July 15th, 2022
6 MONTH COMPREHENSIVE WIPO REVIEW – PART 2

In Part 1 of this Comprehensive Review, we reported the total number of cases, the total number of panelists who heard those cases, broke them down into contested and uncontested and how the panelists reached decisions in each case. In this Part 2, I will reveal which panelists have been most favorable to Domain Investors and other Respondents faced with a UDRP on their domains. I will also show which panelists have found the most complaints to be an abuse of the UDRP process and found them guilty of reverse domain name hijacking (RDNH).

Some of the Respondents that contested their cases retained legal counsel familiar with the workings and precedents of UDRP panels in the past. Kudos to DR. JOHN BERRYHILL, who successfully defended 6 claims, JASON SCHAEFFER, who successfully defended 2 claims, and modestly to myself with 1 claim successfully defended in the last 6 months. Of the 2,172 total claims decided by WIPO Panelists in the last 6 months, there were 74 contested denials and 12 uncontested denials for a total of 86 for a whopping percentage of 3.96%. That means that the Panelists believed that in 96% of the cases they decided, the Respondents were all (or mostly all) cybersquatters. This is why legitimate domain investors have an uphill battle to convince the Panelists and the general public ( and particularly trademark holders) that they are professional business men and women who invest in domain names.

So here are the results for the first 6 months of 2022:

WIPO PANELISTS WHO HAVE DENIED THE MOST CLAIMS FOR THE 6 MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2022

1. W. SCOTT BLACKMER – 10 Denials, 2 RDNH
2. ANDREW LOTHIAN – 8 Denials
3. JOHN SWINSON – 6 Denials,
4. ASSEN ALEXIEV – 6 Denial, 1 RDNH
5. WARWICK ROTHNIE – 6 Denials
6. LAWRENCE NODINE – 5 Denials, 1 RDNH
7. JEFFREY NEUMAN – 4 Denials
8. GEORGES NAHITCHEVANSKY – 4 Denials
9. MATTHEW KENNEDY – 4 Denials, 2 RDNH
10. ADAM TAYLOR – 3 Denials

WIPO PANELISTS WHO HAVE DENIED THE MOST CLAIMS FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2022

1. W. SCOTT BLACKMER – 16 Denials, 2 RDNH
2. WARWICK ROTHNIE – 15 Denials
3. ANDREW LOTHIAN – 14 Denials, 2 RDNH
4. ROBERT BADGELY – 13 Denials, 2 RDNH
5. MATTHEW KENNEDY – 11 Denials, 4 RDNH
6. JOHN SWINSON – 11 Denials, 1 RDNH
7. REYES ESTEBERANZ – 9 Denials
8. NICK GARDNER – 7 Denials, 1 RDNH
9. ASSEN ALEXIEV – 7 Denials, 1 RDNH
10. ADAM TAYLOR – 6 Denials, 1 RDNH

WIPO PANELISTS WITH THE MOST ALL TIME DENIALS

1. HON. NEIL BROWN – 149
2. JOHN SWINSON – 124
3. ROBERT BADGELY – 123
4. WARWICK ROTHNIE – 111
5. TONY WILLOUGHBY – 94
6. W. SCOTT BLACKMER – 90
7. ANDREW LOTHIAN – 89
8. LUCA BARBERO – 86
9. RICHARD LYON – 77
10. NICK GARDNER – 77

I find it interesting to note that although the Hon. NEIL BROWN is active at the FORUM with 67 uncontested transfers and 1 contested denial (with RDNH), he was not given one case at WIPO in the last 6 months. I wonder why? Add the fact that in the last 6 months of 2021, BROWN had 4 contested Decisions, all of which were Denials with 1 RDNH. I also noticed that in the last 6 months of 2021, TONY WILLOUGHBY had 4 contested cases, all denied, with 3 RDNH findings, and only had 10 uncontested and no contested cases in the last 6 months. Does WIPO have a pattern of not assigning cases to panelists who favor Respondents? Hmmmmm!

I sincerely hope that this is helpful to all domain investors and registrants.

Howard Neu, Esq.
Law Office of Howard Neu, P.A.
Howard@Neulaw.com