After 2 years, finally got my first UDRP win

Posted this in the wrong sub first, mods please move if needed.

Two years ago I grabbed a generic dictionary word on a lark, fun little project for a wiki-style site. Nothing fancy, Debian box on a NAT VPS from OVHcloud, it actually works. Then last year a Fortune 500 sends a UDRP. Claimed "confusing similarity" to their product line. The word? Common as dirt. Been in dictionaries since 1890s.

I fought it. Total costs:

• WIPO filing fee: $1,500
• My lawyer (friend rate): $4,200
• Lost sleep: incalculable
• Days the site stayed up: zero, I redirected to a static page

Timeline was brutal. Filed response January, hearing March, decision finally came down last week. Panel found RDNH—reverse domain name hijacking. They actually called the complaint an abuse of process.

Emotional toll: high. I stopped checking email. My partner thought I was having a stroke when I opened the PDF.

Community note: UDRP abuse is rising. Three friends got hit this year on generic words. One settled because he couldn't afford defense. That's the game—bleed the little guy out.

A lawyer who lurks here (you know who you are, thanks @dave39 for the intro) offered pro bono doc review for my next case. Hope I never need it. 🔧

For anyone fighting: keep registration records, show legitimate use, don't panic-transfer to privacy. It looks guilty.

The scrap gods also test,,,,, Two years is a long haul in scrap time,,,,, I had a similar thing with a three-letter once not udrp but a cease and desist from some outfit in delaware,,,,, Forwarded it to /dev/null and they went away,,,,, Your way is braver,,,,, The scrap gods favor the stubborn,,,,, ~~dave