UDRP cases in WIPO increased by 22% in 2021

A record 5,128 cases were filed in 2021 under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) with WIPO’s Arbitration and Mediation Center, eclipsing the 2020 level by 22%.

The surge pushed WIPO cybersquatting cases to almost 56,000 and the total number of domain names covered past the 100,000 mark.

Representing 70% of WIPO’s generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) cases, .COM demonstrated its continuing primacy.

WIPO UDRP cases in 2021 involved parties from 132 countries. The top three business areas were Banking and Finance (13%), Internet and IT (13%), and Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals (11%). The U.S., with 1,760 cases filed, France (938), the U.K. (450), Switzerland (326), and Germany (251) were the top five filing countries.

The WIPO Center continued its strong engagement with country code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs), such as .CN (China) and .EU (European Union). With the addition of .BH and البحرين. (Bahrain) and .SA and السعودية. (Saudi Arabia) in 2021, as well as .SN (Senegal) from January 1, 2022, the WIPO Center now provides dispute resolution services to over 80 ccTLDs.