Domain name disputes in India
A domain dispute asks a forum whether a registered name conflicts with another mark or name. For .in, the policy is INDRP and the complaint goes to the .IN Registry, which NIXI operates. For .com, file UDRP with an approved provider. Any other extension follows the policy its registry publishes. This page is not legal advice.
A plain-English map of domain dispute routes for Indian businesses and mark owners: INDRP, UDRP, filing steps and where each fee is published.
knowledge
- Read time
- 4 min
- Sections
- 5
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 15 November 2026.
What counts as cybersquatting in a domain dispute?
Cybersquatting means registering or using a domain that matches someone else's mark or name in order to sell it, block them, or catch their customers. A similar word alone is not enough: policies look at rights, real use and bad faith, and a forum decides — not this page.
- Often complained about: a name registered to resell to the mark owner, a pattern of blocking the owner, or a site dressed up to look like the owner's.
- Not automatic abuse: a generic word tied to a real business, an earlier registration you have actually used, or a developer holding a name for the client who owns the mark.
- One complaint usually covers one domain. A portfolio of lookalikes is several complaints, not one form with many names dropped in.
How does INDRP for .in differ from UDRP for .com?
INDRP covers .in and the other extensions the .IN Registry lists under it: the complaint goes to that registry, which NIXI operates, and an arbitrator decides. UDRP covers many generic extensions including .com and is filed with an approved dispute provider, not NIXI. Both ask the same three questions — is the name identical or confusingly similar to a mark, does the holder have a legitimate interest, and was it registered or used in bad faith — and neither replaces a court case.
| INDRP | UDRP | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical names | .in and other extensions the .IN Registry lists under INDRP | .com and other generic extensions that adopted UDRP |
| Where you file | .IN Registry, operated by NIXI | An approved dispute provider |
| Who decides | An arbitrator under the INDRP rules | A panel under the provider's UDRP rules |
| Other extensions | Read the policy that registry publishes. Do not assume INDRP or UDRP applies. | |
Who sets the framework for generic domains is explained in what ICANN is. Registering a .in name you actually want is .IN domain registration, and if you are still choosing the extension, start with domain registration in India and then read that extension's own dispute policy.
How do you file a domain name dispute complaint?
File where the policy says — not with registrar support: the registrar may later lock or transfer the name, but it does not decide the case. State both parties, the domain, the mark, each side's use, any other case, and the remedy. Transfer and cancellation are different outcomes, so name the one you want.
- Confirm the extension and open the policy the registry publishes for it.
- Collect the mark or name, the date you started using it, and screenshots of the domain as it is used now.
- Complete the forum's complaint form and pay the fee on its current schedule.
- The forum checks the papers, notifies the holder, and appoints an arbitrator or a panel.
- Answer only what that forum asks — a second letter sent only to the registrar does not join the case.
Deadlines and document formats live in the policy and the rules of procedure. This guide does not restate clause numbers, because quoting the wrong clause is worse than sending you to the policy itself.
How do you protect a brand before a domain dispute starts?
Register the names you will use, in the extensions customers type, and then actually use them. A trademark filing is a separate brand record that a complaint often has to cite. Locks, transfer codes and renewals stop a different problem — losing a name you already hold — covered in how to protect a domain name you already own.
- Cover the obvious: register the exact brand and the misspellings you are willing to pay for; you cannot register every variation.
- Keep contact data current: the registrant email and organisation name must be ones a notice can reach.
- Save dated proof: the site, invoices and the mark filing show how you use the name.
- Escalate properly: if a name is taken and the conflict is real, use the dispute policy or a lawyer — not the registrar password.
What does a domain name dispute cost?
The fee is whatever the forum's current schedule prints — it changes, and it usually changes again if you add domains or request more than one decision-maker. A lawyer is a separate bill. This page quotes no rupee or dollar figure on purpose: read the schedule before filing and budget for the remedy you are actually requesting.
| Forum | Where the fee is published | What usually changes the fee |
|---|---|---|
| INDRP, for names the .IN Registry covers | The .IN Registry dispute schedule at NIXI | The complaint as the current rules define it, including any hearing the rules still price separately |
| UDRP, for .com and many generic names | The approved provider you file with | How many names are in the complaint, and whether one panelist or three decide |
| Any other extension | That registry's own policy | Whatever that policy lists — do not reuse the INDRP or UDRP fee |
Frequently asked questions
Can I file a dispute directly through WebJi®?
No. A registrar does not decide disputes; it implements a forum's decision by locking or transferring the name. The complaint goes to the forum the extension's policy names — the .IN Registry for INDRP, an approved provider for UDRP. WebJi® can help you gather registration records, but the filing is yours or your lawyer's.
Is .in or .com disputed in an Indian court instead?
Both are possible. INDRP and UDRP are administrative routes that run faster and cheaper than litigation, and their decisions do not stop either side from going to court afterwards. If the dispute involves significant damages or an injunction, a lawyer should choose the forum before any filing fee is paid.
What proof strengthens a domain complaint?
Dated evidence of your rights and their bad faith: the trademark filing or earlier use, screenshots of the domain as used now, records of any offer to sell the name to you, and a pattern of similar registrations by the same holder. Collect these before filing, because the complaint is judged on what it contains.
Does winning a dispute transfer the domain to me?
Only if you asked for transfer and won. Cancellation is the other remedy — the name is deleted and drops back to available. Name the remedy you want in the complaint, and remember the holder can still take the matter to court after the forum decides.
Last editorial update: 15 November 2026. This page explains process and is not legal advice.
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