WIPO & NAF Panelist Outlines The 10 Differences Between WIPO and NAF

Doug Isenberg, who is a “domain name attorney and founder of The GigaLaw Firm and a panelist for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the National Arbitration Forum (NAF) published a post on this blog today, his “list of 10 differences between the top two UDRP service providers” we have picked out a few of the difference he cited in his post.  You should the Mr. Isenberg’s post in its entirety:

Length.  UDRP complaints and responses are limited to 15 pages at NAF and 5,000 words at WIPO.

Fees. For a simple UDRP complaint (1-5 domain names, single panelist), NAF’s filing fee of $1,300 is slightly lower than WIPO’s filing fee of $1,500. However, NAF charges a fee of $400 for an “additional submission,” whereas WIPO does not charge for such supplemental filings.

Refunds.  WIPO provides for a refund of a portion of the filing fee (typically $1,000 of the $1,500 filing fee) if a proceeding is terminated (such as by settlement) before the panel has been appointed. NAF’s supplemental rules do not provide for refunds in the event of termination.

Panelists. Mr. Isenberg says that WIPO’s list is comprised largely of trademark and domain name attorneys in private practice while NAF’s list includes many retired judges. Location and Staff. NAF’s offices are located in Minneapolis while WIPO is based in Geneva.

Precedent.  WIPO has published an Overview that describes consensus on a number of UDRP issues. Although the Overview only cites WIPO decisions, and NAF has not published a similar document, the WIPO Overview is often cited by parties and panelists in both WIPO and NAF proceedings.