evidence, not fame: a registered trademark, dated proof of use, and a clear record of the registrant's conduct.
UDRP vs URS vs going to court
UDRP is not the only route. Which one fits depends on what you want and how much you are willing to spend:
UDRP | URS | Federal court (ACPA) | |
|---|---|---|---|
Applies to | All gTLDs + participating ccTLDs | New gTLDs only (.app, .shop, etc.) | Any domain, US jurisdiction |
Remedy | Transfer or cancellation | Suspension only, for the rest of the registration term | Transfer, cancellation, injunction, damages |
Typical cost | From $1,500 filing fee | Lower, a few hundred dollars per case | Five figures and up |
Typical time | About 60 days | Weeks | Months to years |
Money damages | None | None | Statutory damages of $1,000 to $100,000 per domain under 15 U.S.C. § 1125(d) |
Best for | Recovering a domain you need | Quickly taking down a clear-cut abuse on a new gTLD | Damages, repeat offenders, or registrants outside UDRP reach |
The URS (Uniform Rapid Suspension system) is the budget option for new gTLDs: faster and cheaper than UDRP, but the domain is only suspended, not transferred to you — it goes dark for the rest of its registration period and then becomes available again. The ACPA, the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (15 U.S.C. § 1125(d), passed in 1999), is the heavy weapon: a federal lawsuit that can produce damages of up to $100,000 per domain name, but only after full litigation at a cost dwarfing the UDRP fee.
When UDRP will not help you
UDRP is a scalpel, not a hammer. It does not work when:
- You have no trademark rights. Owning a company name or a social media handle is not enough. If you have not registered a trademark or built provable common-law rights, file the trademark first — or negotiate.
- The domain is generic or descriptive. Nobody can take "bestshoes.com" from a legitimate shoe seller just because they sell shoes too. Panels protect trademarks, not business ideas.
- The registrant got there first with a legitimate use. A domain registered years before your trademark existed, and used for a real business, will usually survive — even if it now matches your brand.
- It is a business dispute, not cybersquatting. A fight with a former partner, franchisee, or distributor over who owns a domain is a contract dispute. Panels will tell you to take it to court.
- The domain is a country-code outside the system. Some ccTLDs run their own dispute policies — .uk has its own Dispute Resolution Service, .in has the INDRP, and some registries have none at all.
Before filing, check the domain's ownership and history with a WHOIS lookup — a domain registered before your trademark existed is a warning sign; one registered the week after your product launch is evidence.
If a UDRP complaint lands on you
Receiving a complaint does not mean you have lost. You have 20 days from the formal start of the case to respond, and WIPO grants a four-day extension on request. The domain is locked but keeps working while the case runs.
A strong response shows legitimate interest with evidence: dated invoices, business plans, advertising, or proof you were known by the name before the dispute. Generic and descriptive words are your best defence — if the domain is a dictionary word you use in its ordinary sense, say so with evidence of that use. Do not ignore the complaint: an unanswered complaint lets the trademark owner's evidence stand unchallenged, and most unopposed cases end in transfer.
If you lose, you have 10 business days to file a lawsuit in a court of mutual jurisdiction and notify the registrar — that stops the transfer while the court decides. After that window, the transfer goes ahead.
Preventing the next dispute
Filing a UDRP complaint costs at least $1,500 before lawyers. Preventing one costs far less:
- Register the obvious variants early. The .com, the common misspellings, and the key extensions for your market — before launch, not after.
- Register the trademark before the domain fight starts. A registered mark is the single strongest piece of evidence in any UDRP case — see our guide on how to check if a business name is trademarked.
- Renew on time. Most disputes start with an expired domain: yours lapses, someone else registers it, and suddenly you need a UDRP case to get your own brand back.
The bottom line
UDRP is the fastest realistic way to recover a domain from a cybersquatter: about 60 days, from $1,500 in filing fees, decided on documents by experts who handle thousands of these cases a year. It works when you have a real trademark, the registrant has no legitimate claim to the name, and the bad faith is provable. It does not award damages, settle business disputes, or help if you never secured the trademark in the first place.
If someone is sitting on your brand's domain, start with a WHOIS lookup, gather your trademark evidence, and weigh the $1,500 filing against buying the domain or living without it. The 6,282 cases filed with WIPO in 2025 suggest most owners reach the same conclusion.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a UDRP case take?
A typical case takes about 60 days from filing to decision: a few days for the compliance check, 20 days for the respondent to reply, up to 5 days for panel appointment, and 14 days for the panel to decide. WIPO's priority service, launched in March 2026, targets a decision within one month for $4,000.
How much does it cost to file a UDRP complaint?
At WIPO, a complaint covering one to five domain names costs $1,500 with a single panelist or $4,000 with a three-member panel; six to ten domains cost $2,000 or $5,000. The Forum charges $1,330 for one or two domains with a single panelist. Lawyer fees are extra and cannot be recovered, because UDRP panels can only transfer or cancel domains, not award money.
Can I file a UDRP complaint without a registered trademark?
Yes, if you can prove common-law trademark rights — that the name has become distinctive through your use of it in commerce, with dated evidence such as sales, advertising, and press coverage. A registered trademark is much easier to prove.
What happens if the domain owner does not respond to the complaint?
The panel decides on the complaint alone. There is no automatic default judgment under UDRP, so you still need to prove all three elements, but an unopposed complaint usually succeeds because your evidence goes unchallenged.
Can a UDRP panel award me money or damages?
No. A UDRP panel can only order the domain transferred to you or cancelled. If you want damages, you need to sue in court — in the US, the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act allows statutory damages of $1,000 to $100,000 per domain name.
What is Reverse Domain Name Hijacking?
It is a finding a panel makes when a complaint was brought in bad faith — for example, to seize a domain the complainant knew it had no rights to, or to harass a legitimate registrant. It costs the complainant no money, but the finding is published and can damage their credibility in later disputes.
Does UDRP apply to country-code domains like .uk or .in?
Only if that registry has adopted the UDRP or a similar policy. Many ccTLDs run their own systems: .uk uses Nominet's Dispute Resolution Service, and .in uses the INDRP. Check the registry's policy before filing.
Should I buy the domain or file a UDRP complaint?
Compare the numbers. If the asking price is below the $1,500 filing fee plus your lawyer's time, buying is usually faster and cheaper — a private purchase can close in days, while a UDRP case takes about two months. File when the price is extortionate, the registrant refuses to sell, or the domain is being used to phish your customers or sell counterfeits.
