All domain holders are personally responsible for making sure that their domains do not infringe the rights of anyone else. For this reason, anyone who feels that their rights have been infringed by a domain must contact the holder of that domain and not DENIC. DENIC can, however, assist the claimant by placing a DISPUTE entry on the domain.

Before DENIC will do that, however, the claimant must submit evidence to DENIC showing that he/she might have a right to the domain and the claimant must also instigate measures to enforce his/her rights vis-à-vis the domain holder. A domain that bears a DISPUTE entry can still be used by its holder, but cannot be transferred to anyone else. Any holder of a DISPUTE entry automatically becomes the domain holder as soon as the domain is released.

DENIC offers an online form for establishing a DISPUTE entry. You can also download a form as a PDF file (German version) and fill it in manually. Please sign your application and send the original to DENIC. Please note that you must have submitted a request to DENIC to get information about the holder of the domain on the applicable form before you can apply for a DISPUTE entry to be set. This request must have been made by the applicant within the month preceding the application for a DISPUTE entry. A written copy of the information received in response to the request must be attached to the DISPUTE application.

DENIC will inform you as soon as the DISPUTE entry is set up.The DISPUTE entry is valid for an initial period of one year. DENIC will, however, extend it, provided the DISPUTE holder submits another original application form, accompanied by documentation showing that the disagreement with the domain holder has still not been resolved.

If the disagreement between the DISPUTE-entry holder and the domain holder is resolved, the DISPUTE-entry holder must inform DENIC immediately, so that the DISPUTE entry can be removed (German version).

You will find further information about DISPUTE-entries in our FAQ section. There we have compiled the most frequently asked questions and the answers to them.