As Approved by ICANN on October 24, 1999
Effective 1 December 1999
1. Purpose.
This Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the 'Policy') has
been adopted by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
('ICANN'), is incorporated by reference into the Registration Agreement,
and sets forth the terms and conditions in connection with a dispute
between the Registrant and any party other than Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree (the
registrar) over the registration and use of an Internet domain name
registered by the Registrant.
Proceedings under Paragraph 4 of this Policy will be conducted according
to the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the
'Rules of Procedure'), which are available at
http://www.registerfree.com/policies/gtldrules.php3,
and the selected administrative-dispute-resolution service provider's
supplemental rules.
2. The Registrant's Representations.
By applying to register a domain name, or by asking Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree to
maintain or renew a domain name registration, the Registrant hereby
represents and warrants to Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree that (a) the statements that
the Registrant made in the Registration Agreement are complete and
accurate; (b) to the Registrant's knowledge, the registration of
the domain name will not infringe upon or otherwise violate the
rights of any third party; (c) the Registrant is not registering
the domain name for an unlawful purpose; and (d) the Registrant
will not knowingly use the domain name in violation of any applicable
laws or regulations. It is the Registrant's responsibility to
determine whether the domain name registration infringes or
violates someone else's rights.
3. Cancellations, Transfers, and Changes.
Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree will cancel, transfer or otherwise make changes to domain
name registrations under the following circumstances:
| a |
subject to the provisions of Paragraph 8, on receipt of written
or appropriate electronic instructions from the Registrant or their
authorized agent to take such action; |
| b |
on receipt of an order from a court or arbitral tribunal, in each
case of competent jurisdiction, requiring such action; and/or |
| c |
on receipt of a decision of an Administrative Panel requiring
such action in any administrative proceeding to which the Registrant
was a party and which was conducted under this Policy or a later
version of this Policy adopted by ICANN. (See Paragraph 4(i) and
(k) below.) |
Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree may also cancel, transfer or otherwise make changes to a
domain name registration in accordance with the terms of the
Registration Agreement or other legal requirements.
4. Mandatory Administrative Proceeding.
This Paragraph sets forth the type of disputes for which the Registrant
is required to submit to a mandatory administrative proceeding. These
proceedings will be conducted before one of the administrative-dispute-
resolution service providers listed at:
http://www.icann.org/udrp/approved-providers.htm (each, a 'Provider').
| a |
Applicable Disputes.
The Registrant is required to submit to a mandatory administrative
proceeding in the event that a third party (a 'complainant') asserts
to the applicable Provider, in compliance with the Rules of
Procedure, that
| i |
the domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a
trademark or service mark in which the complainant has rights;
and |
| ii |
the Registrant has no rights or legitimate interests in
respect of the domain name; and |
| iii |
the domain name has been registered and is being used in
bad faith. |
In the administrative proceeding, the complainant must prove that
each of these three elements is present. |
| b |
Evidence of Registration and Use in Bad Faith.
For the purposes of Paragraph 4(a)(iii), the following
circumstances, in particular but without limitation, if found by
the Panel to be present, shall be evidence of the registration and
of a domain name in bad faith:
| i |
circumstances indicating that the Registrant has registered
or has acquired the domain name primarily for the purpose of
selling, renting, or otherwise transferring the domain name
registration to the complainant who is the owner of the
trademark or service mark or to a competitor of that
complainant, for valuable consideration in excess of the
Registrant's documented out-of-pocket costs directly related
to the domain name; or |
| ii |
the Registrant has registered the domain name in order to
prevent the owner of the trademark or service mark from
reflecting the mark in a corresponding domain name, provided
that the Registrant has engaged in a pattern of such conduct;
or |
| iii |
the Registrant has registered the domain name primarily for
the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor; or |
| iv |
by using the domain name, the Registrant has intentionally
attempted to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to
their website or other on-line location, by creating a
likelihood of confusion with the complainant's mark as to the
source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of their web
site or location or of a product or service on their website
or location. |
|
| c |
How to Demonstrate the Registrant's Rights to and Legitimate
Interests in the Domain Name in Responding to a Complaint.
When the Registrant receives a complaint, the Registrant should
refer to Paragraph 5 of the Rules of Procedure in determining how
their response should be prepared. Any of the following
circumstances, in particular but without limitation, if found by the
Panel to be proved based on its evaluation of all evidence
presented, shall demonstrate the Registrant's rights or legitimate
interests to the domain name for purposes of Paragraph 4(a)(ii):
| i |
before any notice to the Registrant of the dispute, the
registrant's use of, or demonstrable preparations to use, the
domain name or a name corresponding to the domain name in
connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services; or |
| ii |
the Registrant (as an individual, business, or other
organization) has been commonly known by the domain name,
even if the Registrant has acquired no trademark or service
mark rights; or |
| iii |
the Registrant is making a legitimate non-commercial or
fair use of the domain name, without intent for commercial gain
to misleadingly divert consumers or to tarnish the trademark or
service mark at issue.
| |
| d |
Selection of Provider.
The complainant shall select the Provider from among those approved
by ICANN by submitting the complaint to that Provider. The selected
Provider will administer the proceeding, except in cases of
consolidation as described in Paragraph 4(f). |
| e |
Initiation of Proceeding and Process and Appointment of
Administrative Panel.
The Rules of Procedure state the process for initiating and
conducting a proceeding and for appointing the panel that will
decide the dispute (the 'Administrative Panel'). |
| f |
Consolidation.
In the event of multiple disputes between the Registrant and a
complainant, either the Registrant or the complainant may petition
to consolidate the disputes before a single Administrative Panel.
This petition shall be made to the first Administrative Panel
appointed to hear a pending dispute between the parties. This
Administrative Panel may consolidate before it any or all such
disputes in its sole discretion, provided that the disputes being
consolidated are governed by this Policy or a later version of this
Policy adopted by ICANN. |
| g |
Fees.
All fees charged by a Provider in connection with any dispute before
an Administrative Panel pursuant to this Policy shall be paid by the
complainant, except in cases where the Registrant elects to expand
the Administrative Panel from one to three panellists as provided in
Paragraph 5(b)(iv) of the Rules of Procedure, in which case all fees
will be split evenly by the Registrant and the complainant. |
| h |
Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree's Involvement in Administrative Proceedings.
Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree do not, and will not, participate in the administration
or conduct of any proceeding before an Administrative Panel. In
addition, Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree will not be liable as a result of any
decisions rendered by the Administrative Panel. |
| i |
Remedies.
The remedies available to a complainant pursuant to any proceeding
before an Administrative Panel shall be limited to requiring the
cancellation the Registrant's domain name or the transfer of the
domain name registration to the complainant. |
| j |
Notification and Publication.
The Provider shall notify Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree of any decision made by an
Administrative Panel with respect to a domain name the Registrant
has registered with Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree. All decisions under this Policy
will be published in full over the Internet, except when an
Administrative Panel determines in an exceptional case to redact
portions of its decision. |
| k |
Availability of Court Proceedings.
The mandatory administrative proceeding requirements set forth in
Paragraph 4 shall not prevent either the Registrant or the
complainant from submitting the dispute to a court of competent
jurisdiction for independent resolution before such mandatory
administrative proceeding is commenced or after such proceeding is
concluded. If an Administrative Panel decides that the domain name
registration should be cancelled or transferred, Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree will
wait ten (10) business days (as observed in the location of
Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree's principal office) after Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree are informed by
the applicable Provider of the Administrative Panel's decision
before implementing that decision. Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree will then implement
the decision unless Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree have received from the Registrant
during that ten (10) business day period official documentation
(such as a copy of a complaint, file-stamped by the clerk of the
court) that the Registrant has commenced a lawsuit against the
complainant in a jurisdiction to which the complainant has submitted
under Paragraph 3(b)(xiii) of the Rules of Procedure.
(In general, that jurisdiction is either the location of the
Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree principal office or of the Registrant's address as
shown in Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree's Whois database. See Paragraphs 1 and
3(b)(xiii) of the Rules of Procedure for details.)
If Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree receive such documentation within the ten (10)
business day period, Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree will not implement the
Administrative Panel's decision, and Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree will take no
further action, until Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree receive
(i) evidence satisfactory to Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree of a resolution between
the parties;
(ii) evidence satisfactory to Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree that the lawsuit has
been dismissed or withdrawn; or
(iii) a copy of an order from such court dismissing the
Registrant's lawsuit or ordering that the Registrant does
not have the right to continue to use the domain name. |
5. All Other Disputes and Litigation.
All other disputes between the Registrant and any party other than
Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree regarding the domain name registration that are not brought
pursuant to the mandatory administrative proceeding provisions of
Paragraph 4 shall be resolved between the Registrant and such other
party through any court, arbitration or other proceeding that may be
available.
6.Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree Involvement in Disputes.
Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree will not participate in any way in any dispute between the
Registrant and any party other than Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree regarding the
registration and use of the domain name. The Registrant shall not name
Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree as a party or otherwise include Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree in any such
proceeding. In the event that Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree are named as a party in any
such proceeding, Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree reserve the right to raise any and all
defences deemed appropriate, and to take any other action necessary to
defend itself.
7. Maintaining the Status Quo.
Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree will not cancel, transfer, activate, deactivate, or
otherwise change the status of any domain name registration under this
Policy except as provided in Paragraph 3 above.
8. Transfers During a Dispute.
| a |
Transfers of a Domain Name to a New Holder.
The Registrant may not transfer the domain name registration to
another holder
(i) during a pending administrative proceeding brought pursuant
to Paragraph 4 or for a period of fifteen (15) business days
(as observed in the location of Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree's principal place
of business) after such proceeding is concluded; or
(ii) during a pending court proceeding or arbitration commenced
regarding the Registrant's domain name unless the party to
whom the domain name registration is being transferred agrees,
in writing, to be bound by the decision of the court or
arbitrator. Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree reserve the right to cancel any
transfer of a domain name registration to another holder
that is made in violation of this subparagraph. |
| b |
Changing Registrars.
The Registrant may not transfer the domain name registration to
another registrar during a pending administrative proceeding brought
pursuant to Paragraph 4 or for a period of fifteen (15) business
days (as observed in the location of the Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree principal
place of business) after such proceeding is concluded. The
Registrant may transfer administration of the domain name
registration to another registrar during a pending court action or
arbitration, provided that the domain name the Registrant has
registered with Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree shall continue to be subject to the
proceedings commenced against the Registrant in accordance with the
terms of this Policy. In the event that the Registrant transfers a
domain name registration to Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree during the pendency of a
court action or arbitration, such dispute shall remain subject to
the domain name dispute policy of the registrar from which the
domain name registration was transferred. |
9. Policy Modifications.
Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree reserve the right to modify this Policy at any time with
the permission of ICANN. Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree will post the revised Policy at
on its web page at
http://www.registerfree.com/policies/gtlddispute.php3
at least thirty (30) calendar days before it becomes effective. Unless
this Policy has already been invoked by the submission of a complaint
to a Provider, in which event the version of the Policy in effect at
the time it was invoked will apply to the Registrant until the dispute
is over, all such changes will be binding upon the Registrant with
respect to any domain name registration dispute, whether the dispute
arose before, on or after the effective date of the change. In the event
that the Registrant objects to a change in this Policy, the Registrant's
sole remedy is to cancel the domain name registration with Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree,
provided that the Registrant will not be entitled to a refund of any
fees the Registrant paid to Melbourne IT Ltd trading as RegisterFree. The revised Policy will apply
to the Registrant until the Registrant cancels the domain name registration.
|