URS: definition

The URS is a quick, low-cost procedure that lets a trademark owner stop an obviously abusive domain name A readable internet name made of labels separated by dots. Full definition of domain name, mainly in new generic top-level domains. One examiner reads the written file and decides. If the trademark owner wins, the name stops working for the rest of its registration Obtaining the right to use a domain name for a set period. Full definition of registration period, but nobody receives it.

What the URS is

ICANN Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers The nonprofit that coordinates the global DNS and gTLD policy. Full definition of ICANN adopted the Uniform Rapid Suspension System in 2013 as a rights protection mechanism that complements the UDRP Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy ICANN's out-of-court process for trademark disputes over domain names. Full definition of UDRP, offering “a lower-cost, faster path to relief” for “the most clear-cut cases of infringement”. As of October 2026, the current texts are those updated on 21 February 2024, mandatory since 21 August 2025.

A trademark holder, the complainant The party that files a domain dispute, usually a trademark owner. Full definition of complainant, files with an approved provider. As of October 2026, ICANN lists three: ADNDRC Asian Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre An ICANN-approved domain dispute provider with offices in four Asian cities. Full definition of ADNDRC, MFSD srl and the Forum A United States provider of UDRP and URS domain dispute cases, also known as the National Arbitration Forum. Full definition of Forum (NAF), which publishes its fees as Forum. WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization The United Nations agency whose center handles many domain name disputes. Full definition of WIPO is not one. The provider appoints one examiner. The registry operator The organization that holds the contract or mandate for a TLD and sets its rules. Full definition of registry operator locks and, if needed, suspends the name; ICANN checks that it does.

The URS covers names under an ICANN gTLD generic top-level domain A top-level domain not tied to a country, run under ICANN contracts. Full definition of gTLD Registry Agreement The contract between ICANN and a gTLD registry operator. Full definition of Registry Agreement, including all new gTLDs. As of October 2026, the 2019 .org agreement also includes it; the 2024 .com agreement does not. It does not apply to ccTLD country code top-level domain A top-level domain for a country or territory, usually two letters long. Full definition of ccTLD, although some have similar procedures.

When the URS fits instead of the UDRP

The complainant must prove three elements, close in substance to the UDRP’s:

The name is identical or confusingly similar to a word mark that is registered and in current use, validated by a court, or protected by a statute or treaty. Use can be shown through the TMCH Trademark Clearinghouse A database of verified trademarks used for sunrise and claims in new gTLDs. Full definition of TMCH.
The registrant The person or organization that holds a domain name registration. Full definition of registrant has no legitimate right or interest in the name.
The name was registered and is being used in bad faith Intent to take unfair advantage of another's trademark through a domain name. Full definition of bad faith.

The bar is higher than in the UDRP: “clear and convincing evidence”. If there is any genuine contestable issue about bad faith, the complaint is denied. Trading names for profit, holding a large portfolio A collection of domains held by one owner. Full definition of portfolio and parking Showing an ad or for-sale page on a domain instead of a real website. Full definition of parking are not, in themselves, bad faith.

The practical difference: the URS can only suspend a name, while the UDRP can transfer it. A URS decision does not prevent a later UDRP or court case.

How it works and how long it takes

The complainant files online, in English, with up to 500 words of free text. If the fee is not paid within one business day, the complaint is dismissed.
The provider checks the filing within 2 business days. Defects cannot be fixed: a faulty complaint is dismissed without refund, and a new one may be filed.
Within 24 hours of the provider’s notice, the registry locks the name. It cannot be transferred, deleted or changed, but the website keeps working.
Within 24 hours of the lock, the provider notifies the registrant by email, fax where available and post, in English and the main language of the registrant’s country.
The registrant has 14 calendar days to respond, weekends included, in up to 2,500 words. An extension is capped at 7 calendar days.
Without a response, the case goes into default, and the registrant cannot change the site or the registration data The information kept about a domain and its owner. Full definition of registration data. The examiner still checks the merits, so default is not an automatic loss.
There is no hearing. The goal is a decision within 3 business days of the examination starting. Decisions are published.

For a hypothetical complaint filed on a Monday against example-outlet.example, the lock would come by Thursday and the notice by Friday. ICANN’s FAQ says a case “typically takes less than three weeks”, which is not a guarantee.

Costs

The complainant pays the provider a fee that is not refunded. As of October 2026, ICANN’s FAQ puts it at 300 to 500 US dollars (USD); Forum, for example, lists USD 375 for 1 to 14 names.

The registrant pays nothing to respond if the complaint lists 14 names or fewer. From 15 names, a response fee applies; it is refunded to the winner and never exceeds the complainant’s fee. A response filed more than 30 days after a default decision costs a re-examination fee (USD 200 at Forum, as of October 2026). No lawyer is required.

Outcomes: suspension, not transfer

If the complainant wins, the registry The central database and system of a top-level domain, or loosely the organization that runs it. Full definition of registry suspends the name for the rest of its registration period. Its name server A server that holds a domain's DNS records and answers lookups. Full definition of name server point to the provider’s information page about the URS, and the registration data still shows the original registrant. The complainant can extend the registration by one year at commercial rates. There is no other remedy: no transfer and no money. When the registration ends, the name becomes available again on a first-come, first-served basis.

If the registrant wins, the lock is lifted. A complainant found to have filed two abusive complaints, or one deliberate material falsehood, is barred from the URS for one year; two falsehoods bar it permanently.

Appeals

Either party can ask for a de novo appeal, a fresh review of the whole case, within 14 days of the decision. It uses the existing record; new evidence costs extra. The appellant pays: at Forum, USD 300 for one examiner, as of October 2026. An appeal about an expired name is rejected.
A registrant who lost by default can instead respond up to six months after the default decision, extendable by six more. This is not an appeal: the name resolves again but stays locked.
A complainant who loses a default case cannot seek review, but the UDRP and the courts remain open.

The right step depends on the facts of each case; a lawyer can advise.

URS