UDRP cases hit record at WIPO in 2012.
World Intellectual Property Organization received a record number of UDRP cases in 2012.
The organization’s web site reports 2,879 cases were filed in 2012, compared to 2,764 in 2011. The cases covered a total of 5,081 domain names.
That shouldn’t come as a big surprise. Filings in the first half of the year at both WIPO and rival National Arbitration Forum were up compared to 2011.
It’s worth noting that total filings at the two main UDRP providers were lower in 2011 than in 2010.
The numbers themselves don’t mean cybersquatting is on the rise for a number of reasons:
1. Many complaints are ruled invalid.
2. Filings don’t necessarily correlate to overall cybersquatting activity and can merely reflect changes in enforcement activities (especially by a few firms that file massive numbers of cases).
3. A single case can cover multiple domain names.
4. UDRP is often a last resort for brand holders. Many more cybersquatting issues are resolved through informal means than formal ones.
5. The base of registered second level domain names continues to climb. Compared to the total number of domain names registered, the number of cases filed is at or near all time lows.
Should read a record number of domain thefts, where is the RDNH number?
It shows how important and valued domains are! And increasingly so.
ChaChing
Savvy domain owners with actual businesses to run are using more alternative means to sort out best actions when they find these squatters. Not all cases are worth dealing with legally – e.g. if it’s an affiliate typo domainer robbing commissions you are better off discovering who they are and cutting off the commissions vs wasting time and money to get the typo domain.
I expect the legal cases to climb dramatically this year as we get more TLD’s on board.