By Zak Muscovitch.
What do WIPO UDRP panelists talk about behind the scenes? Well, on October 29, 2013, in Geneva, Switzerland, we shall find out, as I will be attending WIPO's Advanced Workshop on Domain Name Dispute Resolution: Update on Precedent and Practice. This will be the first time that I am attending this annual event, even though I have been practising domain name dispute law since 1999, and have litigated something like 70 domain name dispute arbitrations, numerous court cases, and assisted with probably thousands of domain name disputes which didn't end up in litigation, over the course of my 14-year career.
The Faculty for the WIPO workshop includes some of the very best, brightest, and most experienced WIPO panelists, including David Bernstein and Tony Willoughby, who will be making presentations. In addition, distinguished and experienced Faculty members also include Luca Barbero, Angela Fox, Matthew Harris, Andrew Lothian, Richard Lyon, and Bill Towns, and you may recognize these names from having read their UDRP decisions.
I am particularly looking forward to seeing my good friends and colleagues, John Berryhill and Paul Keating, who will also be attending, and who have attended this event in the past. I am also very much looking forward to seeing Nat Cohen, who is amongst the most knowledgeable non-lawyers one could ever meet, when it comes to the UDRP.
Although it is not yet clear what the specific topics are that will be discussed, I certainly look forward to hearing first-hand, what some of the panelists and other attendees have to say about certain particularly troubling decisions and trends. If you have ever wished to be a fly on the wall while UDRP panelists discuss a case, well, this is the opportunity. Registration remains open, but attendance is limited, so if you are interested in attending, look into it now.
If you have any topics or issues that you would like me to keep an eye out for, please leave a comment.