ABPI Newsletter - Edition 81 - May 2026
CSD-ABPI (Center for Intellectual Property Dispute Resolution) and NIC.br celebrated this Wednesday, the 20th, during the launch of the commemorative book marking CSD-ABPI’s 15th anniversary, the partnership that transformed the out-of-court resolution of disputes involving “.br” domain names and consolidated Brazil’s excellence in alternative mechanisms for resolving digital disputes. The event, followed by a cocktail reception, was supported by CGI.br (Brazilian Internet Steering Committee) and NIC.br, reinforcing the institutional importance of the Brazilian internet ecosystem.
Tribute
ABPI President Peter Eduardo Siemsen paid tribute to the founders and leaders of CSD-ABPI and its chambers, including its current president, Manoel J. Pereira dos Santos, and its first president, Carlos Henrique Froes, as well as former ABPI presidents Luiz Henrique do Amaral and Elisabeth Fekete, who played key roles in the creation and development of the Center. “Domain names are strong in Brazil because Brazilians quickly adopt new technologies — and the joint work between NIC.br, CSD and the legal community allows us to move even further forward,” said Peter Eduardo.
Opening the event, Manoel J. Pereira dos Santos recalled that the CSD and its first Chamber, the Chamber for Resolution of Domain Name Disputes (CASD-ND), were created following the launch of SACI-ADM, developed by NIC.br to meet the need for an efficient out-of-court method in light of the Judiciary’s inability to handle the growing number of intellectual property disputes. He also celebrated the release of the book featuring commentary on SACI-ADM, a work that brings together specialized interpretations of the regulation and landmark decisions, filling an important gap in legal literature.
Demi Getschko, President of NIC.br, highlighted that Brazil maintains one of the lowest-cost domain registration systems in the world and that, despite being a country highly targeted by malicious actors, the “.br” environment remains solid and balanced.
CSD-ABPI counselor Maria Cristina Cortez recalled that Brazil ranks first or second globally in internet usage time and that the virtual world is often more important than the physical one. She noted that internet disputes today are no longer limited to domain name issues and that it may become necessary to implement an administrative system for these new types of conflicts.
During the discussion on CASD-ND and the proceedings administered under SACI-ADM, Fernanda Varella Beser, Deputy Director of CASD-ND, observed that the Chamber brings together more than 80 specialists and had conducted 862 proceedings by the end of 2023, with an extremely low rate of judicialization.
Vinicius Pavan Lessa, Secretary-General of CSD-ABPI, highlighted the significant increase in decisions and the expectation of reaching 900 cases by the end of this year. He also mentioned other initiatives promoted by the Center, such as the 5th CSD-ABPI Moot, scheduled for August 15 and 16 in Rio de Janeiro, on the eve of the ABPI Global Meeting on Innovation and Intellectual Property.
Wilson Jabur, Director of CASD-ND, noted that disputes have evolved from clear-cut piracy cases into more sophisticated situations involving “gray areas” and increasingly complex — including artificial — evidence. He emphasized that all decisions are available on the ABPI and Registro.br websites.
During the roundtable discussion on current challenges and future perspectives for SACI-ADM, Flavia Tremura Rodrigues, specialist at CASD-ND and Director of the Arbitration Chamber, addressed the evolution of the concept of bad faith, the expansion of SACI’s scope beyond registered trademarks, and the impact of AI on evidence production.
Raquel Gatto, Legal Manager at NIC.br, reinforced that SACI is part of CGI.br’s DNA and that the future demands multisector dialogue and constant adaptation.
Rodrigo Azevedo, specialist at CASD-ND and Director of ABPI’s Digital Law Chamber, emphasized that domain names remain extremely valuable — often even more valuable than trademarks — and that the global expansion of domain names and the advancement of AI will bring new conflicts. He mentioned international debates on the reform of the UDRP and suggested improvements such as standardization of decisions and faster procedures.
CASD-ND specialist Rafael Atab warned about the impact of AI on defenses and evidence, including techniques such as hidden prompts. In his view, the CSD must continue at the forefront by creating innovative solutions and ensuring jurisprudential consistency.
The celebration of CSD-ABPI’s 15th anniversary demonstrated that this partnership has not only shaped the history of digital dispute resolution in Brazil — it continues to serve as the foundation for addressing the challenges arising from technological evolution, especially in the field of artificial intelligence.