National Arbitration Forum Prepares for Uniform Rapid Suspension System as 2012 UDRP Filings Hold Steady

MINNEAPOLIS, April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- http://domains.adrforum.com – The National Arbitration Forum (FORUM), an international provider of dispute resolution services, today announced that a total of 2,060 cases were filed in its domain name dispute resolution program in 2012, down 22 cases from the 2,082 it received in 2011. The FORUM is approved by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to provide domain name dispute resolution services under policies like the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP).

In 2012, the FORUM surpassed a total of 20,000 domain name cases filed since it accepted its first case in 1999. The FORUM was approved as a UDRP Provider for disputes involving .pw, the country-code TLD for Palau. Country-code TLDs are encouraged to contact the FORUM for provision of dispute resolution services.  Also in 2012, the FORUM bid on ICANN's Uniform Rapid Suspension System (URS), an inexpensive and rapid means of suspending domain names registered in generic top level domains (gTLDs) launched after January 1, 2013.

"We were thrilled to be announced as the first URS Provider," said Kristine Dorrain, National Arbitration Forum's Director of Internet and IP Services. "We believe our years of experience handling tens of thousands of UDRP cases, along with our commitment to utilization of technology and fair decision-making, contributed to our selection. We've been working hard to build and enhance the online filing and case management technologies to ensure a fast, hassle-free URS."

The URS was billed as cheaper and faster than the UDRP, which typically sees decisions in around 45 days at a price of approximately $1,300. The FORUM plans to offer the URS, which can obtain a suspension in around 20 days, for $375. The FORUM will be posting the Supplemental Rules, FAQs, and demonstrations at http://domains.adrforum.com, as they become available.

UDRP and URS cases filed with the National Arbitration Forum are heard and decided by Dispute Resolution Panelists who specialize in domain name, trademark, copyright and/or e-commerce law. Panelists are located around the world and can conduct proceedings in several languages including Dutch, English, French, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Korean.

While the UDRP applies to domain names registered in new or existing gTLDs, the URS will only apply to domains registered in new gTLDs as well as select country-code TLDs that elect to adopt it.

To file a claim see http://domains.adrforum.com, email domaindispute[at]adrforum.com, or contact Director of Internet and IP Services Kristine Dorrain.

The FORUM is also available to provide additional dispute resolution policies for new gTLD registries, such as for registries that have specialized registration requirements or want to protect personal names. Please contact Kristine Dorrain for more information.

About the National Arbitration Forum (FORUM)
Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, the National Arbitration Forum is an approved provider of the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Since 1999, more than 20,000 domain name disputes worldwide have been filed through the National Arbitration Forum's state-of-the-art case management system. For more information, visit http://domains.adrforum.com.

Media Contact:
Kristine Dorrain
952-516-6456
[email protected]

SOURCE National Arbitration Forum