Citigroup Inc. and Primerica Financial Services Inc. v. Tokai
Claim Number: FA0708001063386
Complainants are Citigroup Inc. and Primerica Financial Services
Inc. (collectively “Complainant”),
represented by Christopher J. Willis, of Rogers & Hardin LLP,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <primericabankinvestments.com>, registered with Godaddy.com, Inc.
The undersigned certifies that he has acted independently and impartially and to the best of his knowledge has no known conflict in serving as Panelist in this proceeding.
Judge Ralph Yachnin as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to
the National Arbitration Forum electronically on
On
On August 24, 2007, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of September 13, 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@primericabankinvestments.com by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On September 20, 2007 pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed Judge Ralph Yachnin as Panelist.
Having reviewed the communications records, the Administrative Panel (the "Panel") finds that the National Arbitration 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." Therefore, the Panel may issue its decision based on the documents submitted and in accordance with the ICANN Policy, ICANN Rules, the National Arbitration 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 name be transferred from Respondent to Complainant.
A. Complainant makes the following assertions:
1. Respondent’s <primericabankinvestments.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s PRIMERICA mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <primericabankinvestments.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <primericabankinvestments.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Citigroup Inc., by and through its subsidiary,
Primerica Financial Services, Inc., has been providing life insurance,
investments, and other financial products and services since 1977. Since that time Primerica has become one of
the largest international marketers of term insurance and currently serves more
than six million clients in
Respondent registered the <primericabankinvestments.com>
domain name on
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."
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(e), 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 and inferences set forth in the Complaint as true unless the evidence is clearly contradictory. See Vertical Solutions Mgmt., Inc. v. webnet-marketing, inc., FA 95095 (Nat. Arb. Forum July 31, 2000) (holding that the respondent’s failure to respond allows all reasonable inferences of fact in the allegations of the complaint to be deemed true); see also Talk City, Inc. v. Robertson, D2000-0009 (WIPO Feb. 29, 2000) (“In the absence of a response, it is appropriate to accept as true all allegations of the Complaint.”).
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.
The Panel finds that Complainant’s federal registration with
the USPTO sufficiently establishes Complainant’s rights in the PRIMERICA mark
pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Vivendi Universal Games v. XBNetVentures
Inc., FA 198803 (Nat. Arb. Forum
The Panel finds that Respondent’s <primericabankinvestments.com> domain
name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s PRIMERICA mark under Policy ¶
4(a)(i), as the disputed domain name contains the mark in its entirety, and
adds the terms “bank” and “investments” and the generic top-level domain
“.com.” See Space Imaging LLC v.
Brownell, AF-0298 (eResolution Sept. 22, 2000) (finding confusing
similarity where the respondent’s domain name combines the complainant’s mark
with a generic term that has an obvious relationship to the complainant’s
business); see also Marriott Int’l, Inc. v. Café au lait, FA 93670,
(Nat. Arb. Forum
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant alleges that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the <primericabankinvestments.com> domain name. Under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), Complainant has the initial burden of proving this allegation, and then the burden shifts to Respondent once Complainant has made a prima facie case. The Panel finds that, in the present case, Complainant made a prima facie showing under the Policy. See Do The Hustle, LLC v. Tropic Web, D2000-0624 (WIPO Aug. 21, 2000) (holding that, where the complainant has asserted that the respondent has no rights or legitimate interests with respect to the domain name, it is incumbent on the respondent to come forward with concrete evidence rebutting this assertion because this information is “uniquely within the knowledge and control of the respondent”); see also Clerical Med. Inv. Group Ltd. v. Clericalmedical.com, D2000-1228 (WIPO Nov. 28, 2000) (finding that, under certain circumstances, the mere assertion by the complainant that the respondent has no right or legitimate interest is sufficient to shift the burden of proof to the respondent to demonstrate that such a right or legitimate interest does exist).
Respondent’s failure to answer the Complaint allows the
Panel to presume that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the
disputed domain name. See Talk City, Inc. v. Robertson,
D2000-0009 (WIPO
Complainant asserts that Respondent is not authorized to use Complainant’s PRIMERICA mark and that Respondent is not associated with Complainant in any way. Furthermore, Respondent’s WHOIS information does not suggest that Respondent is commonly known by the <primericabankinvestments.com> domain name. The Panel thus finds that Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See Tercent Inc. v. Lee Yi, FA 139720 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 10, 2003) (stating “nothing in Respondent’s WHOIS information implies that Respondent is ‘commonly known by’ the disputed domain name” as one factor in determining that Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii) does not apply); see also Charles Jourdan Holding AG v. AAIM, D2000-0403 (WIPO June 27, 2000) (finding no rights or legitimate interests where (1) the respondent is not a licensee of the complainant; (2) the complainant’s prior rights in the domain name precede the respondent’s registration; (3) the respondent is not commonly known by the domain name in question).
Respondent is using the disputed domain name to redirect Internet users to a website that features links to Complainant’s competitors. Respondent’s use of a domain name that is confusingly similar to Complainant’s PRIMERICA mark to redirect Internet users interested in Complainant’s goods and services to a website that offers goods and services in competition with Complainant is not a use in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i), or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii). See Coryn Group, Inc. v. Media Insight, FA 198959 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 5, 2003) (finding that the respondent was not using the domain names for a bona fide offering of goods or services nor a legitimate noncommercial or fair use because the respondent used the names to divert Internet users to a website that offered services that competed with those offered by the complainant under its marks); see also Glaxo Group Ltd. v. WWW Zban, FA 203164 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 1, 2003) (finding that the respondent was not using the domain name within the parameters of Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or (iii) because the respondent used the domain name to take advantage of the complainant's mark by diverting Internet users to a competing commercial site).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
Complainant alleged that Respondent acted in bad faith in
registering and using a domain name that is confusingly similar to
Complainant’s protected mark. Respondent
is using the <primericabankinvestments.com>
domain name to redirect Internet users to
Respondent’s website that features links to competing goods and services. The Panel finds that such use constitutes
disruption and is evidence of bad faith registration and use under Policy ¶
4(b)(iii). See S. Exposure v. S. Exposure, Inc., FA 94864 (Nat. Arb. Forum
Based on the uncontested evidence presented by Complainant,
the Panel infers that Respondent receives click-through fees for diverting
Internet users to a website offering links to competing goods and services. Respondent’s domain name incorporating the
dominant features of Complainant’s mark may create confusion as to
Complainant’s affiliation with, or sponsorship of, the disputed domain name and
resulting website. Thus, Respondent’s
use of the <primericabankinvestments.com>
domain name amounts to bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶
4(b)(iv). See Kmart v. Khan, FA 127708 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 22, 2002)
(finding that if the respondent profits from its diversionary use of the
complainant’s mark when the domain name resolves to commercial websites and the
respondent fails to contest the complaint, it may be concluded that the
respondent is using the domain name in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶
4(b)(iv)); see also Drs. Foster &
Smith, Inc. v. Lalli, FA 95284 (Nat. Arb. Forum
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) has been satisfied.
Having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <primericabankinvestments.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Hon. Ralph Yachnin, Panelist
Justice, Supreme Court, NY (Ret.)
Dated: October 31, 2007
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