WIPO is hosting a conference to mark the 25^th anniversary of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP).It will take place in Geneva, Switzerland on 23 April this year with online attendance also possible.

According to WIPO: “The conference will include a retrospective on the UDRP, taking stock of jurisprudential trends and looking ahead to the planned review of the UDRP by ICANN. Sessions will also look at ADR systems for blockchain domains, the upcoming introduction of new gTLDs, and DNS industry and enforcement forecasts including the potential impacts of AI.”

The conference will include opening remarks by WIPO Director General Daren Tang and Assistant Director General, IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector, Marco Alemán followed by sessions on: the UDRP in numbers; UDRP retrospective (a global blueprint); WIPO’s ccTLD program; UDRP review expert group report; WIPO Overview 3.1; WIPO’s e-filing system and case platform; ICANN’s new gTLD program; applying the UDRP model to Web3/Blockchain domains/Alt Roots; and the future of DNS enforcement: AI tools/state of play.

There will also be time set aside for open discussion.

The conference is open to the public including brand owners, trade mark practitioners, counsel, registrars, ccTLD administrators, academics and other domain name and Internet stakeholders. 

It is being held in a hybrid format. On-site attendance includes lunch and a cocktail reception.

For more information on the program and speakers, visit WIPO’s website here.

To register to attend online, click here.

To join the waiting list for on-site attendance, email arbiter.meetings@wipo.int.