WIPO gets 50,000th cybersquatting case

Organization receives its 50,000th cybersquatting case over two decades.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reports that it has received its 50,000th cybersquatting case.

The majority of these are under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), a system put in place by ICANN to efficiently address cybersquatting disputes.

While multiple organizations resolve UDRP cases, WIPO is by far the biggest.

For the most part, UDRP has efficiently resolved the clear-cut cases of cybersquatting that it was created for. The majority of cases are rightfully found for the Complainant without the domain name owner putting up a fight. UDRP saves both the trademark owners and the domain owners money that would have been spent on expensive lawsuits. The only two remedies for winning a UDRP are canceling the domain registration or transferring it to the trademark holder.

Unfortunately, some companies have abused UDRP in attempts to get valuable domain names without paying for them, a practice called Reverse Domain Name Hijacking.

WIPO says cases are up 11% this year through October compared to the same 10 months in 2019. It suggests this is due to increased online activity in the wake of the pandemic.