The UDRP (Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy) procedure is an international extrajudicial procedure established by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) to quickly resolve disputes relating to generic top-level domain names (gTLDs) such as .com, .net, .org, etc.
It allows a holder of rights to a trademark or trade name to challenge a domain name registered by a third party when:
- The domain name is identical or similar to a protected trademark.
- The domain name holder has no rights or legitimate interests in the name.
- The domain name was registered and used in bad faith (e.g., to take advantage of the reputation of a trademark or to harm its owner).
The procedure is designed to be faster and cheaper than traditional legal action, with decisions generally issued within 30 to 60 days.