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Dispute Resolution Policy

This policy governs the resolution of disputes concerning domains registered within the HeadlessDomains ecosystem (.agent, .boss, .chatbot, etc.). HeadlessCourt serves as the neutral enforcement layer for both traditional trademark conflicts and broader community standard violations.

1. Dispute Categories & Standing

Disputes can be filed under the following categories:

  • Trademark Impersonation / Cybersquatting: Requires the complainant to prove they hold rights to a confusingly similar mark, and the respondent registered/uses the domain in bad faith without legitimate interest.
  • Offensive Content / Slurs: Any community member can flag a domain that contains severe hate speech, racial slurs, or inherently offensive terms that violate HeadlessDomains' acceptable use policy.
  • Abuse (Phishing, Malware, Scams): Any user can report a domain actively being used for malicious technical abuse or defrauding users.
  • General Policy Violation: Other violations of the registrar's terms of service, including abusive registration practices.

2. Emergency Actions & Domain Locking

To protect the ecosystem during a dispute:

  • Pre-Review Lock: Domains flagged for severe abuse or offensive terms may be temporarily locked or suspended by AI triage or moderators immediately upon intake.
  • Status Quo: For standard trademark disputes, the domain remains active but is locked from being transferred to a new owner while the case is under review.

3. Process and Timelines

We aim for a swift and fair resolution:

  • Intake & Screening: Cases are submitted via the portal or HeadlessDomains deep-link. AI screening evaluates the claim for spam or emergency locking.
  • Notification & Response: The respondent is notified and typically has 14 days to submit a defense (timeline may be accelerated for severe abuse).
  • Arbitration: A designated moderator reviews the evidence and issues a public, binding decision.
  • Enforcement: Final verdicts are automatically enforced via secure webhook to the HeadlessDomains registry.

4. Outcomes

Moderators may rule to:

  • Dismiss: The complaint is denied, and the domain remains with the respondent.
  • Normal / Restore: A previously locked or flagged domain is restored to normal active status.
  • Suspend: The domain is taken offline and locked from transfer or updates.
  • Transfer: The domain registration is transferred to the complainant (typically for trademark cases).

5. Transparency

To ensure accountability, case details including the domain, complainant, respondent, and the final decision reasoning are public. Redaction of evidence or identities is reserved strictly for exceptional safety or privacy circumstances at the discretion of the moderator.