WIPO Takes A Shot At ICANN’s Domain Dispute Reform

The official responsible for the staid World Intellectual Property Organization internet domain dispute resolution procedures has again come out strongly against efforts by another international body to reform those dispute procedures.

Erik Wilbers, director of the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre, issued “observations” on 15 July criticising reform efforts by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the technical body that manages the internet domain name system.

ICANN is considering reforms to the Uniform Dispute Resolution Procedures (UDRP), the standard for resolving domain name squabbles.

Wilbers’ observations are here [pdf].

ICANN is holding a comment period, extended to 22 July, on its preliminary report on the state of the UDRP. Comments will be considered and a final report will be issued in the future.

Wilbers said that at this time, particularly with the recent ICANN approval of a plan to open the internet domain name system to new domains, “unleashing any UDRP revision effort in the present circumstances would be institutionally reckless.” He said that the UDRP is working well now, and that if any changes are needed at all, they should be done through a small committee in order to avoid the UDRP from ending up “embroiled in recycled committee processes, open-microphone lobbying and line-item horse-trading.”

He also said many of the so-called process changes being considered are actually policy changes, which is beyond the scope of ICANN.

Trademark owners rely on the UDRP to protect their marks online.

Separately, ICANN also is holding a comment period on its Government Advisory Committee.