Two prominent Indian institutions regained control of their stolen domain names through Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) decisions this year. On June 10, 2026, the domain shridharmasthala.org was transferred out of the Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Educational Society's registrar account without their knowledge. After filing a UDRP complaint, the domain was ordered to be returned on September 14, 2026, by a Czech Arbitration Court panelist, according to medianama.com.
The registrar revealed that account logins had originated from Sweden, Switzerland, and Japan since March 11, 2026, and that two-factor authentication was not enabled at the time of the incident. The account’s email address was also found in publicly reported data breaches. This case follows a similar incident involving Indira IVF Hospital Private Limited, which lost control of indiraivf.com on October 31, 2024, and only noticed the theft months later. In both cases, the stolen domains continued to direct visitors to the original owners’ websites, masking the unauthorized transfers.
These incidents highlight ongoing vulnerabilities in domain registrar account security, especially the absence of two-factor authentication and exposure of login credentials in data breaches. The use of UDRP to recover domains underscores its role as a legal remedy for trademark holders facing domain theft. The cases also emphasize the need for Indian institutions to strengthen cybersecurity measures to prevent such unauthorized transfers, which can disrupt online services and damage brand reputation.
The Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Educational Society regained its domain on September 14, 2026, nearly eight weeks after the unauthorized transfer, illustrating the time required for resolution under UDRP. The Indira IVF Hospital case, resolved after a delay of several months, remains a cautionary example for domain owners to monitor their registrar accounts closely and implement robust security protocols.