Domain attorney Doug Isenberg has released the “Domain Dispute Digest” for the fourth quarter of 2024, revealing a 3.1% increase in UDRP cases compared to the previous year.
According to the 16-page report, which analyzes data from all five ICANN-accredited dispute resolution providers (WIPO, Forum, CAC, ADNDRC, and CIIDRC), a total of 8,484 UDRP decisions were issued in 2024, up from 8,230 in 2023. Interestingly, while the number of cases increased, the total number of disputed domains decreased from 17,448 in 2023 to 16,909 in 2024, reflecting a decline of 3.1%.
Variations Among Dispute Resolution Providers
The report highlights different trends across the resolution providers. WIPO recorded a 6.24% increase in decisions, whereas the Forum saw a 2.17% decline. The Czech Arbitration Court (CAC) experienced a 3.61% rise, while ADNDRC had a significant drop of 21.33%. Meanwhile, Canada’s CIIDRC reported an 88.57% increase, although the total number of cases handled remained low at just 16.
Q4/2024 vs. Q4/2023 Comparison
In Q4/2024, a total of 2,169 UDRP decisions involving 3,635 domains were recorded, marking a 9.05% increase in decisions compared to Q4/2023. However, the number of disputed domains dropped by 24.82%. Notably, 95.19% of cases resulted in a “transfer” decision, while only 3.58% of complaints were denied.
Major Cases and New Insights
The largest single case involved WWE, which disputed 113 domains at the Forum. Carrefour was the most frequent complainant, filing 46 cases involving 170 domains. For the first time, Isenberg also analyzed “terminated” cases, which accounted for 12.6% of all cases—mostly due to amicable settlements.
Increase in URS Cases
The report also reveals a significant rise in Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) cases, up 41.89% compared to Q4/2023. In 2024, 43 URS decisions were issued, affecting 80 domains, with 90.12% of them being suspended. Despite this growth, URS remains underutilized and is still not applicable to .com domains.
Conclusion
The “Gigalaw Domain Dispute Digest, Q4/2024” provides a clear and detailed analysis of UDRP and URS trends. The rising number of cases suggests that domain disputes remain a critical issue in the industry.
News Source:Daniel Dingeldey，This article does not represent our position.
