If someone has registered your brand as a .pk domain, you have two main routes: a complaint under PKNIC’s domain dispute process, which applies the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) with PKNIC’s amendments and sends the case to the Domain Name Dispute Resolution Center (DNDRC), or a suit before an IP Tribunal under the Trade Marks Ordinance 2001. The dispute route can only cancel or transfer the domain. PKNIC’s policy counts a claim to a name as valid only if it is registered with an official office in Pakistan or recognised by Pakistani courts, so the safe course is to hold a Pakistani trade mark registration.
Who controls .pk domains, and what does PKNIC’s policy say about brands?
PKNIC administers the .pk name space. Its Internet Domain Registration Policy (version 4.4, revised 19 August 2019) describes registration as a “listing service” run on a first come, first served basis. Three points in that policy matter to a brand owner:
- Registration gives no rights. The policy says registering a domain name does not confer any legal rights to that name, and that no one checks at the registration stage whether the applicant has a legitimate right to it.
- The registrant makes promises. Every applicant warrants that its registration or use of the domain does not infringe anyone’s trade mark, service mark, trade name, company name or other intellectual property right in Pakistan, and that it is not using the name to confuse or mislead. The policy says a failure to comply will cause PKNIC to cancel the registration.
- Disputes go to arbitration. By applying, a registrant agrees that disputes about its .pk domain are settled by binding arbitration under the DNDRC’s rules and PKNIC’s dispute process.
What should you do first?
Find out who holds the domain and how it is being used. PKNIC’s website has a WHOIS search, and its policy states that registration information is treated as public. Then keep a dated record: the home page, any products shown, any offer to sell you the name, and when you first noticed it. Under the UDRP, registering a domain mainly to sell it to the trade mark owner for more than the documented out-of-pocket costs is listed as evidence of bad faith (paragraph 4(b)(i)), so keep any offer to sell.
Does your claim count under PKNIC’s rules?
PKNIC’s policy says a claim to a trade name or copyright under a .pk domain is valid only if it is registered with an official trade name, copyright or patent office in Pakistan, or is recognised by the courts of Pakistan, giving international trademarks as an example. The policy also lets a party claim that a domain violates its registered trade name or is an obvious derivation of its registered company name.
The policy does not say whether a pending trade mark application is enough. If your mark is not yet registered in Pakistan, the safe course is to file now; we confirm the current position in each matter.
Route 1: a domain dispute through PKNIC and DNDRC
PKNIC has adopted the ICANN UDRP with its own amendments, and its registration policy says those amendments take precedence if the two conflict. The main rules on PKNIC’s amendments page are:
- For .pk domains, the DNDRC is used instead of the providers listed by ICANN.
- When a complaint is filed, PKNIC notifies the domain owner and the domain account manager by email, using the addresses in the domain record.
- The respondent has 14 days to respond to the DNDRC. Further time is at the DNDRC’s discretion.
Under paragraph 4(a) of the UDRP, the complainant must prove all three of these elements: the domain is identical or confusingly similar to a mark in which the complainant has rights; the holder has no rights or legitimate interests in the domain; and the domain was registered and is being used in bad faith. The remedies are limited to cancelling the domain or transferring it to the complainant (paragraph 4(i)). PKNIC’s policy says it will implement DNDRC decisions where there is no material deviation from the DNDRC’s rules and PKNIC’s process. The DNDRC sets its own procedure and charges, so check them when you file.
Route 2: a suit under the Trade Marks Ordinance
If your mark is registered in Pakistan, section 40(6) of the Trade Marks Ordinance 2001 treats it as infringement to use the registered mark as a domain name or part of one, or to obtain such a domain without the owner’s consent intending to sell it. Section 46(2) makes damages, injunctions and accounts available, and section 117 requires the suit to be filed in an IP Tribunal. If the mark is not registered, section 46(3) preserves an action for passing off.
Court action and the domain dispute are not exclusive. Paragraph 4(k) of the UDRP keeps court proceedings open before or after the administrative case, and PKNIC’s policy allows it to cancel or transfer a domain under the order of a court in Pakistan.
What if the domain is parked or about to lapse?
Under PKNIC’s policy, a domain whose maintenance fee is not paid is deactivated. After a two-week hold, during which the old holder can still pay and reactivate it, PKNIC may offer it for re-registration on a first come, first served basis. If the holder has stopped using the name, watching for its lapse may be an alternative to a dispute, but the policy lets the holder pay and reactivate the domain during the hold period.
How do you stop it happening again?
- Register your brand as a trade mark in Pakistan in the classes you trade in.
- Register the .pk and .com.pk versions of your main brand before you announce a launch.
- Keep the email addresses on your own domain records current. PKNIC sends dispute notices to those addresses, and its FAQ says the domain holder is responsible for keeping contact details up to date.
A domain grab can come with other filings, such as a trade mark application in the squatter’s name. For that side of the problem, see our guide to trademark squatting in Pakistan.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask PKNIC to take down a .pk domain that copies my brand?
PKNIC’s policy sends disputes to binding arbitration under the DNDRC’s rules and PKNIC’s dispute process, and PKNIC then implements the decision. It can also cancel or transfer a domain under a Pakistani court order.
Do I need a registered trade mark in Pakistan?
PKNIC’s policy treats a claim to a name as valid only if it is registered with an official office in Pakistan or recognised by Pakistani courts. The safe course is to hold a Pakistani registration.
Can a domain dispute award damages?
No. UDRP remedies are limited to cancellation or transfer of the domain. Damages, injunctions and accounts are available in an infringement suit under section 46(2) of the Trade Marks Ordinance.
How long does the domain holder have to reply?
PKNIC’s amendments give the respondent 14 days to respond to the DNDRC, with any further time at the DNDRC’s discretion.
PKNIC’s policy pages, the UDRP and the Trade Marks Ordinance were checked on 15 October 2026. Registry policies can change; confirm the current text before acting.