A closer look at the auDRP 2010-2015

07 07 2015

A closer look at the auDRP 2010-2015

Key Findings:

  • The total number of .au domains have grown by over a million since 2010
  • Between 40-55 complaints were made to the auDRP each year
  • Over half of all cases resulted in a domain name transfer
  • Only 3 reverse domain name hijacking findings were made in 5.5 years
  • Most parties were based in Australia, U.S and U.K
  • The industries most commonly involved in auDRP disputes were services and retail/manufacturing/supply
  • The most commonly used dispute resolution provider was WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation)

The figures show that the number of complaints made has remained relatively stable at approximately 50 complaints a year, despite the huge growth in the .au domain name space. More than half of these resulted in a domain name transfer to the complainant. Surprisingly, there were only three reverse domain name hijacking findings over the past five and a half years; the most recent of which was in relation to etg.com.au, in which the respondent was represented by Cooper Mills Lawyers.

The services and retail/manufacturing/supply industries dominated the majority of complaints, which is reflective of the consumer-orientated nature of these industries in which a strong online presence is often a crucial component of gaining the competitive business edge. Parties to these disputes included global cosmetics retailer, Sephora; luxury timepieces and jewellery retailer, Cartier; and one of Australia’s largest general insurers, Allianz Australia. Most complainants and respondents were based in Australia, however complainants from the U.S and U.K were also common – this is also consistent with trademark applications in Australia.

WIPO was overwhelming the most common dispute resolution provider, followed by LEADR.

A .au domain represents a significant asset for Australian businesses and its protection should be a high priority for any business looking to create and maintain a strong online presence. .au Domains are trusted and relevant to local internet users.

Need an expert law firm
you can trust to help with registering a trademark?

Contact us today for a free 30 minute consultation for your expert legal advice today

Get your Free Consultation

Some of the clients we have worked with