National Arbitration Forum Reports Increase in 2005 Domain Dispute Resolutions

Minneapolis, MN, February 23, 2006 --(PR.com)-- The National Arbitration Forum administered 25 percent more domain dispute cases in 2005 compared to 2004.   Throughout 2005, 1,369 domain dispute cases were filed with the National Arbitration Forum, making it the highest number of cases handled per year since the National Arbitration Forum was appointed as an approved provider of the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) in 1999 by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

“We are seeing an increase in domain dispute cases due to the natural increase in the number of people using the Internet, yet it is also due to the increasingly automated nature of the domain registration process,” said Kristine F. Dorrain, Internet Legal Counsel for the National Arbitration Forum.

Since 2000, the National Arbitration Forum has handled more than 6,400 Internet domain disputes.  Of the over 6,400 UDRP cases filed with the National Arbitration Forum, 5,128 cases were decided by Forum arbitrators.  Many of the remaining cases were settled by the parties.

The National Arbitration Forum’s domain dispute online services allow parties from across the globe to file claims to protect their online property.  Nations represented in National Arbitration Forum domain name include: the United States, Europe, Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, Czech Republic, Japan and Monaco.  The National Arbitration Forum also handles domain name cases in a variety of languages including English, Chinese, Korean, German, French and Spanish.  The majority of the cases filed with the National Arbitration Forum over the past five years involve .com and .net domain names.  However, the National Arbitration Forum also handles disputes involving .org, .info, .biz, .name, New.Net, and the country code top level domains .us, .ro and .tv.

As an ICANN-approved provider, the National Arbitration Forum handles the administrative processes involved in a domain name dispute and ensures that all relevant policies are followed.  The National Arbitration Forum assigns the arbitrators from its panel of over 140 independent legal professionals from 35 different countries and manages the progress of the case.  A complainant, a person or company filing a domain name dispute claim, can expect their case to be handled quickly, efficiently, and in a neutral manner.  The National Arbitration Forum does not provide legal advice and cannot help a party determine the proper course of action.

About the National Arbitration Forum
The National Arbitration Forum is one of the world's leading providers of alternative dispute resolution services, including arbitration and mediation. Committed to the integrity of America’s legal process, the National Arbitration Forum maintains a distinguished panel of over 1,500 attorneys and retired judges who follow and apply the substantive law when rendering legal decisions. National Arbitration Forum mediators and arbitrators are located across the U.S. and in 29 countries around the world. By administering dispute resolution solutions that save time and money, the National Arbitration Forum provides an efficient and effective service for all legal parties. A leader in the dispute resolution industry for 20 years, the National Arbitration Forum is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota with offices in New Jersey and Southern California.

###