Uniform Rapid Suspension
URSS is the abbreviation for Uniform Rapid Suspension System. It is most commonly known as URS. It was designed exclusively to provide trademark owners with a quick and a low-cost process to take down infringing web sites. The URSS provides a chance for trademark owners to not only file a claim against the web domain but also involves a process, which will lead a domain to be placed offline. [1]
Purpose of the URSS
URSS was intended to provide a fast procedure to deal with the clear cases of infringement. It was created as a part of the Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy (UDRP), which looks after matters related to the trademark infringement in the domain names.[2]
Functioning of the URSS
When a trademark holder files a complaint, the registrar immediately freezes the domain. The registrar then notifies to the company against which a complaint has been filed. The company will then have 14 days to submit an answer. If there is no reply from the company in 14 days or if the answer provided by the company is not reasonable then the domain name would be taken down immediately at that point of time.[1]
Difference between URSS and UDRP
The URSS was mostly set-up to provide trademark owners a fast and effective way to protect their trademarks. It was mostly developed as an alternative to the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). The main difference between the URSS and UDRP is that URSS is stricter than the UDRP and not anyone can file the URSS. The major difference between the UDRP and URSS is that, in URSS the domain name is never transferred; it stays with the owner though the owner is not able to have online active service for the rest of its registration. Also, unlike the UDRP the URSS has an appeals process.[3]
URSS and ICANN
The URSS was proposed by the trademark groups within the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in an endeavor to cut back the large infringement of the trademarks. It was developed as a faster alternative to the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)[3] which was developed by ICANN to resolve the trademark-based domain-name disputes and other disputes such as cybersquatting. [4]
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