South Africa Introduces New Domain Name Dispute Resolution Process
The June INTA Bulletin reports that South Africa has launched a new domain name dispute resolution procedure to provide a cost-efficient, fast and practical solution to .CO.ZA disputes.
Two entities have been accredited to administer the new dispute resolution procedure: the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL) and the Arbitration Foundation of South Africa (AFSA). Complaints regarding a CO.ZA domain name can be filed with either of these organizations. The new .CO.ZA regulations are similar to those WIPO follows in administering the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP).
Previously, trademark owners in South Africa were obliged to institute trademark infringement proceedings if they discovered a third party had registered a .CO.ZA domain name that incorporated a registered trademark. Since .CO.ZA is not regulated by ICANN's UDRP, complaints cannot be filed through WIPO as they can for other domain names.
