Dear Bret,

if someone monitors the IP threats by new TLDs, a look on the WIPO statistics helps to clarify the situation a lot:

"Most of the 9,567 UDRP and UDRP-based disputes concern international domains, with .com representing some 79% of names involved, followed by .net (11%), .org (6%), .info (2%), and .biz, .travel, .aero and .edu (jointly 2%)."

Source: WIPO Press Release 464, Geneva, October 16, 2006 http://www.wipo.int/edocs/prdocs/en/2006/wipo_pr_2006_464.html

That means that 96% of all gTLD UDRP cases rose from the well established .com/.net/.org cases and only 4% are seen from new gTLDs. No wonder, because .com/.net/.org are the most attractive and well known TLDs and I would say that Internet users might be more careful when clicking on a URL with an unknown TLD. I think Cybersquatters faciliate this fact a lot.

Additionally WIPO also states that the UDRP cases have been growing by 25% in 2006 compared to 2005 (Source: WIPO Press release March 12, 2007 http://www.wipo.int/edocs/prdocs/en/2007/wipo_pr_2007_479.html). But in relation to the growth of the gTLD market the number of UDRP cases is dropping. The .com name space was growing in the last 12 month from 46,518,000 to 64.841.000, a plus of nearly 40%. Also .net and .org where growing both together more than 30%.

These facts clearly show that the 2000/2004 new TLDs and presumably also the upcoming new (and small) gTLDs are relatively harmless in terms of IP issues, since the overwhelming majority of UDRP case comes from the established gTLDs.

Best from the .berliners

Dirk Krischenowski