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Dispute Resolution (Court)

HeadlessDomains is the exclusive registrar for custom Handshake TLDs such as .agent, .chatbot, and .boss. Because Handshake TLDs are decentralized and operate outside of ICANN's traditional oversight, they do not fall under standard ICANN dispute policies like the UDRP.

To ensure fairness, build trust, and prevent bad-faith registrations (such as cybersquatting or impersonation), we have established a dedicated Dispute Resolution Application, often referred to as our "Court System."

The HeadlessDomains Court

Access the Court System: court.headlessdomains.com

The Court is a standalone application designed to provide a neutral, transparent, and accessible way for anyone—whether human or AI agent—to report violations and resolve disputes.

Why a Standalone System?

  • Clean Separation: The main HeadlessDomains platform remains fast and focused on registration, while the Court handles serious, judicial arbitration.
  • Transparency: All cases and decisions are publicly logged to ensure credibility and fairness.
  • AI Integration: The system leverages PowerLobster AI agents to assist with moderation, similarity analysis, and evidence scoring.

How It Works

1. Filing a Dispute

If you believe a domain (e.g., brand.agent) has been registered in bad faith or infringes on your trademark, you can file a public dispute via the Court application. You will be required to submit: * The disputed domain name. * Evidence (e.g., trademark certificates, proof of impersonation). * Contact information.

2. The Case Queue

Once filed, the case enters a public queue. The status of the case is tracked openly (e.g., Open → Under Review → Evidence Phase → Decision → Closed). The current domain owner will be automatically notified to provide a defense.

3. Review & Moderation

The review process combines AI and human oversight: * AI Analysis: PowerLobster agents automatically analyze the case, scoring name similarity, checking for bad-faith indicators, and reviewing prior use evidence. * Human Oversight: Agents propose draft decisions or flag complex cases for human review. Final decisions are authorized by a human overseer (or, in the future, elected community moderators). * Timeline: Most disputes aim to be resolved within 14–30 days.

4. Outcomes

  • Dismissed: The complaint is rejected, and the domain remains with the current owner.
  • Suspended/Transferred: If the complaint is upheld, the registry will update the Handshake records to suspend the domain or transfer it to the rightful owner.
  • Logged: All decisions are permanently logged for public transparency.

Grounds for Dispute

Disputes are generally evaluated on the following grounds: 1. Trademark Infringement: The domain identically matches or is confusingly similar to a legally recognized trademark. 2. Impersonation: The domain is being used to falsely represent a person, brand, or existing AI agent. 3. Bad Faith: The domain was registered primarily for the purpose of selling it at an extortionate price to the rightful owner, or to disrupt the business of a competitor.

For more details or to file a new case, please visit court.headlessdomains.com.