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Appendix
S Rules
for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (As
Drafted by IEI on September 29, 2000) Administrative
proceedings for the resolution of disputes under the Uniform Dispute
Resolution Policy adopted by Internet Events International, Inc.
"IEI" shall be governed by these Rules and also the Supplemental
Rules of the Provider administering the proceedings, as posted on its web
site. 1.
Definitions In
these Rules: Complainant
means the party initiating a complaint concerning a domain-name
registration. IEI
refers to the Internet Events International, Inc. Mutual
Jurisdiction
means a court jurisdiction at the location of either (a) the principal
office of the Registrar (provided the domain-name holder has submitted in
its Registration Agreement to that jurisdiction for court adjudication of
disputes concerning or arising from the use of the domain name) or (b) the
domain-name holder's address as shown for the registration of the domain
name in Registrar's Whois database at the time the complaint is submitted
to the Provider. Panel
means an administrative panel appointed by a Provider to decide a
complaint concerning a domain-name registration. Panelist
means an individual appointed by a Provider to be a member of a Panel. Party
means a Complainant or a Respondent. Policy
means the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy that is
incorporated by reference and made a part of the Registration Agreement. Provider
means a dispute-resolution service provider approved by ICANN. A list of
such Providers appears at www.eventregistry.net/policy/approvedproviders.htm Registrar
means the entity with which the Respondent has registered a domain name
that is the subject of a complaint. Registration
Agreement
means the agreement between a Registrar and a domain-name holder. Respondent
means the holder of a domain-name registration against which a complaint
is initiated. Reverse
Domain Name Hijacking
means using the Policy in bad faith to attempt to deprive a registered
domain-name holder of a domain name. Supplemental
Rules
means the rules adopted by the Provider administering a proceeding to
supplement these Rules. Supplemental Rules shall not be inconsistent with
the Policy or these Rules and shall cover such topics as fees, word and
page limits and guidelines, the means for communicating with the Provider
and the Panel, and the form of cover sheets. 2.
Communications (a)
When forwarding a complaint to the Respondent, it shall be the Provider's
responsibility to employ reasonably available means calculated to achieve
actual notice to Respondent. Achieving actual notice, or employing the
following measures to do so, shall discharge this responsibility: (i)
sending the complaint to all postal-mail and facsimile addresses (A) shown
in the domain name's registration data in Registrar's Whois / Search
database for the registered domain-name holder, the technical contact, and
the administrative contact and (B) supplied by Registrar to the Provider
for the registration's billing contact; and (ii)
sending the complaint in electronic form (including annexes to the extent
available in that form) by e-mail to: (A)
the e-mail addresses for those technical, administrative, and billing
contacts; (B)
postmaster@<the contested domain name>; and (C)
if the domain name (or "www." followed by the domain name)
resolves to an active web page (other than a generic page the Provider
concludes is maintained by a registrar or ISP for parking domain-names
registered by multiple domain-name holders), any e-mail address shown or
e-mail links on that web page; and (iii)
sending the complaint to any address the Respondent has notified the
Provider it prefers and, to the extent practicable, to all other addresses
provided to the Provider by Complainant under Paragraph 3(b)(v). (b)
Except as provided in Paragraph 2(a), any written communication to
Complainant or Respondent provided for under these Rules shall be made by
the preferred means stated by the Complainant or Respondent, respectively
(see Paragraphs 3(b)(iii) and 5(b)(iii)), or in the absence of such
specification (i)
by telecopy or facsimile transmission, with a confirmation of
transmission; or (ii)
by postal or courier service, postage pre-paid and return receipt
requested; or (iii)
electronically via the Internet, provided a record of its transmission is
available. (c)
Any communication to the Provider or the Panel shall be made by the means
and in the manner (including number of copies) stated in the Provider's
Supplemental Rules. (d)
Communications shall be made in the language prescribed in Paragraph 11.
E-mail communications should, if practicable, be sent in plaintext. (e)
Either Party may update its contact details by notifying the Provider and
the Registrar. (f)
Except as otherwise provided in these Rules, or decided by a Panel, all
communications provided for under these Rules shall be deemed to have been
made: (i)
if delivered by telecopy or facsimile transmission, on the date shown on
the confirmation of transmission; or (ii)
if by postal or courier service, on the date marked on the receipt; or (iii)
if via the Internet, on the date that the communication was transmitted,
provided that the date of transmission is verifiable. (g)
Except as otherwise provided in these Rules, all time periods calculated
under these Rules to begin when a communication is made shall begin to run
on the earliest date that the communication is deemed to have been made in
accordance with Paragraph 2(f). (h)
Any communication by (i)
a Panel to any Party shall be copied to the Provider and to the other
Party; (ii)
the Provider to any Party shall be copied to the other Party; and (iii)
a Party shall be copied to the other Party, the Panel and the Provider, as
the case may be. (i)
It shall be the responsibility of the sender to retain records of the fact
and circumstances of sending, which shall be available for inspection by
affected parties and for reporting purposes. (j)
In the event a Party sending a communication receives notification of
non-delivery of the communication, the Party shall promptly notify the
Panel (or, if no Panel is yet appointed, the Provider) of the
circumstances of the notification. Further proceedings concerning the
communication and any response shall be as directed by the Panel (or the
Provider). 3.
The Complaint (a)
Any person or entity may initiate an administrative proceeding by
submitting a complaint in accordance with the Policy and these Rules to
any Provider approved by IEI. (Due to capacity constraints or for other
reasons, a Provider's ability to accept complaints may be suspended at
times. In that event, the Provider shall refuse the submission. The person
or entity may submit the complaint to another Provider.) (b)
The complaint shall be submitted in hard copy and (except to the extent
not available for annexes) in electronic form and shall: (i)
Request that the complaint be submitted for decision in accordance with
the Policy and these Rules; (ii)
Provide the name, postal and e-mail addresses, and the telephone and
telefax numbers of the Complainant and of any representative authorized to
act for the Complainant in the administrative proceeding; (iii)
Specify a preferred method for communications directed to the Complainant
in the administrative proceeding (including person to be contacted,
medium, and address information) for each of (A) electronic-only material
and (B) material including hard copy; (iv)
Designate whether Complainant elects to have the dispute decided by a
single-member or a three-member Panel and, in the event Complainant elects
a three-member Panel, provide the names and contact details of three
candidates to serve as one of the Panelists (these candidates may be drawn
from any IEI-approved Provider's list of panelists); (v)
Provide the name of the Respondent (domain-name holder) and all
information (including any postal and e-mail addresses and telephone and
telefax numbers) known to Complainant regarding how to contact Respondent
or any representative of Respondent, including contact information based
on pre-complaint dealings, in sufficient detail to allow the Provider to
send the complaint as described in Paragraph 2(a); (vi)
Specify the domain name(s) that is/are the subject of the complaint; (vii)
Identify the Registrar(s) with whom the domain name(s) is/are registered
at the time the complaint is filed; (viii)
Specify the trademark(s) or service mark(s) on which the complaint is
based and, for each mark, describe the goods or services, if any, with
which the mark is used (Complainant may also separately describe other
goods and services with which it intends, at the time the complaint is
submitted, to use the mark in the future.); (ix)
Describe, in accordance with the Policy, the grounds on which the
complaint is made including, in particular, (1)
the manner in which the domain name(s) is/are identical or confusingly
similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has
rights; and (2)
why the Respondent (domain-name holder) should be considered as having no
rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name(s) that
is/are the subject of the complaint; and (3)
why the domain name(s) should be considered as having been registered and
being used in bad faith (The
description should, for elements (2) and (3), discuss any aspects of
Paragraphs 4(b) and 4(c) of the Policy that are applicable. The
description shall comply with any word or page limit set forth in the
Provider's Supplemental Rules.); (x)
Specify, in accordance with the Policy, the remedies sought; (xi)
Identify any other legal proceedings that have been commenced or
terminated in connection with or relating to any of the domain name(s)
that are the subject of the complaint; (xii)
State that a copy of the complaint, together with the cover sheet as
prescribed by the Provider's Supplemental Rules, has been sent or
transmitted to the Respondent (domain-name holder), in accordance with
Paragraph 2(b); (xiii)
State that Complainant will submit, with respect to any challenges to a
decision in the administrative proceeding canceling or transferring the
domain name, to the jurisdiction of the courts in at least one specified
Mutual Jurisdiction; (xiv)
Conclude with the following statement followed by the signature of the
Complainant or its authorized representative: "Complainant
agrees that its claims and remedies concerning the registration of the
domain name, the dispute, or the dispute's resolution shall be solely
against the domain-name holder and waives all such claims and remedies
against (a) the dispute-resolution provider and panelists, except in the
case of deliberate wrongdoing, (b) the registrar, (c) the registry
administrator, and (d) the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers, as well as their directors, officers, employees, and
agents." "Complainant
certifies that the information contained in this Complaint is to the best
of Complainant's knowledge complete and accurate, that this Complaint is
not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, and that
the assertions in this Complaint are warranted under these Rules and under
applicable law, as it now exists or as it may be extended by a good-faith
and reasonable argument."; and (xv)
Annex any documentary or other evidence, including a copy of the Policy
applicable to the domain name(s) in dispute and any trademark or service
mark registration upon which the complaint relies, together with a
schedule indexing such evidence. (c)
The complaint may relate to more than one domain name, provided that the
domain names are registered by the same domain-name holder. 4.
Notification of Complaint (a)
The Provider shall review the complaint for administrative compliance with
the Policy and these Rules and, if in compliance, shall forward the
complaint (together with the explanatory cover sheet prescribed by the
Provider's Supplemental Rules) to the Respondent, in the manner prescribed
by Paragraph 2(a), within three (3) calendar days following receipt of the
fees to be paid by the Complainant in accordance with Paragraph 19. (b)
If the Provider finds the complaint to be administratively deficient, it
shall promptly notify the Complainant and the Respondent of the nature of
the deficiencies identified. The Complainant shall have five (5) calendar
days within which to correct any such deficiencies, after which the
administrative proceeding will be deemed withdrawn without prejudice to
submission of a different complaint by Complainant. (c)
The date of commencement of the administrative proceeding shall be the
date on which the Provider completes its responsibilities under Paragraph
2(a) in connection with forwarding the Complaint to the Respondent. (d)
The Provider shall immediately notify the Complainant, the Respondent, the
concerned Registrar(s), and IEI of the date of commencement of the
administrative proceeding. 5.
The Response (a)
Within twenty (20) days of the date of commencement of the administrative
proceeding the Respondent shall submit a response to the Provider. (b)
The response shall be submitted in hard copy and (except to the extent not
available for annexes) in electronic form and shall: (i)
Respond specifically to the statements and allegations contained in the
complaint and include any and all bases for the Respondent (domain-name
holder) to retain registration and use of the disputed domain name (This
portion of the response shall comply with any word or page limit set forth
in the Provider's Supplemental Rules.); (ii)
Provide the name, postal and e-mail addresses, and the telephone and
telefax numbers of the Respondent (domain-name holder) and of any
representative authorized to act for the Respondent in the administrative
proceeding; (iii)
Specify a preferred method for communications directed to the Respondent
in the administrative proceeding (including person to be contacted,
medium, and address information) for each of (A) electronic-only material
and (B) material including hard copy; (iv)
If Complainant has elected a single-member panel in the Complaint (see
Paragraph 3(b)(iv)), state whether Respondent elects instead to have the
dispute decided by a three-member panel; (v)
If either Complainant or Respondent elects a three-member Panel, provide
the names and contact details of three candidates to serve as one of the
Panelists (these candidates may be drawn from any IEI-approved Provider's
list of panelists); (vi)
Identify any other legal proceedings that have been commenced or
terminated in connection with or relating to any of the domain name(s)
that are the subject of the complaint; (vii)
State that a copy of the response has been sent or transmitted to the
Complainant, in accordance with Paragraph 2(b); and (viii)
Conclude with the following statement followed by the signature of the
Respondent or its authorized representative: "Respondent
certifies that the information contained in this Response is to the best
of Respondent's knowledge complete and accurate, that this Response is not
being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, and that the
assertions in this Response are warranted under these Rules and under
applicable law, as it now exists or as it may be extended by a good-faith
and reasonable argument."; and (ix)
Annex any documentary or other evidence upon which the Respondent relies,
together with a schedule indexing such documents. (c)
If Complainant has elected to have the dispute decided by a single-member
Panel and Respondent elects a three-member Panel, Respondent shall be
required to pay one-half of the applicable fee for a three-member Panel as
set forth in the Provider's Supplemental Rules. This payment shall be made
together with the submission of the response to the Provider. In the event
that the required payment is not made, the dispute shall be decided by a
single-member Panel. (d)
At the request of the Respondent, the Provider may, in exceptional cases,
extend the period of time for the filing of the response. The period may
also be extended by written stipulation between the Parties, provided the
stipulation is approved by the Provider. (e)
If a Respondent does not submit a response, in the absence of exceptional
circumstances, the Panel shall decide the dispute based upon the
complaint. 6.
Appointment of the Panel and Timing of Decision (a)
Each Provider shall maintain and publish a publicly available list of
panelists and their qualifications. (b)
If neither the Complainant nor the Respondent has elected a three-member
Panel (Paragraphs 3(b)(iv) and 5(b)(iv)), the Provider shall appoint,
within five (5) calendar days following receipt of the response by the
Provider, or the lapse of the time period for the submission thereof, a
single Panelist from its list of panelists. The fees for a single-member
Panel shall be paid entirely by the Complainant. (c)
If either the Complainant or the Respondent elects to have the dispute
decided by a three-member Panel, the Provider shall appoint three
Panelists in accordance with the procedures identified in Paragraph 6(e).
The fees for a three-member Panel shall be paid in their entirety by the
Complainant, except where the election for a three-member Panel was made
by the Respondent, in which case the applicable fees shall be shared
equally between the Parties. (d)
Unless it has already elected a three-member Panel, the Complainant shall
submit to the Provider, within five (5) calendar days of communication of
a response in which the Respondent elects a three-member Panel, the names
and contact details of three candidates to serve as one of the Panelists.
These candidates may be drawn from any IEI-approved Provider's list of
panelists. (e)
In the event that either the Complainant or the Respondent elects a
three-member Panel, the Provider shall endeavor to appoint one Panelist
from the list of candidates provided by each of the Complainant and the
Respondent. In the event the Provider is unable within five (5) calendar
days to secure the appointment of a Panelist on its customary terms from
either Party's list of candidates, the Provider shall make that
appointment from its list of panelists. The third Panelist shall be
appointed by the Provider from a list of five candidates submitted by the
Provider to the Parties, the Provider's selection from among the five
being made in a manner that reasonably balances the preferences of both
Parties, as they may specify to the Provider within five (5) calendar days
of the Provider's submission of the five-candidate list to the Parties. (f)
Once the entire Panel is appointed, the Provider shall notify the Parties
of the Panelists appointed and the date by which, absent exceptional
circumstances, the Panel shall forward its decision on the complaint to
the Provider. 7.
Impartiality and Independence A
Panelist shall be impartial and independent and shall have, before
accepting appointment, disclosed to the Provider any circumstances giving
rise to justifiable doubt as to the Panelist's impartiality or
independence. If, at any stage during the administrative proceeding, new
circumstances arise that could give rise to justifiable doubt as to the
impartiality or independence of the Panelist, that Panelist shall promptly
disclose such circumstances to the Provider. In such event, the Provider
shall have the discretion to appoint a substitute Panelist. 8.
Communication Between Parties and the Panel No
Party or anyone acting on its behalf may have any unilateral communication
with the Panel. All communications between a Party and the Panel or the
Provider shall be made to a case administrator appointed by the Provider
in the manner prescribed in the Provider's Supplemental Rules. 9.
Transmission of the File to the Panel The
Provider shall forward the file to the Panel as soon as the Panelist is
appointed in the case of a Panel consisting of a single member, or as soon
as the last Panelist is appointed in the case of a three-member Panel. 10.
General Powers of the Panel (a)
The Panel shall conduct the administrative proceeding in such manner as it
considers appropriate in accordance with the Policy and these Rules. (b)
In all cases, the Panel shall ensure that the Parties are treated with
equality and that each Party is given a fair opportunity to present its
case. (c)
The Panel shall ensure that the administrative proceeding takes place with
due expedition. It may, at the request of a Party or on its own motion,
extend, in exceptional cases, a period of time fixed by these Rules or by
the Panel. (d)
The Panel shall determine the admissibility, relevance, materiality and
weight of the evidence. (e)
A Panel shall decide a request by a Party to consolidate multiple domain
name disputes in accordance with the Policy and these Rules. 11.
Language of Proceedings (a)
Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, or specified otherwise in the
Registration Agreement, the language of the administrative proceeding
shall be the language of the Registration Agreement, subject to the
authority of the Panel to determine otherwise, having regard to the
circumstances of the administrative proceeding. (b)
The Panel may order that any documents submitted in languages other than
the language of the administrative proceeding be accompanied by a
translation in whole or in part into the language of the administrative
proceeding. 12.
Further Statements In
addition to the complaint and the response, the Panel may request, in its
sole discretion, further statements or documents from either of the
Parties. 13.
In-Person Hearings There
shall be no in-person hearings (including hearings by teleconference,
videoconference, and web conference), unless the Panel determines, in its
sole discretion and as an exceptional matter, that such a hearing is
necessary for deciding the complaint. 14.
Default (a)
In the event that a Party, in the absence of exceptional circumstances,
does not comply with any of the time periods established by these Rules or
the Panel, the Panel shall proceed to a decision on the complaint. (b)
If a Party, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, does not comply
with any provision of, or requirement under, these Rules or any request
from the Panel, the Panel shall draw such inferences therefrom as it
considers appropriate. 15.
Panel Decisions (a)
A Panel shall decide a complaint on the basis of the statements and
documents submitted and in accordance with the Policy, these Rules and any
rules and principles of law that it deems applicable. (b)
In the absence of exceptional circumstances, the Panel shall forward its
decision on the complaint to the Provider within fourteen (14) days of its
appointment pursuant to Paragraph 6. (c)
In the case of a three-member Panel, the Panel's decision shall be made by
a majority. (d)
The Panel's decision shall be in writing, provide the reasons on which it
is based, indicate the date on which it was rendered and identify the
name(s) of the Panelist(s). (e)
Panel decisions and dissenting opinions shall normally comply with the
guidelines as to length set forth in the Provider's Supplemental Rules.
Any dissenting opinion shall accompany the majority decision. If the Panel
concludes that the dispute is not within the scope of Paragraph 4(a) of
the Policy, it shall so state. If after considering the submissions the
Panel finds that the complaint was brought in bad faith, for example in an
attempt at Reverse Domain Name Hijacking or was brought primarily to
harass the domain-name holder, the Panel shall declare in its decision
that the complaint was brought in bad faith and constitutes an abuse of
the administrative proceeding. 16.
Communication of Decision to Parties (a)
Within three (3) calendar days after receiving the decision from the
Panel, the Provider shall communicate the full text of the decision to
each Party, the concerned Registrar(s), and IEI. The concerned
Registrar(s) shall immediately communicate to each Party, the Provider,
and IEI the date for the implementation of the decision in accordance with
the Policy. (b)
Except if the Panel determines otherwise (see Paragraph 4(j) of the
Policy), the Provider shall publish the full decision and the date of its
implementation on a publicly accessible web site. In any event, the
portion of any decision determining a complaint to have been brought in
bad faith (see Paragraph 15(e) of these Rules) shall be published. 17.
Settlement or Other Grounds for Termination (a)
If, before the Panel's decision, the Parties agree on a settlement, the
Panel shall terminate the administrative proceeding. (b)
If, before the Panel's decision is made, it becomes unnecessary or
impossible to continue the administrative proceeding for any reason, the
Panel shall terminate the administrative proceeding, unless a Party raises
justifiable grounds for objection within a period of time to be determined
by the Panel. 18.
Effect of Court Proceedings (a)
In the event of any legal proceedings initiated prior to or during an
administrative proceeding in respect of a domain-name dispute that is the
subject of the complaint, the Panel shall have the discretion to decide
whether to suspend or terminate the administrative proceeding, or to
proceed to a decision. (b)
In the event that a Party initiates any legal proceedings during the
pendency of an administrative proceeding in respect of a domain-name
dispute that is the subject of the complaint, it shall promptly notify the
Panel and the Provider. See Paragraph 8 above. 19.
Fees (a)
The Complainant shall pay to the Provider an initial fixed fee, in
accordance with the Provider's Supplemental Rules, within the time and in
the amount required. A Respondent electing under Paragraph 5(b)(iv) to
have the dispute decided by a three-member Panel, rather than the
single-member Panel elected by the Complainant, shall pay the Provider
one-half the fixed fee for a three-member Panel. See Paragraph 5(c). In
all other cases, the Complainant shall bear all of the Provider's fees,
except as prescribed under Paragraph 19(d). Upon appointment of the Panel,
the Provider shall refund the appropriate portion, if any, of the initial
fee to the Complainant, as specified in the Provider's Supplemental Rules. (b)
No action shall be taken by the Provider on a complaint until it has
received from Complainant the initial fee in accordance with Paragraph
19(a). (c)
If the Provider has not received the fee within ten (10) calendar days of
receiving the complaint, the complaint shall be deemed withdrawn and the
administrative proceeding terminated. (d)
In exceptional circumstances, for example in the event an in-person
hearing is held, the Provider shall request the Parties for the payment of
additional fees, which shall be established in agreement with the Parties
and the Panel. 20.
Exclusion of Liability Except
in the case of deliberate wrongdoing, neither the Provider nor a Panelist
shall be liable to a Party for any act or omission in connection with any
administrative proceeding under these Rules. 21.
Amendments The
version of these Rules in effect at the time of the submission of the
complaint to the Provider shall apply to the administrative proceeding
commenced thereby. These Rules may not be amended without the express
written approval of IEI. |