Understanding ICANN domain name disputes and the role of AWS

Note: This article covers trademark-based domain name disputes. To report a domain that's being used for phishing, malware, or spam requires a separate process. For more information, see the Reporting abusive activity section.

What your domain registrar can and can't do

When you register a domain through Amazon Route 53, the registrar of record is either Amazon Registrar, Inc. (an Amazon affiliate) or Gandi, a third-party partner. Both are accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). You can check which registrar handles your domain from the Route 53 console. For more information about ICANN, see ICANN for Beginners on the ICANN website.

Amazon Registrar and Gandi are authorized to process domain registrations, but they don't have the authority to settle disputes between parties over domain name rights. Registrars don't determine trademark ownership, decide whether a registration is legitimate, or cancel, suspend, or transfer domains based solely on a complaint.

The ICANN UDRP

ICANN has established a standardized administrative process for resolving trademark-based domain name disputes, called the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP). All ICANN-accredited registrars, including Amazon Registrar, follow this policy.

The UDRP gives you an expedited path to resolve disputes without going through full court litigation. It's designed to address cases of abusive domain name registration, such as cybersquatting, which registers a domain in bad faith to profit from someone else's trademark.

You can initiate the UDRP complaint process when you demonstrate all three of the following:

• The domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark that you have rights to.

• The domain name holder has no rights or legitimate interests in the domain name.

• The domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.

For approved providers, process details, and filing requirements, see Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy on the ICANN website.

If your dispute involves additional claims or broader resolutions beyond domain transfer or cancellation, then you can also pursue court proceedings. You can take either path independently—neither requires contacting AWS or Amazon Registrar.

Contacting the domain name registrant

If you need to reach the domain holder, then you can use the public registration data lookup tool on the ICANN Lookup website. The tool works across accredited registrars.

For domains that you registered through Amazon Registrar, you can use the Amazon Registrar Domain Lookup tool. Amazon Registrar Domain Lookup forwards messages that you send through the tool to the registrant. Amazon Registrar discloses registrant information in response to a valid and binding legal order and as required by ICANN policies.

Reporting abusive activity

The UDRP process addresses disputes over domain name ownership and trademark rights. If you come across a domain that's registered through Route 53 that's being used for activity that violates the AWS Acceptable Use Policy—such as phishing, malware distribution, or spam—you can report it using the Report Abuse of AWS Resources form. For more information about how to report abuse, see How do I report abuse of AWS resources?

Related resources

Amazon Registrar resources

Amazon Route 53 domain name registration agreement

Note: This is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Information listed in this article was last updated July 2026.