Chapter I General Provisions and
Definitions
Article 1 In order to ensure the
fairness, convenience and promptness of a domain name dispute resolution
procedure, these Rules are formulated in accordance with CNNIC Domain Name
Dispute Resolution Policy.
Article 2 The proceedings
for the resolution of disputes under CNNIC Domain Name Dispute Resolution
Policy adopted by CNNIC shall be governed by these Rules and the
Supplemental Rules of the Domain Name Dispute Resolution
Provider.
Article 3 The following terms in
the Rules for CNNIC Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (hereinafter
referred to as these Rules or CNDRP Rules) have the following
definitions:
a) CNDRP means CNNIC Domain Name Dispute
Resolution Policy adopted by CNNIC , which is incorporated by reference
and made a part of the Registration Agreement, and binding to the
holders of the domain names.
b) Registration Agreement means the domain name
registration agreement between a Registrar and a domain name
holder.
c) Party means a Complainant or a
Respondent.
d) Complainant means the party initiating a
complaint concerning a domain name registration with Domain Name Dispute
Resolution Provider in accordance with CNDRP and the CNDRP
Rules.
e) Respondent means the holder of the domain
name against which a complaint is initiated.
f) Registry refers to China Internet Network
Information Center ( CNNIC).
g) Registrar refers to the entity authorized by
CNNIC and responsible for acceptance of the domain name
registration applications and completion of domain name
registrations.
h) Agency refers to the entity which accepts
the applications for registrations of the domain names on behalf of the
Registrar.
i) Provider refers to a dispute resolution
service provider approved by CNNIC to resolve the domain name
disputes.
j) Panel means a panel composed of 1 or 3
Panelists who are appointed by the Provider to be responsible for the
resolution of a domain name dispute.
k) Panelist means the individual who are listed
among the Name List of Panelists approved by the Provider and published
at the Provider's Web-site, and qualified to be members of the Panel for
the resolution of the domain name disputes.
l) Supplemental Rules means the rules adopted
by the Provider to supplement CNDRP in accordance with CNDRP and these
Rules.
Chapter II
Communications
Article 4 Any communication
under these Rules shall abide by the following principles:
a) Any communication provided by a Party shall
be copied and served to the other Party, the Panel and the Provider, as
the case may be.
b) Any communication by the Provider to any
Party shall be copied and served to the other Party.
c) Any communication by the Panel to any Party
shall be copied and served to the other Party and the
Provider.
d) It shall be the responsibility of the sender
to retain records of the fact and circumstances of sending, which shall
be available for inspection by affected parties and for reporting
purposes.
e) In the event a Party sending a communication
receives notification of non-delivery of the communication, or thinks by
himself that he has not delivered the communication successfully, the
Party shall promptly notify the Provider of the circumstances of the
notification. Further proceedings concerning the communication and any
response shall be as directed by the Provider.
f) Either Party may update its contact details
by notifying the Provider.
Article 5 When forwarding a
complaint to the Respondent, it shall be the Provider's responsibility to
employ reasonably available means calculated to achieve actual notice to
Respondent. Achieving actual notice, or employing the following measures
to do so, shall discharge this responsibility:
a) Sending the complaint to all postal-mail and
facsimile addresses shown in the Registry's and the Registrar's WHOIS
database for the registered domain name holder, administrative contact,
the technical contact, the undertaker and the bill contact;
and
b) Sending the complaint in electronic form
(including annexes to the extent available in that form) by e-mail to
the e-mail addresses shown in the Registry's and the Registrar's WHOIS
database for the registered domain name holder, administrative contact,
the technical contact, the undertaker and the bill contact, or if the
domain name resolves to an active web page, sending the complaint in
electronic form (including annexes to the extent available in that form)
by e-mail to the e-mail addresses shown on that web page; and
c) Sending the complaint to any address the
Respondent has notified the Provider it prefers and, to the extent
practicable, to all other addresses provided to the Provider by the
Complainant.
Article 6 Except as provided in
the preceding Article, any written communication to Complainant or
Respondent provided for under these Rules shall be made by the preferred
means stated by the Complainant or Respondent respectively, or in the
absence of such specification,
a) By facsimile transmission, with a
confirmation of transmission; or
b) By postal or courier service, postage
pre-paid and return receipt requested; or
c) Electronically via the Internet, provided a
record of its transmission is available.
Article 7 Any communication by
the Complaint or the Respondent to the Provider or the Panel shall be made
by the means and in the manner (including number of copies) stated in the
Provider's Supplemental Rules.
Article 8 Unless otherwise
agreed by the Parties or determined in exceptional cases by the Panel, the
language of the domain name dispute resolution proceedings shall be
Chinese. The Panel may order that any documents submitted in languages
other than Chinese be wholly or partially translated into
Chinese.
Article 9 Except as otherwise
provided in these Rules, or decided by a Panel, all communications
provided for under these Rules shall be deemed to have been
made:
a) If by facsimile transmission, on the date
shown on the confirmation of transmission; or
b) If by postal or courier service, on the date
marked on the receipt; or
c) If via the Internet, on the date that the
communication was transmitted, provided that the date of transmission is
verifiable.
Article 10 Except as otherwise
provided in these Rules, the date calculated under these Rules when a
communication begin to be made shall be the earliest date that the
communication is deemed to have been made in accordance with the preceding
Article.
Chapter III The
Complaint
Article 11 Any person or entity
may initiate a domain name dispute resolution proceedings by submitting a
complaint in accordance with CNDRP and these Rules to any Provider
approved by CNNIC.
Article 12 The complaint shall
be submitted in hard copy and (except to the extent not available for
annexes) in electronic form, and shall:
(i) Request that the complaint be submitted for
decision in accordance with CNDRP and these Rules;
(ii) Provide the name, postal and e-mail
addresses, and the telephone and telefax numbers of the complaint and of
any representative authorized to act for the Complainant in the
proceedings;
(iii). Specify a preferred method for
communications directed to the Complainant in domain name dispute
resolution proceedings, including person to be contacted, medium to be
adopted and address information, for each of electronic-only material
and material including hard copy;
(iv) Designate whether Complainant elects to
have the dispute decided by a single member Panel or a three-member
Panel and, in the event Complainant elects a three-member Panel, provide
the names of three candidates from the Provider's list of panelists to
serve as one of the Panelists in the order of its own preference. The
Complainant may also entrust the Provider to appoint the panelist on his
behalf;
(v) Provide the name of the Respondent (domain
name holder) and all information (including any postal and e-mail
addresses and telephone and telefax numbers) known to Complainant
regarding how to contact Respondent or any representative of Respondent,
in sufficient detail to allow the Provider to send the complaint as
described in Article 5 of these Rules;
(vi) Specify clearly the domain name (s) that
is/are the subject of the complaint;
(vii) Identify the Registrar and/or the Agency
with whom the domain name (s) is/are registered at the time the
complaint is filed;
(viii) Specify the rights or legitimate
interests on which the complaint is based with regard to the disputed
domain name, annexing all materials evidencing the rights or
interests;
(ix) Describe, in accordance with CNDRP, the
grounds on which the complaint is made including, in
particular,
(1) the disputed domain name is identical
with or confusingly similar to the complainant's name or mark in which
the Complaint has civil rights or interests;
(2) the disputed domain name holder has no
right or legitimate interest in respect of the domain name or major
part of the domain name;
(3) the disputed domain name holder has
registered or is being used the domain name in bad
faith.
(The description should, for elements (3),
discuss any aspects of Article 9 of CNDRP. The description shall comply
with any word or page limit set forth in the Provider's Supplemental
Rules.)
(x) Specify, in accordance with Article 13 of
CNDRP, the remedies sought;
(xi) Identify any other legal or arbitral
proceedings which have been commenced or terminated in connection with
or related to any of the domain name (s) that are the subject of the
complaint. All materials concerning the above proceedings that can be
obtained by Complainant shall be submitted.
(xii) State that a copy of the complaint has
been sent or transmitted to the Respondent (domain name holder) as well
as the concerned Registrar and/or the Agency respectively;
(xiii) Conclude with the following statement
followed by the signature or stamp of the Complainant or its legal
representative or its authorized representative:
"Complainant certifies that the complaint was
filed in accordance with CNNIC Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy and
Rules for Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy as well as the relevant
laws; that the information contained in this Complaint is to the best of
Complainant's knowledge complete and accurate; that the corresponding
claims and remedies shall be solely against the domain name holder and
waives all such claims and remedies against the dispute resolution
Provider and Panelists, the Registry and the Registrar, the registry
administrator as well as the Agency";
(xiv) Annex, as attachments, any documentary or
other evidence upon which the complaint relies.
Article 13 The Complaint may
relate to more than one domain name, provided that the domain names are
registered by the same domain name holder.
Article 14 After receipt of the
complaint, the Provider shall review the complaint for administrative
compliance with CNDRP and these Rules and, if in compliance, shall forward
the copy of the complaint to the Respondent, in the manner prescribed by
Article 5 of these Rules, within three (3) calendar days following receipt
of the fees to be paid by the Complainant in accordance with Chapter VIII
of these Rules.
If the Provider finds the complaint to be
administratively deficient, it shall promptly notify the Complainant of
the nature of the deficiencies identified. The Complainant shall have five
(5) calendar days within which to correct any such deficiencies of the
complaint. If the Complainant does not correct the deficiencies identified
or the corrected complaint cannot satisfy the requirements under CNDRP and
these Rules, the complaint will be deemed withdrawn without prejudice to
submission of a different complaint by Complainant.
Article 15 The date of
commencement of the domain name dispute resolution proceedings shall be
the date on which the Provider completes its responsibilities under
Article 5 of these Rules in connection with forwarding the Complaint to
the Respondent.
Article 16 The Provider shall
immediately notify the parties, the concerned Registrar and CNNIC of the
date of commencement of the domain name dispute resolution
proceedings.
Chapter IV The
Response
Article 17 Within twenty (20)
calendar days of the date of commencement of the proceedings the
Respondent shall submit a response to the Provider.
Article 18 The response shall be
submitted in hard copy and (except to the extent not available for
annexes) in electronic form, and shall:
(i) Respond specifically to the statements and
allegations contained in the complaint and include any and all bases for
the Respondent (domain name holder) to retain registration and use of
the disputed domain name (This portion of the response shall comply with
any word or page limit set forth in the Provider's Supplemental
Rules.);
(ii) Provide the name and contact details of
the Respondent and of any representative authorized to act for the
Respondent in the proceedings (postal and e-mail addresses, and the
telephone and telefax numbers);
(iii) Specify a preferred method for
communications directed to the Respondent in the domain name dispute
resolution proceedings, including person to be contacted, medium to be
adopted and address information, for each of electronic-only material
and material including hard copy;
(iv) If Complainant has elected a single member
Panel in the Complaint, state whether Respondent elects instead to have
the dispute decided by a three-member panel;
(v) If either Complainant or Respondent elects
a three-member Panel, provide the names of three candidates from the
Provider's list of panelists to serve as one of the Panelists in the
order of its own preference. The Respondent may also entrust the
Provider to appoint the panelist on his behalf
(vi) Identify and state any other legal or
arbitral proceedings which have been commenced or terminated in
connection with or relating to any of the domain name(s) that is/are the
subject of the complaint and provide all information available
concerning such proceedings;
(vii) State that a copy of the response has
been sent or transmitted to the Complainant in accordance with these
Rules;
(viii) Conclude with the following statement
followed by the signature or stamp of the Respondent or its legal
representative or its authorized representative:
"Respondent certifies that the response was
filed in accordance with CNNIC Domain Name Dispute Resolution
Policy and Rules for CNNIC Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy as
well as the relevant law; that the information contained in this
Response is to the best of Respondent's knowledge complete and accurate;
that the corresponding defenses and assertions shall be solely against
the Complainant and waives all such defenses and assertions against the
Provider and Panelists, the Registry and the Registrar, the registry
administrator as well as the Agency.";
(ix). Annex, as attachments, any documentary or
other evidence upon which the response relies.
Article 19 If Complainant
has elected to have the dispute decided by a single member Panel and
Respondent elects a three-member Panel, Respondent shall be required to
pay one-half of the applicable fees for a three-member Panel as set forth
in the Provider's Supplemental Rules. This payment shall be made together
with the submission of the response to the Provider. In the event that the
required payment is not made, the dispute shall be decided by a single
member Panel.
Article 20 At the request of the
Respondent, the Provider may, under some special circumstances, extend
appropriately the period of time for the filing of the response. The
period may also be extended by the agreement between the parties, provided
that the agreement is approved by the Provider.
Chapter V Appointment of the
Panel
Article 21 The Provider shall
maintain and publish a publicly available name list of panelists. The
Panel in charge of the domain name dispute resolution shall be
composed by either one single Panelist or three Panelists.
Article 22 If neither the
Complainant nor the Respondent has elected a three-member Panel, the
Provider shall appoint, within five (5) calendar days following receipt of
the response by the Provider, or the lapse of the time period for the
submission thereof, a single Panelist from its list of panelists. The fees
for a single member Panel shall be paid entirely by the
Complainant.
Article 23 If either the
Complainant or the Respondent elects to have the dispute decided by a
three-member Panel, the Provider shall appoint three Panelists in
accordance with the procedures identified in Article 25 and 26 of these
Rules. The fees for a three-member Panel shall be paid in their entirety
by the Complainant, except where the election for a three-member Panel was
made by the Respondent, in which case the applicable fees shall be shared
equally between the Parties.
Article 24 Unless it has already
elected a three-member Panel and provided the names of the three
candidates, the Complainant shall submit to the Provider, within three (3)
calendar days of communication of a response in which the Respondent
elects a three-member Panel, the names of three candidates to serve as one
of the Panelists.
Article 25 In the event that
either the Complainant or the Respondent elects a three-member Panel, the
Provider shall endeavor to appoint one Panelist from the list of
candidates provided by each of the Complainant and the Respondent. In the
event the Provider is unable within five (5) calendar days to secure the
appointment of a Panelist on its customary terms from either Party's list
of candidates, the Provider shall make that appointment from its list of
panelists. The third Panelist shall be appointed by the Provider from its
list of panelists. The third Panelist shall be the Presiding
Panelist.
Article 26 Where the Respondent
fails to submit the response or, has submitted the response but fails to
indicate how to designate the Panel, the Provider shall proceed to appoint
the Panel as follows:
(i) If the Complainant has designated a single
member Panel, the Provider shall appoint the Panelist from its list of
panelists;
(ii) If the Complainant has designated a
three-member Panel, the Provider shall, subject to availability, appoint
one Panelist from the list of candidates provided by the Complainant and
shall appoint the second Panelist and the Presiding Panelist from its
list of panelists.
Article 27 The Panelists shall
have the right to decide by themselves whether to accept the appointment.
To ensure the promptness and smoothness of the domain name dispute
resolution proceedings, if any of the Panelists designated cannot accept
the appointment, the Provider shall appoint another Panelist from its list
of panelists at its own discretion.
Article 28 Once the entire Panel
is appointed, the Provider shall promptly forward the case file to all
members of the Panel and shall notify immediately the parties of the
Panelists appointed and the date by which the Panel shall forward its
decision on the complaint to the Provider.
Article 29 A Panelist shall be
impartial and independent and shall have, before accepting appointment,
disclosed to the Provider any circumstances giving rise to justifiable
doubt as to the Panelist's impartiality or independence. If, at any stage
during the proceedings, new circumstances arise which could give rise to
justifiable doubt as to the impartiality or independence of the Panelist,
that Panelist shall promptly disclose such circumstances to the Provider.
In such event, the Provider shall have the discretion to appoint a
substitute Panelist.
Prior to the acceptance of appointment as a
Panelist, a candidate shall be required to submit to the Provider a
Declaration of Independence and Impartiality in writing.
Where either party thinks that any Panelist has
material interests with the opposing party and that such circumstance may
affect the fair ruling of the case, that party may request to the Provider
for removing the Panelist before the Panel has rendered its decision.
Removal of the Panelist shall be in the Provider's discretion.
Article 30 No Party or
anyone acting on its behalf may have any unilateral communication with the
Panel. All communications between a Party and the Panel or the Provider
shall be made to a case administrator appointed by the Provider in the
manner prescribed in the Provider's Supplemental Rules.
Chapter VI Hearing and
Ruling
Article 31 The Panel shall
conduct the proceedings in such manner as it considers appropriate
according to these Rules, and decide a complaint on the basis of the
statements and documents submitted and in accordance with CNDRP, as well
as any rules and principles of law which it deems applicable. If a
Respondent does not submit a response, the Panel shall, in absence of
exceptional circumstances, decide the dispute based upon the
complaint.
In all cases, the Panel shall ensure that the
parties are treated with equality and that each party is given a fair
opportunity to present its case, give out its reasons and provide the
evidence.
The Panel shall ensure that the proceedings take
place with due expedition. It may, at the request of a party, extend,
under some special circumstances, a period of time fixed by these
Rules.
The Panel shall determine the admissibility,
relevance, materiality and weight of the evidence.
Article 32 In addition to the
complaint and the response, the Panel may request, in its sole discretion,
further statements or documents from either of the parties.
Article 33 Under the normal
circumstances, there shall be no in-person hearings (including hearings by
teleconference, videoconference, and web conference), unless the Panel
determines that such a hearing is necessary for deciding the complaint.
Either of the parties may request the Panel to hold an in-person hearing
at his own expenses.
Article 34 In the event that a
party, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, does not comply with
any of the provisions established by these Rules or any of the time
periods fixed by the Panel, the Panel shall proceed to a decision on the
complaint.
Article 35 If a party, in the
absence of exceptional circumstances, does not comply with any provisions
of these Rules or any request from the Panel, the Panel shall draw such
inferences therefrom as it considers appropriate.
Article 36 In the event of
multiple disputes between the parties, either party may petition to
consolidate the disputes before a single Panel. This petition shall be
made to the first Panel appointed to hear a pending dispute between the
parties. This Panel may consolidate before it any or all such disputes in
its sole discretion, provided that the disputes being consolidated are
governed by CNDRP adopted by CNNIC.
Article 37 In the absence of
exceptional circumstances, the Panel shall render its decision on the
complaint and forward the decision to the Provider within fourteen (14)
calendar days of its appointment.
Article 38 The Panelists shall
submit the draft decision to the Provider before signing the decision. The
Provider may review the form of the award on condition that the Panelists'
independence of decision is not affected.
Article 39 In the case of a
three-member Panel, the Panel's decision shall be made by a majority. Each
Panelist possesses an equal vote. Where the majority cannot be reached,
the decision shall be decided by the Presiding Panelist. Any dissenting
opinion shall accompany the majority decision.
Article 40 The Panel's decision
shall be made in electronic form and in hard copy, provide the final
decision and the reasons on which it is based, indicate the date on which
it was rendered and identify the name(s) of the Panelists.
If the Panel concludes that the dispute is not
within the scope of CNDRP, it shall so state. If after considering the
submissions the Panel finds that the complaint was brought in bad faith, ,
the Panel may declare in its decision that the complaint constitutes an
abuse of the domain name dispute resolution
procedure.
Article 41 In the event of any legal or
arbitral proceedings initiated prior to or during the domain name dispute
resolution proceedings in respect of a domain name which is the subject of
the complaint, the Provider or the Panel shall have the discretion to
decide whether to suspend or terminate the proceedings, or to proceed to a
decision.
Where a party initiates any legal or arbitral
proceedings during the pendency of the domain name dispute resolution
proceedings in respect of a domain name which is the subject of the
complaint, it shall promptly notify the Panel and the Provider.
Article 42 Before the Panel's
decision, the domain name dispute resolution proceedings may be
terminated, if
(i) The parties agree on a
settlement.
(ii) The Panel thinks that it becomes
unnecessary or impossible to continue the proceedings for other reasons,
unless a party raises justifiable grounds for objection within a period
of time to be determined by the Panel.
Chapter VII Communication and Publication
of the Decision
Article 43 Within three (3)
calendar days after receiving the decision from the Panel, the Provider
shall communicate the full text of the decision to each party, the
Registrar and CNNIC.
Article 44 Unless the Panel, at
request of one party or considering the specific situation of the Case,
determines otherwise, the Provider shall publish the full decision on a
publicly accessible web site within the time limit stipulated in Article
43.
Chapter VIII Fees
Article 45 The Complainant shall
pay to the Provider an initial fixed fee, in accordance with the
Provider's Supplemental Rules, within the time and in the amount required.
A Respondent electing to have the dispute decided by a three-member Panel,
rather than the single member Panel elected by the Complainant, shall pay
the Provider one-half the fixed fee for a three-member Panel. In all other
cases, the Complainant shall bear all of the Provider's fees.
Article 46 No action shall be
taken by the Provider on a complaint until it has received from
Complainant the initial fee in accordance with the Provider's Supplemental
Rules.
Article 47 If the Provider has
not received the fees within eight (8) calendar days of receiving the
complaint, the complaint shall be deemed withdrawn and the proceedings
terminated.
Article 48 In exceptional
circumstances, in the event the Panel, at the request of a party,
determines that an in-person hearing is to be held, the Provider shall
request the parties for the payment of additional fees, which shall be
established in agreement with the Parties and the Panel.
Chapter IX Supplementary
Provisions
Article 49 Except in the case of
deliberate wrongdoing, neither the Provider nor a Panelist shall be liable
to a party for any act or omission in connection with any proceedings
under these Rules.
Article 50 These Rules are
subject to the interpretation of CNNIC.
Article 51 These Rules are
effective as from Sep.30, 2002.
(Note: All translations are for
reference only, any terms shall be implemented in accordance with original
Chinese version)