WIPO and ICA jointly release preliminary report on UDRP, soliciting public opinions

On April 19, 2025, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Internet Domain Investors Alliance (ICA) jointly released a preliminary report on the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) and launched a public consultation period lasting more than two months, ending on June 27, 2025.

This report is the first systematic review of the UDRP procedure conducted by major industry stakeholders since its launch in 1999. As the primary arbitration institution for UDRP, WIPO has handled about 83% of the related cases; while ICA has long represented domain name holders and advocated for ensuring fair and transparent procedures. The joint release of the report is seen as an important step towards UDRP reform.

The report covers a number of key issues, including the efficiency of the UDRP process, the impartiality of arbitrators, abuse of complaints, and the protection of the legitimate rights of registrants. It is worth noting that the report does not propose specific reform proposals, but rather sorts out the core issues of concern to all parties, aiming to further gather opinions through public consultation.

ICA General Counsel Zak Muscovitch emphasized that the UDRP system must strike a balance between combating malicious preemptive registrations and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of registrants, and this report is built on this premise. He called on all stakeholders, including brands, registrants, lawyers, registries and registrars, to actively participate in this public feedback process.

This public consultation is open to the world, and any individual or organization can submit comments through the WIPO official website or ICA. All feedback will be sorted and analyzed in the coming months to provide a basis for possible subsequent policy revisions.

The current UDRP system has achieved remarkable results in combating malicious preemptive registrations, but it also faces challenges such as procedural abuse and unclear standards. The release of this report is widely regarded as an important calibration of this system that has not been reformed for 20 years.

Do you think the UDRP needs reform? Join the discussion and submit your views by June 27.