The Freename Forum

The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is expanding its range of out-of-court dispute resolution procedures for country code extensions. Since 5 September 2024, WIPO arbitration tribunals have also been accepting disputes over domain names ending in .ad (Andorra). The decision is based on the .ad Dispute Resolution Policy (adDRP), the Rules for .ad Dispute Resolution Policy (.adDRP) and the Supplemental Rules of the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre for .ad (WIPO adDRP Supplemental Rules). Compared to the UDRP, there are some differences; for example, the scope of application extends far beyond registered trade marks. In addition, it is sufficient if either the registration or the use of the domain is made in bad faith, whereas the UDRP requires both cumulatively. As a rule, the language of the proceedings will be English or Catalan. The move comes at the right time: from 22 October 2024, .ad domains can be registered by anyone worldwide; previously, .ad was reserved for people based in Andorra. The potential of .ad is considered great, as the abbreviation is commonly used in the English-speaking world for ‘advertisement’. With registration fees in the double-digit range, .ad is therefore likely to quickly attract a lot of interest.

Source: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/new/ad.html