Domain Disputes Beyond .com, New gTLDs, Country Code TLDs, and the URS

By Hank FasthoffJuly 4, 2026

The letters to the right of the dot determine which procedure applies to a domain dispute. A .com address may proceed under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, while a newer generic top level domain, or gTLD, may also qualify for the Uniform Rapid Suspension System. A country code domain may use the UDRP, a modified version of it, or a separate policy.

The trademark rights may be the same across those extensions, but the filing requirements, proof, remedies, language, and deadlines can differ. Before choosing a proceeding, you should identify the registry, confirm the policy incorporated into the registration agreement, preserve evidence of the domain's use, and define the result you want.

The 2026 Round Expands the Namespace

ICANN's 2012 application round introduced more than 1,200 new generic top level domains. They include general terms, geographic names, industry terms, and extensions operated by individual brands. Legitimate registrants can choose another name under each new extension, while abusive registrants can imitate a mark there.

ICANN opened the 2026 application round on April 30, 2026. ICANN set August 12, 2026, as the end of the 105-day application window. Applicants seek the right to operate a top level domain rather than register an ordinary domain beneath an existing extension.

Consumer registrations follow evaluation, objections, contracting, and delegation. You should monitor the applied-for strings when ICANN publishes them because a proposed extension can raise different concerns from a domain registered beneath an existing extension.

ICANN expects to publish the applications that pass administrative review on Reveal Day no later than nine weeks after the application window closes. Parties with standing may file objections for 104 days after String Confirmation Day. WIPO will administer Legal Rights and String Confusion Objections. A Legal Rights Objection addresses a proposed string that infringes existing legal rights, while a String Confusion Objection addresses visual, aural, or meaning similarity to an existing or applied-for string.

The URS Is Limited to Obvious Abuse

ICANN describes the Uniform Rapid Suspension System as a faster and less expensive complement to the UDRP for the most obvious cases of trademark abuse. ICANN updated the procedure on February 21, 2024, and contracted parties had to implement the changes by August 21, 2025 under the Registration Data Policy.

The URS applies to generic top level domains whose registries adopted it in their registry agreements. Coverage depends on the registry agreement and current policy. For example, .us uses a separate usTLD Rapid Suspension Dispute Policy, commonly called usRS, with differences from ICANN's URS.

A URS complainant must prove three elements by clear and convincing evidence. First, the complainant must show that the domain is identical or confusingly similar to a word mark that satisfies one of the procedure's qualifying categories. The complainant must also prove that the registrant lacks a legitimate right or interest and registered and uses the domain in bad faith.

The first element is narrower than a shorthand comparison to the UDRP suggests. Under the URS Procedure, the word mark must have a valid national or regional registration and current use, validation through court proceedings, or specific protection under a statute or treaty then in effect. Proof of current use may come through the Trademark Clearinghouse, ICANN's database of verified trademark records, or accompany the complaint.

The examiner must also find the facts undisputed. A plausible fair use, a descriptive meaning, a dispute over who the registrant targeted, or conflicting evidence about bad faith can defeat URS relief even when the complainant may have a viable UDRP or court claim.

Because URS addresses only obvious abuse, the filing format is short. A complaint may include up to 500 words of explanatory text, and the examiner uses the written submissions as the entire record. Registrants receive 14 calendar days to respond. ICANN aims to issue a determination within three business days after examination begins, and absent extraordinary circumstances, the examiner must issue it within five days after the registrant responds.

ICANN currently lists three approved providers, the Asian Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre, MFSD srl, and FORUM. Provider fees and supplemental rules vary, so you should use the current schedule and instructions for the provider you select rather than a universal cost estimate.

Suspension and Transfer Produce Different Results

After the examiner rules for the complainant, the registry suspends the domain for the balance of its registration period. During that period, the registry redirects the name to an informational page and prevents transfer, deletion, or modification. A complainant may pay commercial rates to extend the registration for one additional year.

The URS leaves ownership with the registrant while suspending use. Once the suspension and any extension end, the registration enters the ordinary expiration process. A complainant seeking control of the domain should use a proceeding that can award transfer rather than rely on the future availability of an expired name.

The UDRP permits cancellation or transfer and applies a balance of probabilities standard. A UDRP complaint therefore fits many disputes where you seek ownership, need a fuller evidentiary record, or must address a plausible defense. WIPO charges $1,500 for a standard complaint involving one to five domains and one panelist, before legal fees and other case expenses.

Federal litigation under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act provides another set of remedies, including discovery, injunctive relief, and potential damages. You may choose litigation for a serial registrant or coordinated scheme after evaluating cost, timing, jurisdiction, the defendant's identity, and collection prospects. The related article on typosquatting and brandjacking addresses those remedies and the separate operational response to phishing or malware.

Multiple Domains May Fit One Complaint

How many URS complaints you file depends on who registered the domains. The procedure permits one complaint by related companies against one registrant. It also permits multiple registrants in one complaint when the complainant can show that those registrants are related.

A single actor using 30 domains may permit consolidation into fewer filings. Domains held by unrelated registrants usually require separate complaints, even when each domain contains the same mark. Complaints listing 15 or more domains registered by the same registrant also trigger a refundable response fee under the procedure.

Consolidation requires evidence. You can show a relationship among nominally different registrants through common registration data, shared hosting, identical site content, coordinated redirects, payment accounts, naming patterns, and other technical or operational connections. A complainant usually needs evidence beyond similar domain names to prove that the registrants are related.

Country Code Policies Require Separate Review

The country code namespace includes more than 250 extensions. WIPO reported in January 2026 that it provides dispute resolution services for 87 of them. That figure describes WIPO's service relationships, while individual registry policies determine whether the UDRP or another procedure applies.

WIPO's current country code policy table shows the variation. Some registries apply the ICANN UDRP. Others follow a modified UDRP or a policy written for the country code. Filing rules, qualifying rights, proof of bad faith, available remedies, language, and time limits may differ.

Four country code policies show how far the requirements diverge. Australia uses the au Dispute Resolution Policy, an adaptation of the UDRP with Australian modifications. The European Union uses an Alternative Dispute Resolution procedure administered by the Czech Arbitration Court or WIPO. China's CNDRP states that providers reject any complaint concerning a domain registered more than three years earlier.

The United Kingdom uses Nominet's Dispute Resolution Service for .uk domains. Since July 7, 2026, WIPO has administered new DRS complaints while Nominet retains the policy and provides mediation.

These differences can determine the outcome before a panel examines the merits. You should confirm the policy version, jurisdictional requirements, provider, remedy, filing language, and any age or eligibility restriction for each country code domain.

The Trademark Clearinghouse Covers New Launches

The Trademark Clearinghouse records verified trademark information for use in the rights protection services required during new gTLD launches. Recording a mark supports Claims notices and possible Sunrise participation, while registry rules continue to control allocation of the matching domain.

Sunrise services let eligible rights holders register matching domains before general registration opens. ICANN's 2026 Trademark Clearinghouse Requirements require at least 30 days for a Start Date Sunrise and at least 60 days for an End Date Sunrise. A rights holder seeking a Sunrise registration must submit proof of use and obtain the required Signed Mark Data file.

Trademark Claims services operate for at least the first 90 days of general registration. An applicant seeking a domain that matches a recorded mark receives a notice. If the applicant proceeds, the Clearinghouse notifies the rights holder that the registration occurred.

Those notices support an early response, while a subsequent proceeding determines infringement, bad faith, or entitlement to the domain. You should evaluate the registrant, the domain's use, the applicable policy, and the commercial risk before filing a complaint.

Match the Proceeding to the Objective

You narrow the choices by naming the remedy you want. URS suits cases with a covered extension, a qualifying word mark, conclusive evidence, and a business objective limited to suspension. UDRP or a country code policy suits cases where transfer is available and the facts meet that policy's elements. Litigation may be appropriate when the dispute requires discovery, damages, broader injunctive relief, or claims against several participants.

Timing depends on what the domain does. A domain collecting credentials or sending fraudulent email requires provider notices and security work while the ownership proceeding continues. A parked domain with no active email may permit more time to investigate the registrant, history, and available policy.

Your enforcement record should identify the domain, extension, registry, registrar, registrant data, relevant dates, website content, mail records, redirects, and related registrations. It should also state the chosen objective and the reason the selected procedure can provide it. Subsequent panels treat published administrative decisions as persuasive reasoning and factual history rather than binding precedent.

When ICANN publishes the 2026 applied-for strings, you will weigh another set of proposed extensions in that analysis. Your brand protection program should connect new string monitoring, Trademark Clearinghouse records, domain registration alerts, evidence preservation, and a procedure selected for each extension. That structure lets you respond according to the domain's use and the remedy you need.