In celebration of Hong Kong Arbitration Week (15-20 October 2017), the Asian Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre (ADNDRC) at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the first ICANN accredited Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) provider based in Asia, will launch its landmark Guide to HKIAC Domain Name Dispute Resolution (the “Guide”). Notably, in addition to UDRP disputes, the ADNDRC provides domain name dispute resolution services in relation to “.hk” and “.??” (Hong Kong); “.cn” and “.??” (China); and “.ph” (Philippines) country code top level domains (ccTLDs), among other dispute resolution schemes.

The 40-page Guide provides a wealth of information, from the most basic to the more challenging procedural and substantive issues that arise in internet domain name disputes, and is replete with helpful flow charts, relevant statistical tables and citations to previous panel decisions. For counsel and panelists who find themselves at the vortex of domain name disputes in the Asian region, the Guide also includes sections explaining how experienced panels deal with domain names comprising Chinese characters or Chinese Pinyin representations, translations or abbreviations of registered trademarks. This allows users of the Guide to take advantage of years of accumulated knowledge and “best practice” in the field.

Kudos to HKIAC for this milestone publication. The Guide is a “must read” for every serious domain name enthusiast. When it is available, HKIAC will post a link to its website, hkiac.org where you can download the Guide.

Update Mar 13, 2017: The Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre has published its “Guide to HKIAC Domain Name Dispute Resolution”, which can be downloaded from its website in PDF format.