Filing a .eu domain dispute
A .eu domain dispute runs under the ADR Rules, not the UDRP, and can be brought through either WIPO or the Czech Arbitration Court. The test is easier to meet than the UDRP's in one respect: bad faith only has to be shown at registration or at use, not both.
How is this different from a UDRP complaint?
Two things change: the rules and the test.
.eu domains run under the ADR Rules, made under EU Regulation 2019/517 and 2020/857,
not the ICANN UDRP. A complainant can bring a case through either of two approved
providers, WIPO or the Czech Arbitration Court.
The substantive test is also more forgiving for a complainant than the UDRP's. Under the
EU regulation governing .eu domain names, revocation is available where a domain is
identical or confusingly similar to a name in which you have rights, and either it was
registered without rights or legitimate interest, or it was registered or is being used
in bad faith. That "or" matters: unlike the UDRP, which requires bad faith at both
registration and use, a .eu complaint only has to clear one of the two.
| .eu ADR | UDRP | |
|---|---|---|
| Rules | EU Regulation 2019/517 and the .eu ADR Rules | ICANN UDRP Policy and Rules |
| Providers | WIPO or the Czech Arbitration Court | WIPO, Forum, the Czech Arbitration Court and others |
| Bad faith | At registration or in use, either is enough | At registration and in use, both required |
| Alternative to bad faith | No rights or legitimate interest is enough on its own | Not available, all three elements needed |
| Language | Usually the language of the registration agreement | Usually the language of the registration agreement |
| Fee, 1 to 5 domains, 1 panelist | €1,300, €700 in 2026 | $1,500 at WIPO |
What do I have to prove?
The same starting point as a UDRP complaint - rights in a name, and a domain identical
or confusingly similar to it - but then only one of two alternative grounds, not both:
that the registrant has no rights or legitimate interest in the name, or that the
registration or use was in bad faith. A registrant who registered in good faith but is
now using the domain in bad faith can still lose it under .eu's ADR Rules, in a case
the same facts would not win under the UDRP.
What does it cost?
WIPO's standard fee for a single-panelist case covering up to five domains is €1,300. For the whole of 2026, EURid is subsidising that down to €700 for the complainant - confirm the current figure at filing, since the subsidy is not guaranteed to continue into 2027.
The Czech Arbitration Court charges the same, according to its published .eu fee schedule, checked on 23 October 2026.
| CAC .eu ADR fees | 1 panelist | 3 panelists |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 5 domains, standard | €1,300 | €3,100 |
| 1 to 5 domains, complaints filed in 2026 | €700 | €2,500 |
| 6 to 10 domains, standard | €1,600 | €4,000 |
| 6 to 10 domains, complaints filed in 2026 | €1,000 | €3,400 |
The CAC says the €600 EURid discount applies per complaint filed by 31 December 2026, and that it can end the promotion early. If the complaint is withdrawn before a panel is appointed, the CAC keeps its administrative fee and refunds the rest.
On top of that, our fee is €1,050, covering case assessment, evidence gathering, drafting the complaint, filing it with WIPO and seeing the decision through with the registry. Both amounts exclude VAT and are payable up front.
How long does it take?
Once a complaint is formally notified, the respondent has 20 days to submit a response, the same window as under the UDRP. WIPO reviews a complaint for formal compliance within 5 days of receiving it, and gives a complainant 7 days to fix any deficiency before treating it as withdrawn.
What we do
Case assessment, evidence gathering, drafting the complaint under the ADR Rules rather than the UDRP Rules, filing it with WIPO, and handling the procedure through to decision. The same honest assessment applies here as with any UDRP case: if the facts do not support either ground, we say so before you pay a filing fee to find out.
Gergana Dimitrova has decided .eu disputes as a panelist at the Czech Arbitration Court since 2024, so complaints are drafted knowing how a .eu panel reads them.