Received a UDRP or URS Complaint?
A complaint against your domain name starts a clock that does not stop. If you do not respond, the panel decides on the complainant's evidence alone, and most defaulting holders lose the domain. Many complaints can be defeated, settled, or turned back on an abusive complainant. The first step is to read the deadline.
The first 48 hours after a complaint arrives
The complaint usually arrives by email from WIPO, the Forum, or another provider, and the registrar locks the domain so it cannot be transferred or have its owner changed. The domain keeps working while the case is pending.
Check who sent it and confirm the case on the provider's website, because fake "domain complaint" emails are used in phishing. Then calendar the response date, preserve your records, and get advice before you reply to the complainant or change anything on the website.
Do, and do not
- Do record the response deadline and the case number
- Do save your purchase records, business plans, and dated screenshots of the site
- Do not delete the website, change its content, or move the domain
- Do not offer to sell the domain to the complainant before getting advice
- Do not ignore the complaint because you think it is weak
UDRP and URS response timelines, side by side
| UDRPWIPO, the Forum, and other providers | URSNew gTLDs and some legacy TLDs | |
|---|---|---|
| Response due | 20 days from the formal start of the case | 14 calendar days from the notice of complaint |
| Extensions | 4 more days on request; longer only in exceptional cases or by agreement | Limited; a 7-day extension may be available on request |
| Cost to respond | None, unless you choose a three-member panel and share its cost | None for 14 or fewer domains |
| If you do not respond | The panel decides on the complaint alone | Default; you can still respond within six months, extendable once |
| What a loss means | Transfer or cancellation of the domain | Suspension for the rest of the registration term |
| After a loss | File suit in a qualifying court within 10 business days to stop the transfer | Appeal within 14 days, or file a UDRP or court case |
| Settlement | Proceedings can be suspended to negotiate | Possible, but the timeline is short |
◆ marks rows where the two differ. Country-code procedures such as .mx, .br, or .eu have their own deadlines; see URS and Country-Code Disputes.
How a domain holder wins
The complainant must prove all three elements. Defeating any one of them is enough. The policy itself, in paragraph 4(c), lists ways to show a legitimate interest.
A real business use
Use of the domain, or demonstrable preparations to use it, for a genuine offering of goods or services before you had notice of the dispute.
UDRP ¶ 4(c)(i)You are known by the name
You, your business, or your organization is commonly known by the domain name, even without trademark rights of your own.
UDRP ¶ 4(c)(ii)Fair or noncommercial use
Legitimate noncommercial or fair use, such as genuine criticism or commentary, without intent to mislead consumers or tarnish the mark for profit.
UDRP ¶ 4(c)(iii)A dictionary word or generic term
A domain made of a common word or phrase, registered for its ordinary meaning rather than to target the complainant's brand, is often a legitimate investment.
Element 2 and element 3No bad faith at registration
If you registered the domain before the complainant's trademark existed or was known, or for reasons unrelated to the brand, bad-faith registration cannot be shown. Registration dates, purchase records, and the history of the domain are often decisive.
UDRP ¶ 4(a)(iii)Four ways to handle a complaint
Defend the case
- File a full responseBy the deadline
Answer each element with evidence, and correct the complainant's facts.
- Request a three-member panelOptional
Common in contested cases. The holder shares the added cost.
Settle
- Suspend to negotiatePauses the case
Both sides can ask the provider to suspend the case while they talk.
- Agree on termsIf it suits you
Transfer for a payment, a coexistence agreement, or changes to how the domain is used.
Push back, or go to court
- Reverse domain name hijackingAbusive complaints
Ask the panel to find the complaint was brought in bad faith. It is a public finding, without money.
- Court action10 business days
A lawsuit, for example under 15 U.S.C. § 1114(2)(D)(v), stops the transfer and has the dispute decided by a court.
How we prepare a response
- Day 1Confirm the caseProvider, case number, deadline, and the domains named.
- Days 1–3Review the complaintThe marks claimed, their dates, and the evidence offered.
- Days 1–5Collect your recordsPurchase records, plans, website history, and any contact with the complainant.
- Day 5Choose the strategyDefend, settle, seek an RDNH finding, or prepare for court.
- Before deadlineFile the responseWith declarations and exhibits, and a panel election if wanted.
- ≈2 weeks laterDecisionPublished on the provider's website.
- 10 business daysIf you loseDecide quickly whether to file suit.
What responding costs
Filing a response is free under both the UDRP and, for most cases, the URS. The main cost is preparing the response and evidence.
Five most common mistakes in responding to a domain complaint
Domain holders lose more cases through what they do, or fail to do, after the complaint arrives than through the facts of the case.
Not responding at all
Holders assume a weak complaint will fail on its own, or miss the email. Without a response, the panel accepts the complainant's reasonable allegations, and the domain is usually transferred.
DefaultRespond to every complaint, even one you think is weak, and ask for the 4-day extension if you need it.
Offering to sell the domain to the complainant
A reply asking the brand to make an offer, or quoting a high price, is often filed as Exhibit A for bad faith under paragraph 4(b)(i).
Bad-faith evidenceLet counsel handle any settlement discussion, in a way that cannot be used against you.
Changing the website or moving the domain
Taking the site down, editing its content, or trying to transfer the domain during the case looks like concealment, and the registrar lock prevents transfer anyway.
Conduct during the casePreserve the site and records exactly as they were, and document any changes you must make.
Arguing instead of proving
Statements that the domain was bought "for a project" or "because it is a common word" carry little weight without dated purchase records, plans, or evidence of real use.
Evidence · ¶ 4(c)Support every claim with documents, declarations, and archived screenshots.
Missing the 10-day window after a loss
A holder who loses and wants a court to decide has 10 business days to file a lawsuit in a qualifying court and notify the registrar. After that, the domain is transferred.
UDRP ¶ 4(k)Decide before the decision issues whether you would sue, so you are ready to act.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to respond to a UDRP complaint?
Twenty days from the date the provider formally begins the case. WIPO grants four more days on request; longer extensions are exceptional.
Will I lose my domain while the case is pending?
No. The domain is locked so it cannot be transferred, but it keeps working until the case is decided and any transfer is carried out.
Can the complainant get money from me?
Not in a UDRP or URS case, which can only transfer, cancel, or suspend the domain. A separate lawsuit under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act can seek damages, so take that risk into account.
What is reverse domain name hijacking?
A finding that the complainant brought the case in bad faith, for example to pressure a legitimate holder into giving up a domain. Panels publish the finding, but it carries no money award.
Should I ask for a three-member panel?
Often, in contested cases. Three panelists can give a more balanced decision, and you share the added cost.
Can I respond in Spanish?
The proceeding is usually in the language of your registration agreement. Panels can allow another language in some cases, and we work with Spanish-speaking holders.
Upload the complaint and deadline
Send us the complaint, the provider's notice with the case number, and your response date. We will review it quickly and tell you whether to defend, settle, or prepare for court.
Information you send before we agree to represent you is not confidential. Send only the complaint and the notice at this stage.
- UDRP and URS responses and three-member panel elections
- Country-code dispute responses
- Settlement and coexistence negotiations
- Reverse domain name hijacking requests and follow-on litigation