If it ain't broke . . .

In the early years of the domain name system (DNS), trademark owners aggrieved about alleged cybersquatting had few options to remedy the problem. If they were serious, they were forced to wage a costly legal battle in the attempt to remove the disputed website. But in August 1999, that all changed. The little-known Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved the snappy-sounding Uniform Domain- Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) for resolving clashes between rights owners and website registrants. Thirteen years later, IP owners widely champion the policy as a cheaper and more efficient alternative to the courts.