Transamerica Corporation v. Carolina Rodrigues / Fundacion Comercio Electronico
Claim Number: FA2112001976868
Complainant is Transamerica Corporation (“Complainant”), represented by Gail Podolsky of Carlton Fields, P.A., Georgia, USA. Respondent is Carolina Rodrigues/Fundacion Comercio Electronico (“Respondent”), Panama.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAMES
The domain names at issue are <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com>, registered with GoDaddy.com, LLC.
Hon. Karl v. Fink (Ret.) as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the Forum electronically on December 13, 2021; the Forum received payment on December 13, 2021.
On December 14, 2021, GoDaddy.com, LLC confirmed by e-mail to the Forum that the <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com> domain names are registered with GoDaddy.com, LLC and that Respondent is the current registrant of the names. GoDaddy.com, LLC has verified that Respondent is bound by the GoDaddy.com, LLC registration agreement and has thereby agreed to resolve domain disputes brought by third parties in accordance with ICANN’s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the “Policy”).
On December 15, 2021, the Forum served the Complaint and all Annexes, including a Written Notice of the Complaint, setting a deadline of January 4, 2022 by which Respondent could file a Response to the Complaint, via e-mail to all entities and persons listed on Respondent’s registration as technical, administrative, and billing contacts, and to postmaster@transamericaannities.com, postmaster@transamericannuties.com, postmaster@transamericaanuitties.com. Also on December 15, 2021, the Written Notice of the Complaint, notifying Respondent of the e-mail addresses served and the deadline for a Response, was transmitted to Respondent via post and fax, to all entities and persons listed on Respondent’s registration as technical, administrative and billing contacts.
Having received no response from Respondent, the Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
Having reviewed the communications records, the Administrative Panel (the "Panel") finds that the Forum has discharged its responsibility under Paragraph 2(a) of the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Rules") "to employ reasonably available means calculated to achieve actual notice to Respondent" through submission of Electronic and Written Notices, as defined in Rule 1 and Rule 2. Therefore, the Panel may issue its decision based on the documents submitted and in accordance with the ICANN Policy, ICANN Rules, the Forum's Supplemental Rules and any rules and principles of law that the Panel deems applicable, without the benefit of any response from Respondent.
Complainant requests that the domain names be transferred from Respondent to Complainant.
A. Complainant
Complainant is a holding company for a group of subsidiaries engaged in the sale of life insurance, investment planning, and retirement services. Complainant has rights in the TRANSAMERICA mark through its registration of the mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) (e.g. Reg. No. 718,358, registered July 1, 1961). Respondent’s <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com> domain names are confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark. Respondent incorporates the mark in its entirety and adds the generic term, “annities,” “annuties,” or “anuitties,” along with the “.com” generic top-level domain (“gTLD”).
Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com> domain names as Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name, nor did Complainant authorize Respondent to use the TRANSAMERICA mark in any way. Respondent fails to make a bona fide offering of goods or services or legitimate noncommercial or fair use. Instead, Respondent’s domain names resolve to parked pages with links to services and products related to Complainant’s business.
Respondent registered and uses the <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com> domain names in bad faith as Respondent’s domain names resolve to webpages that offer links to products and services related to Complainant’s business. Respondent had actual knowledge of Complainant’s rights in the TRANSAMERICA mark due to the fame and longstanding use of the mark in commerce.
B. Respondent
Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
For the reasons set forth below, based upon the uncontested allegations and evidence, the Panel finds that Complainant is entitled to the requested relief of transfer of the <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com> domain names.
Paragraph 15(a) of the Rules instructs this Panel to "decide a complaint on the basis of the statements and documents submitted in accordance with the Policy, these Rules and any rules and principles of law that it deems applicable."
Paragraph 4(a) of the Policy requires that Complainant must prove each of the following three elements to obtain an order that a domain name should be cancelled or transferred:
(1) the domain name registered by Respondent is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which Complainant has rights; and
(2) Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name; and
(3) the domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.
In view of Respondent's failure to submit a response, the Panel shall decide this administrative proceeding on the basis of Complainant's undisputed representations pursuant to paragraphs 5(f), 14(a) and 15(a) of the Rules and draw such inferences it considers appropriate pursuant to paragraph 14(b) of the Rules. The Panel is entitled to accept all reasonable allegations set forth in a complaint; however, the Panel may deny relief where a complaint contains mere conclusory or unsubstantiated arguments. See WIPO Jurisprudential Overview 3.0 at ¶ 4.3; see also eGalaxy Multimedia Inc. v. ON HOLD By Owner Ready To Expire, FA 157287 (Forum June 26, 2003) (“Because Complainant did not produce clear evidence to support its subjective allegations [. . .] the Panel finds it appropriate to dismiss the Complaint”).
Complainant claims to have rights in the TRANSAMERICA mark through its registration of the mark with the USPTO. Registration of a mark with the USPTO is sufficient to establish rights in a mark per Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Liberty Global Logistics, LLC v. damilola emmanuel / tovary services limited, FA 1738536 (Forum Aug. 4, 2017) (“Registration of a mark with the USPTO sufficiently establishes the required rights in the mark for purposes of the Policy.”). Here, Complainant has provided the Panel with a copy of its USPTO registration for the TRANSAMERICA mark (e.g. Reg. No. 718,358, registered July 1, 1961). The Panel finds that Complainant has rights in the mark per Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).
Complainant argues that Respondent’s <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com> domain names are confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark. Registration of a domain name that contains a mark in its entirety and adds a generic term along with a gTLD does not distinguish the domain name from the mark per Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Wiluna Holdings, LLC v. Edna Sherman, FA 1652781 (Forum Jan. 22, 2016) (finding the addition of a generic term and gTLD is insufficient in distinguishing a disputed domain name from a mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i)). Complainant argues that Respondent incorporates the mark in its entirety and adds the generic term, “annities,” “annuties,” or “anuitties,” along with the “.com” gTLD. The Panel finds that Respondent’s domain names are confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark per Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).
Complainant has proved this element.
Complainant must first make a prima facie case that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), then the burden shifts to Respondent to show it does have rights or legitimate interests. See Advanced International Marketing Corporation v. AA-1 Corp, FA 780200 (Forum Nov. 2, 2011) (finding that a complainant must offer some evidence to make its prima facie case and satisfy Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii)); see also Neal & Massey Holdings Limited v. Gregory Ricks, FA 1549327 (Forum Apr. 12, 2014) (“Under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), Complainant must first make out a prima facie case showing that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in respect of an at-issue domain name and then the burden, in effect, shifts to Respondent to come forward with evidence of its rights or legitimate interests”). The Panel finds that Complainant has made a prima facie case.
Complainant argues Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interest in the <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com> domain names as Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name nor has Respondent been given license or consent to use the TRANSAMERICA mark or register domain names using Complainant’s mark. Where a response is lacking, WHOIS information may be used to determine whether a respondent is commonly known by the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See Amazon Technologies, Inc. v. LY Ta, FA 1789106 (Forum June 21, 2018) (concluding a respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in a disputed domain name where the complainant asserted it did not authorize the respondent to use the mark, and the relevant WHOIS information indicated the respondent is not commonly known by the domain name). Additionally, lack of authorization to use a complainant’s mark may indicate that the respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name. See Emerson Electric Co. v. golden humble / golden globals, FA 1787128 (Forum June 11, 2018) (“lack of evidence in the record to indicate a respondent is authorized to use [the] complainant’s mark may support a finding that [the] respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name per Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii)”). The WHOIS information for the disputed domain name lists the registrant as “Carolina Rodrigues/Fundacion Comercio Electronico” and there is no evidence to suggest that Respondent was authorized to use the TRANSAMERICA mark or was commonly known by the disputed domain name. The Panel finds that Respondent is not commonly known by any of the disputed domain names per Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii).
Complainant argues that Respondent fails to make a bona fide offering of goods or services or legitimate noncommercial or fair use. Instead, Respondent’s domain names resolve to parked pages with links to services and products related to Complainant’s business. Use of a disputed domain name to resolve to a webpage that offers links to products and services that are related to and compete with a complainant’s business is not a bona fide offering of goods or services or legitimate noncommercial or fair use per Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or (iii). See Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. v. domain admin / private registrations aktien gesellschaft, FA1506001626253 (Forum July 29, 2015) (“Respondent is using the disputed domain name to resolve to a web page containing advertising links to products that compete with those of Complainant. The Panel finds that this does not constitute a bona fide offering or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use.”). Complainant has provided the Panel with screenshots of Respondent’s <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com> domain names resolving webpages that show links to “insurance policies” and “annuities” which compete with Complainant’s business. The Panel finds that Respondent has failed to make a bona fide offering of goods or services or legitimate noncommercial or fair use per Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or (iii) and Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain names.
Complainant has proved this element.
Complainant argues that Respondent registered and used the <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com> domain names in bad faith as Respondent’s domain names resolve to webpages that offer links to products and services related to Complainant’s business. Use of a disputed domain name that resolves to a webpage that shows links to products and services related to a complainant’s business may be evidence of bad faith per Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii) and (iv). See Health Republic Insurance Company v. Above.com Legal, FA1506001622088 (Forum July 10, 2015) (“The use of a domain name’s resolving website to host links to competitors of a complainant shows intent to disrupt that complainant’s business, thereby showing bad faith in use and registration under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii).”), see also Capital One Financial Corp. v. DN Manager / Whois-Privacy.Net Ltd, FA1504001615034 (Forum June 4, 2015) (holding that the respondent’s use of the <capitaloneonebank.com> domain name to display links to the complainant’s competitors, such as Bank of America, Visa, Chase and American Express constituted bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv)). Complainant has provided the Panel with screenshots of Respondent’s <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com> domain names resolving webpages that show links to “insurance policies” and “annuities” which compete with Complainant’s business. This is evidence of bad faith per Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii) and (iv).
Complainant argues that Respondent had actual knowledge of Complainant’s rights in the TRANSAMERICA mark at the time of registering the <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com> domain names. Actual knowledge can adequately demonstrate bad faith under Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii). See iFinex Inc. v. xu shuaiwei, FA 1760249 (Forum Jan. 1, 2018) (“Respondent’s prior knowledge is evident from the notoriety of Complainant’s BITFINEX trademark as well as from Respondent’s use of its trademark laden domain name to direct internet traffic to a website which is a direct competitor of Complainant”). To support this assertion, Complainant points to its trademark registrations along with the fact that Respondent impersonates Complainant to further a fraudulent scam. The Panel finds that Respondent did have actual knowledge of Complainant’s right in its mark and registered and uses the domain names in bad faith.
Complainant has proved this element.
Complainant having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is ORDERED that the <transamericaannities.com>, <transamericannuties.com>, and <transamericaanuitties.com> domain names be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Hon. Karl V. Fink (Ret.) Panelist
January 14, 2022
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