GNSO Council Requests Issue Report on the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)
Background
The UDRP was created in 1999, with the goal of providing an alternative to costly litigation for resolving disputes concerning cybersquatting in gTLDs. Since the adoption of the UDRP, over 30,000 complaints have been filed with the dispute resolution providers authorized by ICANN. The UDRP has not been reviewed or updated by the GNSO Council since its inception.
As recommended by the Registration Abuse Policy (RAP)’s Final Report, the GNSO Council has requested from Staff an Issue Report on the current state of the UDRP. Staff is currently conducting the research and analysis necessary to deliver a draft Issue Report on the UDRP for the Council’s consideration by the June 2011 Meeting in Singapore. The Issue Report is expected to describe how the UDRP has addressed the problem of cybersquatting to date, identify any insufficiencies or inequalities related thereto, and make recommendations on whether to initiate a policy development process (PDP) on the UDRP.
Upon review of the Issue Report, the GNSO Council will consider whether to commence a PDP on the UDRP.
Recent Developments
At the ICANN Silicon Valley Meeting, Staff presented an overview of its progress with regards to preparation of the Issue Report. Due to the complexity of the issue, the GNSO Council convened a drafting team to guide Staff in conducting its research and analysis. A Questionnaire has been issued to each UDRP provider seeking information regarding the administration of the UDRP. These UDRP provider responses are expected to provide current data to inform Staff on the current state of the UDRP for reference in the Draft Issue Report.
The drafting team has also been guiding Staff in understanding the intended scope of the Issue Report, and in designing a webinar to solicit information on potential issues with the UDRP. The Webinar on the Current State of the UDRP, scheduled for 10 May 2011, seeks feedback from a broad range of experts in the UDRP and its administration, including representatives of UDRP providers, registrars, ICANN Compliance Staff, panelists, complainants, respondents, and academics.
A public comment forum will be launched upon the publication of the Draft Issue Report. In Singapore, ICANN will conduct a session on the UDRP to continue the dialogue with the ICANN Community on this important ICANN policy, and whether it should be updated or reviewed at this time.
Resources and Additional Information
- To review the current version of the UDRP, please see: http://www.icann.org/en/udrp/#udrp
- To understand the RAP recommendations, please refer to the RAP WG Final Report published in in June 2010.
- Details on the Silicon Valley Meeting Session on the UDRP Issue Report is posted at: http://svsf40.icann.org/node/21979
- The mailing list for the UDRP Drafting Team is archived at: http://forum.icann.org/lists/gnso-udrp-dt/
- For information on the Webinar on the Current State of the UDRP scheduled for 10 May 2011, please see http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-21apr11-en.htm
Historical Information Regarding the UDRP
- Staff Issue Report 1 Aug 2003 – http://www.icann.org/en/gnso/issue-reports/udrp-review-report-01aug03.htm
- UDRP Issue Table (24 September 2003)
- ICANN Paris 2008 UDRP Workshop – http://par.icann.org/en/node/102
Staff Contact
Margie Milam, Senior Policy Counselor