As an ICANN UDRP Panelist with over 100 reported decisions for WIPO and NAF, I have read many submissions over the past five years, some very good, many bad.

I recently spoke on UDRP advocacy at seminar hosted by DePaul Law School and the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago, and offered six tips:

1. The Complaint (or Answer) should be a brief.  This is your only chance to argue your position. Treat it like a memorandum in support of a motion for preliminary injunction or summary judgment by presenting your case as an advocate. Mere notice pleading allowed in our federal system is not effective for the circumstances. 

2. The Pleading should be brief.  Although the providers' limitations on length are largely ignored and exceeded, as a Panelist I urge you to remember that effective legal writing is brief and to the point.

3. The Pleadings should follow the Policy.  Follow the elements of the Policy in stating your position.  Remember that the Panel must address each of these issues.  Make it easy for the Panel to decide in your favor by organizing your argument around each element of the claim or defense.

4.  Support your position with proof.  You need more than bald allegations to prove rights and bad faith, and you will find an increasing number of cases in which complainants are called upon to make additional submissions or lose their claim due to lack of proof. Strong submissions present evidence by way of exhibits and short affidavits. But don't merely shovel in piles of documents. Remember point 2.

5. Make good use of supporting authority.  Give cases to support your argument and show why the cases are relevant.  Avoid merely citing cases. There have been over 7800 reported UDRP decisions. Don't assume the Panel knows the result and reasoning of each case you cite.  Help the Panel by providing at least a parenthetical on the cases you cite.

6. Recognize the limits of the Policy.  The Policy is designed to address cases of cybersquatting involving protectable trademarks.  It is not intended for contract disputes, garden variety infringement cases, defamation claims, or personal names that are not entitled to commercial protection. Adverse decisions are often the result of claims that obviously stretch beyond the scope of the Policy. Matters outside the scope of the Policy are better directed to appropriate civil courts.

The ICANN UDRP has proven to be an amazingly effective dispute resolution mechanism for dealing with cybersquatting problems on a global scale, resolving disputes concerning over 13,000 domain names since adoption in late 1999.  If properly and effectively used, it can continue to serve its purpose to the benefit of legitimate domain name users and trademark owners.