The Index / disputes
Disputes
Anyone can bid on any word in the dictionary. If that produces a genuine problem, this is how it gets fixed — quickly, in public, and without a lawyer.
The test
Adapted from the UDRP, which has governed an open namespace of hundreds of millions of domain names since 1999. A complaint succeeds only if all three are true:
- The word is identical or confusingly similar to a mark you hold;
- the top bidder has no rights or legitimate interests in the word; and
- it was bid on and is being used in bad faith.
That middle element is the important one. Someone selling shoes who is top bid on shoes has a legitimate interest, and a complaint against them fails.
What counts as bad faith
- Bidding on a word primarily to sell the position back to the mark owner.
- A pattern of bidding on marks to keep their owners off the board.
- Passing the listing off as the brand — its name, its logo, its copy.
- Bidding primarily to disrupt a competitor rather than to advertise.
What happens
| Situation | Outcome |
|---|---|
| The listing presents itself as your brand | Removed within one business day. The bidder is refunded in full and we keep nothing. The word is retired. |
| Someone is clearly advertising their own product | The listing stands. Outbid them on the same terms as anyone else — no premium, no special path. |
Filing
Email contact@oust.ink with the word, the mark you hold, and what is wrong with the listing. We answer every complaint within one business day and publish the decision below, whichever way it goes.
Decisions
No disputes yet.
Every one we receive will be published here, upheld or refused.