Welcome to the website of the Dispute Resolution Service, an independent and impartial service administered by the Domain Name Commission.

Domain names within the .nz space are registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Disputes can arise about who should be the registrant of a domain name. The Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) has been developed to assist with disputes of this nature and came into effect on 1 June 2006. Anyone who wishes to make a complaint about the registration of a .nz domain name that they view as being unfair may use this system.

The DRS uses an online process for registering complaints, responses and replies. The menu to the left of this screen has links to the appropriate forms within the service.

Complainants must demonstrate that:a) you have rights to a name which is identical or similar to the domain name in dispute; and b) the registration of the domain name by the current registrant is unfair.
To succeed, you must prove that ‘on the balance of probabilities’ both factors are present.

The DRS Policy and Procedure lays out all the rules for the operation of the DRS. Further information about the procedure for disputes is available in the Help section. Within the forms, specific assistance is available by clicking the [?] symbols. You may also find it helpful to look at the typical cases lodged with the Nominet UK DRS.

Whilst it is in no way mandatory, experience has shown that taking legal advice before making a submission to the Dispute Resolution Service can be beneficial.

The DRS operates three tiers of resolution. The first level is informal mediation (applicable only if there is a response to a complaint). Our Mediators are listed, along with their professional affiliations. The second level of resolution is Expert Determination. Short biographies of our Experts are available. If an Appeal is lodged, a panel of three Experts will be appointed to make a final decision.

If you are able to resolve your dispute using mediation, this process is free to use. Should your dispute require an Expert determination, then the person making the complaint must pay a fee. A further fee is required if an appeal is lodged.

All Decisions resulting from Expert determinations, including Appeals will be published on these pages shortly after they are decided.