The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and AFNIC, the Registry for the .FR ccTLD, recently announced the launch of a new alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedure to resolve domain name disputes under the .FR ccTLD known as the PARL EXPERT.
The PARL EXPERT is administered by WIPO and is an alternative to the existing ADR procedure called Syreli and also conforms to the current French domain name legislation of CPCE (French Posts and Electronic Communications Code).
The new ADR is similar to the existing Syreli procedure under which a complainant must first demonstrate that it has standing to file the complaint based on an existing list of criteria. In addition, in order to request a transfer, a complainant must demonstrate that it fulfills the eligibility requirements to register .FR domain names.
The main differences between the PARL EXPERT and the Syreli procedures relate to costs and the composition of the panel deciding the case. In addition, decisions under the PARL EXPERT are delivered by a single Expert, as opposed to three members of AFNIC for decisions under the Syreli procedure.