The World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center continues to process domain name disputes under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) and other alternative dispute resolution cases amid the COVID-19 pandemic. WIPO has moved to an almost entirely virtual presence, with staff working from home, and has assured the public that its case capacity remains unchanged. That said, as should be expected, all parties should note that a degree of procedural flexibility and discretion may be appropriate or necessary in individual case scenarios.
As before, parties may continue to submit communications to:
· domain.disputes@wipo.int for case filings and case-specific inquiries; and
· arbiter.mail@wipo.int for general questions
Winterfeldt IP Group is closely monitoring the effect of COVID-19 on WIPO operations, among other matters impacting brand owners and consumers, and will continue reporting any important developments that might affect our clients. Our team has not been affected by the outbreak and we would be more than happy to step in where your teams or attorneys may need extra assistance due to the challenges this situation poses to the world. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or need additional intellectual property support, including in connection with any domain name related enforcement issues, in light of the current crisis.
If you have any questions regarding this update or wish to discuss it in more detail, please contact any of the following Winterfeldt IP Group team members:
Brian Winterfeldt, brian@winterfeldt.law 202-903-4422
Griffin Barnett, griffin@winterfeldt.law 202-759-5836
