Quick answer
UDRP vs URS: which one to use against a phishing domain?
Use the UDRP to have the domain transferred or cancelled: WIPO charges USD 1,500 for 1 to 5 domains, about 60 days. Use the URS only with a registered word mark and a domain in a new extension: it suspends the name, and ADNDRC charges $360. Wardmint sells registrations, not disputes.
UDRP and URS compared
| Point | UDRP | URS |
|---|---|---|
| What it can do | Transfer or cancel the domain | Suspend the domain for the rest of its registration; the owner may add one year at commercial rates |
| Extensions | Generic extensions, including .com | New generic extensions of the 2012 round; ICANN's page says it applies to that round |
| Mark required | A trademark; an adequately pleaded unregistered mark can qualify | A word mark with a valid national or regional registration in current use, a court-validated mark, or one protected by statute |
| Standard of proof | All three elements shown | Clear and convincing evidence, no genuine contestable issue |
| Fee, 1 to 5 domains | WIPO USD 1,500 (single panelist), USD 4,000 (three); Forum USD 1,330 for 1 to 2 domains, USD 1,480 for 3 to 5 (single member) | ADNDRC $360 for 1 to 5 domains; ICANN's procedure leaves fees to the provider |
| Typical time | About 60 days at WIPO; panel decision within 14 days of appointment | Response period 14 days; determination within 5 days of the response, absent extraordinary circumstances |
| Appeal | Court action by the registrant within 10 business days stops implementation | De novo appeal within 14 days |
| Money or legal costs awarded | No | No |
Last checked on ; older figures carry their own date
What does the UDRP do, and what does it cost?
The UDRP lets a trademark owner ask for the transfer or cancellation of a domain that is confusingly similar to its mark, has no legitimate use and was registered and is used in bad faith. All three must be shown. WIPO says the panel cannot award money or lawyers' costs, and that a complainant may rely on a registered mark anywhere in the world or on an adequately pleaded unregistered mark. That last point matters to a young crypto project that has a name in use but no registration.
WIPO's schedule is USD 1,500 for 1 to 5 domains with a single panelist (USD 1,000 panelist, USD 500 WIPO), USD 4,000 with three panelists, and USD 2,000 or USD 5,000 for 6 to 10 domains. An expedited option for single-panel cases of up to five domains costs USD 4,000. Forum, the other main provider, charges USD 1,330 for one or two domains before a single member and USD 1,480 for three to five, and its fees are non-refundable (the schedule we read is undated, so confirm it with Forum). A lawyer is extra.
WIPO states about 60 days overall: the respondent has 20 days to reply, the panel decides within 14 days of its appointment, and the registrar implements the decision 10 business days later unless the registrant shows a court challenge. The step-by-step is in how to file a UDRP complaint.
What does the URS do, and when is it open to you?
The URS suspends a domain; it never transfers it. If the complainant wins, the registry suspends the name for the balance of the registration period, redirects its name servers to an information page, and shows in the registration data that the domain cannot be transferred, deleted or modified. The complainant may extend the registration by one year at commercial rates. No other remedy is available.
The bar is higher than the UDRP. The complainant must hold a valid national or regional registration for a word mark that is in current use, or a mark validated by a court or protected by statute, and must prove bad faith by clear and convincing evidence with no genuine issue of material fact. ICANN's procedure says the URS is meant for clear cases and that a contestable one is denied without prejudice, leaving the UDRP or a court open.
The pace is faster: the registry locks the domain within 24 hours of the notice, the respondent has 14 calendar days, and a determination is due within three business days of the start of examination and no later than five days after the response. ICANN's page on the system says it applies to the 2012 new-extension round. The ADNDRC complainant fee is $360 for 1 to 5 domains, $400 for 6 to 14 and $450 for 15 to 29.
Which procedure suits a crypto project facing a phishing site?
For a project without a registered mark, only the UDRP is realistic, and neither procedure is the fastest way to stop a live phishing page. The URS needs a registration, which many token projects lack on launch, and it does not cover .com. The UDRP fits a name you have used in commerce, but a 60-day timeline is long for a page that drains wallets on day one.
The quick actions are reports: to the registrar, which ICANN's 2024 amendments require to act promptly on actionable evidence of phishing, and to the host and the blocklists. They are described in how to report a phishing domain and how to take down a phishing site copying your dApp. The UDRP and URS suit the longer game: the domain that keeps coming back, or the look-alike that sits parked.
The least expensive control is not to leave the name free. A trademark-based block is a third route, compared with registering the names yourself in DPML vs defensive registration.
How much cheaper is owning a name than disputing it?
According to Wardmint's survey of 12 November 2026, the core set of .com, .net, .org, .io, .xyz and .app costs $128.94 a year, which is less than one WIPO complaint (USD 1,500) and less than the smallest Forum fee (USD 1,330) before any lawyer's fee. We do not claim to be the cheapest registrar; the comparison is between owning six names and disputing one.
Two citable lines: the UDRP can transfer a domain, the URS can only suspend it; and the URS requires a registered mark while the UDRP can rest on an unregistered one.
Questions about UDRP and URS
Can I file a UDRP if my token has no registered trademark?
WIPO says an adequately pleaded unregistered mark can qualify, but you must prove rights in the name, for example through use and recognition. The panel decides, so a registration makes the first element easier.
Is the URS cheaper than the UDRP?
On the schedules we read, yes: ADNDRC charges $360 for 1 to 5 domains against USD 1,500 at WIPO. The URS gives a weaker remedy, because a suspended domain is not yours.
Does the URS work against .com?
ICANN's page ties the URS to the 2012 round of new extensions. For a .com, use the UDRP or a court.
What happens to a domain after a successful UDRP?
The registrar implements the transfer or cancellation 10 business days after notification, unless the registrant shows it has started court proceedings. If the domain is cancelled, a third party may register it again.
Does a UDRP lock the domain?
For a domain registered with us, we apply the lock within 2 business days of a request from a UDRP provider.
In summary
- UDRP: transfer or cancellation; WIPO USD 1,500 for 1 to 5 domains, USD 4,000 with three panelists; about 60 days.
- Forum UDRP: USD 1,330 for 1 to 2 domains, USD 1,480 for 3 to 5, single member.
- URS: suspension only, for the rest of the registration; ADNDRC $360 for 1 to 5 domains.
- URS needs a registered, court-validated or statute-protected word mark; the UDRP accepts an unregistered mark.
- URS determinations are due within 5 days of the response; the UDRP takes about 60 days.
- Neither procedure awards money or lawyer's fees.
- The core set costs $128.94 a year, less than one WIPO complaint.
Sources (6)
- UDRP fee schedule — WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (read 2026-11-12)
- Guide to the UDRP — WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (read 2026-11-12)
- UDRP fees per Supplemental Rule 17 — Forum (read 2026-11-12)
- Uniform Rapid Suspension System (URS) procedure, updated 21 February 2024 — ICANN (read 2026-11-12)
- Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) — ICANN (read 2026-11-12)
- URS fees — Asian Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre (read 2026-11-12)