WIPO Domain Name Report 2024: UDRP case filings remain strong

In 2024, trademark owners from 133 countries filed 6,168 cases under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) and national ccTLD variations. This marks the second busiest year of domain name cases filed with WIPO since 1999 when WIPO created the UDRP, highlighting the continued importance of domain names in the global intellectual property and e-commerce landscape. These strong case numbers demonstrate the continued relevance and effectiveness of the UDRP in addressing cybersquatting and fraudulent activities involving domain names (e.g., phishing or fake invoices).

WIPO domain name cases were conducted in 18 languages, with English (91%), French, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Swedish, German, Dutch, Turkish, and Ukrainian being the top 10. This shows the international scope and diversity of the cases handled by the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (WIPO Center).

The top 10 complainants included Carrefour, Meta Platforms, LEGO, Fenix International, Michelin, Sodexo, Philip Morris, Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Equinor. These companies represent a mix of industries, from retail to pharmaceuticals, highlighting the importance of domain name protection for businesses of all types.

The top 10 complainant representatives filing domain name cases with WIPO in 2024 were CSC Digital Brand Services, Nameshield, IP Twins, ABION, SafeNames, Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP, Dreyfus & associes, The GigaLaw Firm, Douglas M. Isenberg, Attorney at Law, LLC, Aeropage, and Walters Law Group.

WIPO ccTLD Program updates

In 2024, the WIPO Center began accepting cases for the .AD (Andorra), .CV (Cabo Verde), .LV (Latvia), and .RW (Rwanda) ccTLDs, and received its first filings and first decision for .SN (Senegal). The WIPO Center now provides dispute resolution services to over 85 ccTLDs.

The WIPO Center assisted national registries in updating their dispute policies: for .NL (Kingdom of the Netherlands) including Geographical Indications as a right protected per Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 updating .DO (Dominic Republic) to now be a paperless procedure, and .UA (Ukraine) applying to further third level domains.

The WIPO Center saw increases in domain name case filings for the ccTLDs of .AI (Anguilla), .AE (United Arab Emirates), .BR (Brazil), .ES (Spain), .IE (Ireland), .NL (Kingdom of the Netherlands), and .SE (Sweden). This reflected record filings in 2024 for .AE (United Arab Emirates), .AI (Anguilla), and .BR (Brazil).

The top 10 ccTLDs in 2024 in terms of domain name case filings were: .CO (Colombia), .AI (Anguilla), .CC (Cocos Islands), .ES (Spain), .CN (China), .NL (Kingdom of the Netherlands), .SE (Sweden), .IO (British Indian Ocean Territory), .BR (Brazil), and.EU (European Union).