Chapter I General Provisions and Definitions
Article 1.In order to ensure the fairness, convenience and promptness of a ".CN" and ".中国"ccTLD (hereinafter referred to as a domain name) dispute resolution procedure, the China ccTLD Dispute Resolution Policy Rules (hereinafter referred to as these Rules or CNDRP Rules) are formulated in accordance with "China ccTLD Dispute Resolution Policy" (hereinafter referred to as the Policy or CNDRP).
Article 2.The proceedings for the resolution of disputes under the CNDPR shall be governed by these Rules and the Supplemental Rules of the Domain Name Dispute Resolution Provider(hereinafter referred to as the Supplemental Rules) in accordance with these Rules.
Article 3.The following terms in the Ruleshave the following definitions:
(1) Registration Agreement means the domain name registration agreement between a domain name holder and a domain nameregistrar. The CNDRP is incorporated by reference and made a part of the Domain NameRegistration Agreement, and binding to the domain nameholders and domain nameregistrars;
(2) Party means a Complainant or a Respondentof the domain name disputes;
(3) 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;
(4) Respondent means the holder of the domain name against which a complaint is initiated;
(5) Domain NameRegistry refers to China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC);
(6) Domain NameRegistrar refers to the entity authorized by CNNIC and responsible for acceptance of the domain name registration applications and completion of domain name registrationsin ccTLD database;
(7) Domain Name Registration Agency refers to the entity which accepts the applications for registrations of the domain names on behalf of the Domain NameRegistrarand completes the domain name registrations in ccTLD database indirectly;
(8) Domain Name Dispute ResolutionProvider(hereinafter referred to as the Provider) refers to a dispute resolution service provider approved by CNNIC to resolve the domain name disputes;
(9) Panel means a panel composed of 1 or 3 Panelists who are appointed by theProvider to be responsible for the resolution of a domain name dispute;
(10) 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;
(11) Supplemental Rules means the rules madeby the Provider in accordance with CNDRP and these Rules.
(12) The Simplified Rules refer to those rapid procedure rules which the Provider has made in accordance with CNDRP, these Rules and Supplemental Rules for special domain name disputes under the Items of CNDRP.
Chapter II Communications
Article 4.Any domain namedisputecommunication under these Rules shall abide by the following principles:
(1) anycommunication by the Provider to any Party shall be copied and served to the other Party;
(2) anycommunication by the Panel to any Party shall be copied and served to the other Party and the Provider;
(3) 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;
(4) inthe 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;
(5) either Party may update its contact details by notifying the Provider.
Article 5.When forwarding a complaint to the Respondent, it shall be theProvider'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:
(1) 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 Domain NameRegistry's and the Domain NameRegistrar's WHOIS database for the registrant, registrant contact name, 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
(2) sending the complaint to any emailaddress the Respondent has notified the Provider it prefers and, to the extent practicable, to all other emailaddresses provided to the Provider by the Complainantaccording to Article 12 (5).
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 theEmail form or other reasonable ways required by the Complainant or Respondent when obtaining the approval from the Provider.
Article 7.Any communication by the Complaint or the Respondent to theProvider 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:
(1) ifby facsimile transmission, on the date shown on the confirmation of transmission; or
(2) ifby postal or courier service, on the date marked on the receipt; or
(3) ifvia 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 submittedin electronic form, and shall include:
(1) clear request forhearing and adjudication in accordance with CNDRP and these Rules;
(2) the name, postal and e-mail addresses, and the telephone and telefax numbers of the Complainant and of any representative authorized to act for the Complainant in the proceedings;
(3) apreferred method for communications directed to the Complainant in domain name dispute resolution proceedings, including the person to be contacted, medium to be adopted and address information;
(4) designatingwhether 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, providingthe 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;
(5) providingthe 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;
(6) specifyingclearly the domain name (s) that is/are the subject of the complaint;
(7) identifyingthe Registrar and/or the Agency with whom the domain name (s) is/are registered at the time the complaint is filed;
(8) specifyingthe 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;
(9) describing, 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 used the domain name in bad faith.
(The description shall, for item3), 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.)
(10) specifying, in accordance with Article 14of CNDRP, the remedies sought;
(11) identifyingany 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;
(12) concluding 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 CNDRP and CNDRP Rules 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 domain namedispute resolution Provider and Panelists, the Domain NameRegistry and the Domain NameRegistrar, the registry administrator as well as the Domain Name RegistrationAgency";
(13) annexing, 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 conduct a formal examinationof the complaint in accordance with CNDRP, these Rules andthe Supplemental Rules.
If the Providerfinds that the complaint meets the acceptance requirements after examination, it shall, after receiving the fees paid by the complainant as required, deliver a copy of the complaint to the holder of the complained domain name in the manner specified in these Rules.If the documents are defective in form, the Provider shall promptly notify the complainant and require him to make necessary amendments to the complaint documents within the prescribed time limit. If the complainant fails to amend the complaint within the prescribed time limit, or the amended documents still do not meet the requirements, the complaint shall be deemed to have been withdrawn after a written notice from the Provider.
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 Domain NameRegistrar and CNNIC of the date of commencement of the domain name dispute resolution proceedings.
Chapter IV The Response
Article 17.Within twenty days of the date of commencement of the proceedings the Respondent shall submit a response to the Provider.
Article 18.The response shall be submittedin electronic form, and shall:
(1) 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);
(2) providethe 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);
(3) specifya 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;
(4) ifComplainant has elected a single member Panel in the Complaint, state whether Respondent elects instead to have the dispute decided by a three-member panel;
(5) ifeither 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;
(6) 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 materialsavailable concerning such proceedings;
(7) concludewith 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 China ccTLDDispute Resolution Policy andChina ccTLDDispute Resolution Policy Rulesas 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 Domain NameRegistry and the Domain NameRegistrar, the registry administrator as well as the Domain Name RegistrationAgency";
(8) annexing, 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 fee 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 on line. 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 days following receipt of the response by the Provider or expiration of the time limitfor the submission thereof, a single Panelist from its list of panelists. The fee 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 fee 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 fee 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 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 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:
(1) ifthe Complainant has designated a single member Panel, the Provider shall appoint the Panelist from its list of panelists;
(2) ifthe 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.Neitherparty nor itsagentshallhave 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 Rulesand Supplemental 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 domain namedispute 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.
As to the additional documents submitted by either party besides the complaint and the response, the Panel will not accept them in principle unless the parties have additional agreement or the Panel has made additional decision in that respect.
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 and either of the parties is willing to take on the related 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 and Supplemental Rules or any of the time limits 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 and Supplemental 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 domain namedisputes 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 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 decision 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, 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
(1) the parties agree on a settlement;
(2) 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 determined by the Panel.
Chapter VII Communication and Publication of the Decision
Article 43.Within three days after receiving the decision from the Panel, the Provider shall notify each party, the relevantDomain NameRegistrar and CNNICof the full text of the decision via email.
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 Rulesor Simplified 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 domain name dispute resolution 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 these Rules and the Provider's Supplemental Rules and Simplified Rules.
Article 47.In exceptional circumstances, in the event thatthe 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 48.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 49.Time limits regulated in theseRules or decided in accordance with theseRules shall be counted on the second day of the initiation. The initial date is excluded in the time limit.
If the second day of initial date is a legal holiday, the time limit shall begin with the first working day after the holiday(s). All legal holidays within the time limit shall be counted. If the expiring date is a legal holiday, it shall be extended to the first working day after the holiday(s).
Article 50. The Provider may develop Supplemental Rules in accordance with these Rules; or Simplified Rules for special domain name disputes under the Items of CNDRP based on these Rules and the Supplemental Rules. The Supplemental Rules and the Simplified Rules should be approved by CNNIC
Article 51.These Rules are subject to the interpretation of CNNIC.
Article 52.These Rules are effective as from June 18, 2019. The previous "Rules for CNNIC Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy" (effective as of November 21, 2014) ceases effect simultaneously.
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