A .CO domain dispute is resolved under the UDRP, the same policy that governs .com: Colombia adopted it for its country-code domain, and WIPO is a provider for these cases. In 2025, .CO was the country-code domain with the most cases at the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. For European brands entering Colombia, and for any company with a strong online presence, that means two things: registering the .co version of the brand defensively and knowing how to recover it if someone else gets there first.
Key takeaways
- .CO ranked first among country-code domains by WIPO case volume in 2025, a record year with over 6,200 cases in total.
- Colombia adopted the UDRP for .co in Resolution 1652 of 2008; every holder accepts it when registering.
- Anyone, Colombian or foreign, can register .co, .com.co, .net.co and .nom.co names.
- WIPO’s official fee for one to five domains decided by a single panelist is USD 1,500; an expedited one-month track costs USD 4,000.
- Any registered trade mark gives standing, but evidence that the holder targeted your brand is what wins the case.
Why does .CO top WIPO’s country-code caseload?
In its annual review published on 14 January 2026, WIPO reported over 6,200 domain name cases in 2025 and listed the ten country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) with the most cases. WIPO handles disputes for 87 ccTLDs, and it also noted growth in filings for .CO.
| Rank 2025 | ccTLD | Country or territory |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | .CO | Colombia |
| 2 | .AU | Australia |
| 3 | .AI | Anguilla |
| 4 | .CN | China |
| 5 | .IO | British Indian Ocean Territory |
| 6 | .MX | Mexico |
| 7 | .CC | Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
| 8 | .ES | Spain |
| 9 | .NL | Netherlands |
| 10 | .SE | Sweden |
WIPO does not explain the ranking. In our reading, three features of .co combine. First, registration is open: under Article 3.2 of Resolution 1652 of 2008, any natural or legal person, Colombian or foreign, may register. Second, .co is one letter away from .com, which makes it a natural target for typosquatting and for sites that imitate a brand’s main address. Third, because the UDRP applies, brand owners have a predictable, relatively fast way to act, so they file rather than tolerate the problem.
Which rules apply to a .CO domain dispute under the UDRP?
Resolution 1652 of 2008 of Colombia’s then Ministry of Communications regulates the administration of .co. Article 6.2 adopts the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) and its Rules as approved by ICANN, and Article 6.3 provides that holders accept the procedure when their registration is accepted. WIPO’s .CO page confirms that the UDRP Policy, the UDRP Rules and WIPO’s Supplemental Rules apply, and that the registry is operated by .CO Internet.
WIPO’s page also distinguishes between unrestricted second-level names (.co, .com.co, .net.co and .nom.co) and restricted ones such as .org.co and .edu.co. For brand owners, the first group is where cybersquatting happens.
The test is the usual one. You must prove all three elements of paragraph 4(a) of the Policy:
- The domain is identical or confusingly similar to a trade mark in which you have rights.
- The holder has no rights or legitimate interests in it.
- It was registered and is being used in bad faith.
The WIPO Jurisprudential Overview 3.1 applies as in any UDRP case. Two points matter for brands new to Colombia: a national or regional registration anywhere prima facie gives standing (section 1.2.1), and where the domain was registered before your trade mark rights arose, bad faith can be proved only in exceptional cases (section 3.8).
How much does a .CO domain dispute cost, and how long does it take?
WIPO’s UDRP fee schedule states that it applies to ccTLDs that have adopted the UDRP, and its expedited track is also open to them.
| Case type | 1 to 5 domains | 6 to 10 domains |
|---|---|---|
| Single panelist | USD 1,500 | USD 2,000 |
| Three panelists | USD 4,000 | USD 5,000 |
| Expedited, single panelist (30 calendar days or less from filing) | USD 4,000 | Not available |
On the deadlines in the UDRP Rules, a standard case without incidents runs to around two months, and the registrar then waits 10 business days before implementing a transfer (Policy, paragraph 4(k)). The proceeding runs in the language of the registration agreement unless the parties agree otherwise or the panel decides differently (Rules, paragraph 11), so a .co case may be in Spanish or in English depending on the registrar used. Official fees exclude the professional cost of preparing the complaint.
Defensive registration in Colombia: what to secure
Recovering a name costs more than registering it. Before a launch or a distribution agreement in Colombia, our checklist is short:
| Asset | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| brand.co | The most visible .co name and the one closest to your .com |
| brand.com.co | The traditional Colombian commercial address; open to foreign companies |
| Main product names and obvious misspellings in .co | The usual targets of typosquatting and phishing pages |
| A Colombian trade mark | Rights that work for the UDRP and for enforcement in Colombia itself |
| Watching new .co registrations | Early evidence, before the name is used against you |
For the trade mark, Colombia has been part of the Madrid System since 29 August 2012, according to Madrid Notification No. 195, so an EU or Spanish mark can be extended there by designation. Colombia declared an 18-month period to notify refusals, so plan launches with that margin.
What this means for your business
- Check who holds brand.co and brand.com.co today, and preserve dated evidence of any use.
- Register the free names now, in the name of the company that owns the trade mark, not a local distributor.
- Align the trade mark: a Colombian national filing or a Madrid designation, depending on your base mark and timing.
- If a name is already held in bad faith, decide between the standard and the expedited UDRP track before contacting the holder.
If you need the .co names and the trade mark handled together, our team for .co domain recovery and defensive registration works alongside our trade mark registration team for Latin America and Europe.
Where companies get .CO disputes wrong
- Assuming a national procedure applies. Unlike .es or .mx, which have their own policies, .co uses the UDRP; filing under the wrong rules wastes time.
- Waiting for the launch. Names are often registered once a market entry becomes public, and a domain registered before your rights existed is very hard to recover.
- Letting the distributor register the domain. A local partner holding the name can argue a legitimate interest, which turns a simple case into a contract dispute.
- Relying on a European certificate alone. It gives standing, but you still need evidence that the holder knew of and targeted your brand.
- Warning the holder too early. A letter before filing can prompt a transfer to another registrant; the registrar locks the name only once the complaint is filed.
These errors usually come from handling the domain, the trade mark and the distribution contract separately. One team that sees all three avoids most of them.
Frequently asked questions
Does the UDRP apply to .co domain names?
Yes. Colombia’s Resolution 1652 of 2008 adopted the UDRP and its Rules for the .co domain, and holders accept the procedure when they register. WIPO lists .CO among the ccTLDs it serves under the UDRP, so a complaint follows the same three-element test and the same fee schedule as a .com case.
How much does it cost to recover a .co domain at WIPO?
WIPO’s official fee for one to five domains decided by a single panelist is USD 1,500, or USD 2,000 for six to ten. A three-member panel costs USD 4,000 or USD 5,000. The expedited track, for up to five domains and a single panelist, costs USD 4,000 and aims for a decision within 30 calendar days. Professional fees are separate.
Do I need a Colombian trade mark to file a UDRP complaint over a .co domain?
Not for standing. Under the WIPO Overview 3.1, a national or regional registration in any country prima facie gives standing. A Colombian mark still helps: it shows presence in the market, supports the bad faith argument and lets you act in Colombia itself. Since 2012, Colombia can be designated through the Madrid System.
Can IP Global Guard recover a .co domain for my company?
Yes. We assess the three elements, gather the evidence and prepare the complaint, and manage the case with the provider through to the transfer. For the Colombian trade mark and any local follow-up, we coordinate qualified correspondents in Colombia, with a single point of contact for Europe, Latin America and Africa.
Protecting your brand in Colombia with IP Global Guard
A .co name in the wrong hands is usually the first sign that a brand has become visible in Latin America. IP Global Guard, the IP services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, handles domain recovery, defensive registration and trade mark protection with one strategy and one billing relationship across more than 25 jurisdictions; see our coverage across Europe, Latin America and Africa.
Send us your brand, the .co names that concern you and your planned launch date in Colombia. We will check who holds them, tell you whether a UDRP complaint is viable and set out the defensive registrations and trade mark filings worth making. Contact our domain team.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and does not replace an assessment of your specific case.
Sources
- WIPO, 2025 record year for domain name disputes (14 January 2026)
- WIPO Center, Domain name dispute resolution for .CO
- Colombia, Ministry of Communications, Resolution 1652 of 2008 (30 July 2008)
- ICANN, UDRP Policy (updated 21 February 2024)
- ICANN, UDRP Rules (updated 21 February 2024)
- WIPO Center, UDRP fee schedule (valid as of 1 December 2002)
- WIPO Center, Expedited case processing (2026)
- WIPO Jurisprudential Overview 3.1 (2026)
- WIPO Lex, Madrid Notification No. 195, accession by Colombia (29 May 2012)
