Diners Club International
Ltd. v. Stephen Scarano d/b/a Successful Endeavors Inc.
Claim Number: FA0708001059627
PARTIES
Complainant is Diners Club International Ltd. (“Complainant”), represented by Paul D. McGrady, of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, 77 West Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60601. Respondent is Stephen Scarano c/o Successful Endeavors Inc. (“Respondent”), represented by Gwenn Roos, of Law Office of Gwenn Roos, 26 Brookdale Avenue, Wellesley, MA 02482.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAMES
The domain names at issue are <dinerschoice.org>, <dinerschoiceca.com>,
<dinerschoicect.com>, <dinerschoicefl.com>, <dinerschoicehi.com>, <dinerschoiceme.com>, <dinerschoicenc.com>, <dinerschoicenh.com>, <dinerschoicenj.com>, <dinerschoicenm.com>, <dinerschoiceny.com>, <dinerschoiceri.com>, <dinerschoicetx.com>, and <dinerschoiceva.com>,
registered with Godaddy.com, Inc.
PANEL
The undersigned certifies that he or she has acted independently and
impartially and to the best of his or her knowledge has no known conflict in
serving as Panelist in this proceeding.
James A. Carmody, Esq., as Panelist.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum
electronically on August 9, 2007; the
National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on August 10, 2007.
On August 9, 2007, Godaddy.com, Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the
National Arbitration Forum that the <dinerschoice.org>, <dinerschoiceca.com>,
<dinerschoicect.com>, <dinerschoicefl.com>, <dinerschoicehi.com>, <dinerschoiceme.com>, <dinerschoicenc.com>, <dinerschoicenh.com>, <dinerschoicenj.com>, <dinerschoicenm.com>, <dinerschoiceny.com>, <dinerschoiceri.com>, <dinerschoicetx.com>, and <dinerschoiceva.com>
domain names are registered with Godaddy.com,
Inc. and that the Respondent is the current registrant of the
names. Godaddy.com,
Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the Godaddy.com, Inc. registration agreement and
has thereby agreed to resolve domain-name disputes brought by third parties in
accordance with ICANN’s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the
“Policy”).
On August 14, 2007, a
Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the
“Commencement Notification”), setting a deadline of September 4, 2007 by which
Respondent could file a Response to the Complaint, was transmitted to
Respondent via e-mail, post and fax, to all entities and persons listed on
Respondent’s registration as technical, administrative and billing contacts,
and to postmaster@dinerschoice.org,
postmaster@dinerschoiceca.com, postmaster@dinerschoicect.com,
postmaster@dinerschoicefl.com, postmaster@dinerschoicehi.com,
postmaster@dinerschoiceme.com, postmaster@dinerschoicenc.com,
postmaster@dinerschoicenh.com, postmaster@dinerschoicenj.com,
postmaster@dinerschoicenm.com, postmaster@dinerschoiceny.com,
postmaster@dinerschoiceri.com, postmaster@dinerschoicetx.com, and
postmaster@dinerschoiceva.com by e-mail.
A timely Response was received and determined to be complete on September 4, 2007.
On September 12, 2007, pursuant to Complainant’s
request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National
Arbitration Forum appointed James A. Carmody, Esq., as Panelist.
RELIEF SOUGHT
Complainant requests that the domain names be transferred from
Respondent to Complainant.
PARTIES’ CONTENTIONS
Pursuant to Rule 18(b), Complainant offered evidence on September 12,
2007 via e-mail communication that Complainant has initiated federal litigation
involving the disputed domain names.
PRELIMINARY ISSUE
Complainant, via e-mail correspondence, has indicated that federal litigation concerning the disputed domain names has commenced. Pursuant to ICANN Rule 18(a), the Panel has discretion to either proceed with, suspend, or terminate the administrative proceeding.
In accordance with Rule 17(b), the Panel chooses to terminate the administrative proceeding and hereby dismisses this Complaint without prejudice. See Lutton Invs., Inc. v. Darkhorse Distrib., Inc., FA 154142 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 4, 2003) (stating that “[t]he pending arbitration between the parties to this dispute, touching on matters directly relevant to the resolution of a claim under the UDRP, justifies terminating the present administrative proceeding” and dismissing the complaint without prejudice); see also AmeriPlan Corp. v. Gilbert, FA 105737 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 22, 2002) (the function of the UDRP is to reduce the cost and effort required to resolve domain name disputes by offering a simplified mechanism in lieu of litigation, to render a decision on a domain name dispute when there is already a court action pending does violence to this function of the UDRP).
DECISION
Due to pending litigation, the Panel Orders that this case be DISMISSED
without prejudice.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <dinerschoice.org>, <dinerschoiceca.com>,
<dinerschoicect.com>, <dinerschoicefl.com>, <dinerschoicehi.com>, <dinerschoiceme.com>, <dinerschoicenc.com>, <dinerschoicenh.com>, <dinerschoicenj.com>, <dinerschoicenm.com>, <dinerschoiceny.com>, <dinerschoiceri.com>, <dinerschoicetx.com>, and <dinerschoiceva.com>
domain names remain with Respondent.
James A. Carmody, Esq., Panelist
Dated: September 25, 2007
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