The majority of cases settle without having to go to an expert, but in a minority of cases mediation cannot resolve the matter.

Types of decision

There are two types of decision available under the DRS, a summary decision and a full decision.  The summary decision is only available in cases where there has been no response.  In response cases both the complainant and the respondent may pay for the independent expert to make a full decision. 

How decisions are made

A decision is a formal written document in which the independent expert decides on the basis of the tests set out in the Policy and Procedure.  The expert decides whether the complainant has succeeded in showing that they have rights and that the domain name in the hands of the respondent is an abusive registration.  The expert returns the decision to us, and we then pass it on to the parties.  The parties can then accept the decision (as happens in almost every case) or they can appeal.

The decision is written by the appointed expert. Further information on how the expert is appointed and who they might be is available.

Summary decision

The expert will decide the case based on the DRS policy, the complaint and any additional evidence that the complainant has submitted. The expert will not be required to write a full decision with reasoning but only to certify that Rights and Abusive Registration have been made out. The cost is £200 + VAT (more for joint complainants or lots of domains). The summary decision will be published on our website.

Full decision

The expert will decide the case based on the DRS policy, the complaint and any evidence, the response and any evidence and the reply any evidence if submitted. A full decision will be written where the expert will set out any outstanding procedural matters, the contentions of the parties, what has been accepted as fact, what their views are on the arguments and their decision. This is published on our website. The cost is £750 + VAT (more for joint complainants or lots of domains).

Decisions and appeals

Decisions and appeals can be viewed using our DRS Search. You can subscribe to our DRS RSS feed to receive case decisions or use the links on the right hand side for lists of all cases.