From 7 July 2026, new complaints over .UK domain names are filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center instead of Nominet, the .UK registry. The .UK DRS (Dispute Resolution Service) itself does not change: WIPO now administers it under the same policy, with the same panel of experts and the same fees. For brand owners doing business in the United Kingdom, what changes is where and how a complaint is filed, not what has to be proved.
Key takeaways
- Complaints filed on or after 7 July 2026 go through WIPO; cases filed earlier stay with Nominet until they close.
- The DRS Policy, Nominet’s Independent Panel of Experts and the mediation stage all remain in place.
- WIPO’s schedule for .UK: GBP 750 for a full expert decision, GBP 200 for a summary decision and GBP 3,000 for an appeal, with no VAT applied.
- The test is still “Abusive Registration”, which is not the same as the UDRP’s bad faith requirement.
What changes on 7 July with the .UK DRS at WIPO?
WIPO announced on 2 June 2026 that it would take over the administration of Nominet’s DRS. The service itself, in WIPO’s words, “remains unchanged”: the independent panel chaired by Nick Gardner stays, Nominet staff continue to run mediation and past decisions remain online.
| Item | Until 6 July 2026 | From 7 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Where to file | Nominet | WIPO Center, via its online filing or by email |
| Case administration | Nominet | WIPO |
| Policy | DRS Policy | The same DRS Policy |
| Experts | Nominet’s Independent Panel of Experts | The same panel |
| Mediation | Nominet staff | Still Nominet staff |
| Fees | Existing schedule | Unchanged, paid through WIPO PAY |
| Cases filed before 7 July | Nominet | Remain with Nominet to the end |
WIPO’s .UK page publishes model forms, and its .UK fee schedule confirms the amounts above.
How is the .UK DRS different from the UDRP?
Under paragraph 2 of the DRS Policy, the complainant must prove, on the balance of probabilities, that it has Rights in a name or mark identical or similar to the domain name and that the domain, in the respondent’s hands, is an Abusive Registration. Rights may be enforceable under English law or otherwise, and can include descriptive terms that have acquired a secondary meaning.
An Abusive Registration is a domain that was registered or acquired in a way that took unfair advantage of, or was unfairly detrimental to, those Rights, or that has been used in that way. The UDRP, the policy for generic domains such as .com, requires registration and use in bad faith. The main differences:
| Point | .UK DRS | UDRP |
|---|---|---|
| What you must show | Rights and an Abusive Registration (registration or use) | Mark, no legitimate interest of the holder, registration and use in bad faith |
| Response deadline | 15 working days | 20 days |
| Mediation | Built in when a response is filed | Not built in |
| Remedies | Transfer, suspension or cancellation | Transfer or cancellation |
| Appeal | To a three-member appeal panel | None; only the courts |
| Provider fee | GBP 750 full decision, GBP 200 summary | USD 1,500 for 1 to 5 domains, single panelist (WIPO) |
Paragraph 5 lists typical evidence, from offers to sell the name to confusing use or false contact details. Abuse is presumed if the respondent lost three or more DRS cases in the previous two years (5.3); non-use alone is not evidence of abuse (5.2).
How does a .UK DRS case run?
- The complaint is checked and forwarded to the respondent within 3 working days (paragraph 6.1).
- The respondent has 15 working days to respond (7.1); the complainant may reply within 5 (9.1).
- If there is a response, mediation starts within 3 working days and runs for 10 (10.1 and 10.5).
- If there is no response, the complainant has 10 working days to pay for a summary or a full decision, or the complaint is deemed withdrawn (12.2).
- The expert decides within 15 working days of appointment (18.3).
- A transfer, suspension or cancellation is implemented after 10 working days, unless an appeal or court proceedings intervene (19.3).
What this means for your business
- A case already filed with Nominet carries on there; new complaints go to WIPO, on its model forms.
- If the respondent stays silent, a GBP 200 summary decision is often enough; it is available only to the complainant.
- If you own .UK and generic domains in the same dispute, WIPO now handles both, but the tests differ: build the evidence for each policy.
When a cybersquatter holds your mark under .co.uk and .com at the same time, our team for domain name disputes under the UDRP, the .UK DRS and other ccTLD policies can run both as one strategy.
Where companies get .UK disputes wrong
- Arguing the case as if it were a UDRP. Under the DRS, abusive use can be enough even if the original registration was innocent.
- Missing the fee window. If the respondent does not answer and you do not pay within 10 working days, the complaint lapses.
- Agreeing terms orally in mediation. The Policy says no binding verbal agreement can be reached there (paragraph 10.4).
- Overreaching. An expert can find Reverse Domain Name Hijacking, and three such findings in two years bar a complainant for two years (18.7 and 18.8).
Frequently asked questions
Do I now file a .UK domain complaint with Nominet or with WIPO?
Complaints filed on or after 7 July 2026 are filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, through its online filing or by email. Cases filed with Nominet before that date stay with Nominet until they are concluded. The policy, the experts and the mediation stage are the same either way.
Has the cost of a .UK DRS complaint changed?
No. WIPO said the fee schedule would not change. Its .UK schedule lists GBP 200 for a summary decision, GBP 750 for a full expert decision and GBP 3,000 for an appeal, and states that no VAT is applied. The schedule lists no fee for mediation. Professional fees for preparing the case are separate.
Is the .UK DRS the same as the UDRP?
No. WIPO describes the DRS as a variation of the UDRP, but the test is different: you must show Rights and an Abusive Registration, which can rest on registration or on use. The DRS also has a mediation stage, a summary decision option, suspension as a remedy and an internal appeal, none of which the UDRP offers.
Can IP Global Guard handle a .UK domain dispute for my company?
Yes. We assess the Rights and the evidence of abuse, prepare the complaint and manage the case with WIPO, directly when our professionals are qualified to act and otherwise through qualified representatives. Where the same holder also targets you under gTLDs or Latin American and African ccTLDs, we coordinate every procedure from a single point of contact.
Recovering a .UK domain with IP Global Guard
The move to WIPO makes .UK cases easier to run alongside UDRP complaints, provided each is argued on its own test. IP Global Guard, the IP services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, manages domain disputes and brand portfolios with one strategy and one billing relationship across more than 25 jurisdictions in Europe, Latin America and Africa.
Send us the .UK domain, your trade mark registrations and a dated screenshot of how the name is being used. We will tell you whether a summary decision is realistic and how the case fits with the rest of your portfolio. Ask our team to review your .UK dispute.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects the position on the date of publication.
Sources
- WIPO, .UK Dispute Resolution Service transfer to WIPO (2 June 2026)
- WIPO Center, .UK DRS at WIPO (2026)
- WIPO Center, .UK DRS fee schedule (disputes filed from 7 July 2026)
- Nominet, Dispute Resolution Service Policy (version dated 20 March 2024)
- WIPO Center, UDRP fee schedule (valid as of 1 December 2002)
