Complaints concerning Norwegian domain names are heard by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (ADR Committee). This committee hears simple complaints that can be resolved quickly. The ADR Committee is an independent appeal body. Norid functions as the committee’s secretariat, and handles the flow of documents and communication with the parties.
About complaints concerning domain names
Who can file a complaint?
If you hold the rights to a name, trademark or similar that is exactly or almost the same as a registered domain name, you can file a complaint.
When you want to file a complaint, or respond to a complaint, you can either do it yourself, or you can get assistance from e.g. a lawyer.
Terms
A complaint against a domain name must be filed no later than three years from the date on which the domain name was registered. Find the date of registration by looking up the domain name on this service. If more than three years have passed since the domain was registered, you cannot have your complaint heard by the ADR Committee. You are, however, free to initiate legal proceedings in a court of law. Read more about domain names in the legal system.
What does it cost to file a complaint?
The fee for submitting a complaint is currently NOK 6,385, mva. included. The fee must be paid before the ADR Committee can hear the complaint. If the complaint is successful, you get a refund of the fee. If the complaint is not successful, you do not get a refund.
If you are a domain name subscriber who gets a complaint against you, and this complaint is successful, you have to pay the opposing party's fee of NOK 6,385, VAT included, when the case has been decided.
The domain name is locked
The domain name cannot be transferred or deleted while a complaint is pending. The restrictions will be lifted after the committee makes its decision.
I want to file a complaint
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They may be willing to hand over the domain name without you needing to file a complaint, in which case you will save both time and money.
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Get the complains requirements and the form you need to use when you write the complaint.
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Such documentation can be e.g. a copy of a trade mark registration, a copy of a certificate of incorporation (firmaattest), copies of folders, ads, letterheads and the like, screenshots of web pages, photos of store signs. For private individuals: copies of your birth certificate.
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Relevant arguments can be: The one who has registered the domain name did not check carefully enough whether you had rights to the name, the registration was done in order to resell or rent out the name to you or one of your competitors, or the registration was done in order to prevent you from registering a name you have rights to.
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The ADR Committee considers the case based on the documentation the parties provide. It is therefore important that you shed as much light on the case as you can. Describe the contact you have had with the domain name holder, if any, and provide documentation of e.g. relevant email exchanges between you.
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Paste the form into e.g. a Word document or straight into an email. The arguments can be up to 2000 words (roughly four A4 pages), the documentation and the declaration at the bottom of the form are not included in the count. If you refer to a website, you need to save and enclose a PDF copy of the site or page.
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You get a notification of the amount, the account number and the KID needed to pay the complaint fee. Email us the payment receipt as soon as possible. If the fee has not been paid within ten business days, the case will be closed and you have to start over if you still want to file a complaint.
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When the deadline is past, the complaint case is passed to the ADR Committee. As this time you also receive a copy of the response from the domain name holder. The committee's decision is usually ready within three weeks.
I need to respond to a complaint
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Get the complains requirements and the form you need to use when you write the complaint.
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Such documentation can be e.g. a copy of a trade mark registration, a copy of a certificate of incorporation (firmaattest), copies of folders, ads, letterheads and the like, screenshots of web pages, photos of store signs. For private individuals: copies of your birth certificate.
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The ADR Committee considers the case based on the documentation the parties provide. It is therefore important that you shed as much light on the case as you can. Describe the contact you have had with the domain name holder, if any, and provide documentation of e.g. relevant email exchanges between you.
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Paste the form into e.g. a Word document or straight into an email. The arguments can be up to 2000 words (roughly four A4 pages), the documentation and the declaration at the bottom of the form are not included in the count. If you refer to a website, you need to save and enclose a PDF copy of the site or page.
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The complaint case is passed to the ADR Committee. The committee's decision is usually ready within three weeks.
What are the possible outcomes of a complaint?
The complaint is successful
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The secretariat requests additional information from the complaining party. When this is all in order, the domain name gets transferred.
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Norid deletes the domain name.
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This waiting period is there to give the parties a the chance to submit a notification of legal action, e.g. a lawsuit, if they disagree with the committee's decision. A notification of legal action will halt the enforcement of the decision until a final decision from the court regarding the rights to the domain name is ready.
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If it takes more than 15 working days from a decision to transfer the domain name is sent to the complaining party, to the party has given Norid the information they need, the domain name will not be transferred.
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The complaint is not successful
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The complaint is dismissed
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More about complaints and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee
The archive of ADR Committee decisions (In Norwegian only)