Reflections on the uniform domain name dispute resolution policy as it enters its second decade

On 24 October 1999, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) implemented the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) as a dispute resolution procedure for resolving domain name disputes. The UDRP has been a very popular method for resolving disputes, and since its inception the principal UDRP global dispute resolution provider – the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, has administered over 20,000 proceedings under the UDRP (or UDRP-related policies). This article examines the core principles which have emerged in UDRP jurisprudence and practice, and outlines some of the major criticisms and suggestions for reform as the UDRP enters its second decade.