Fringe Benefits Management Company (FBMC) v. Whois Protection
Claim Number: FA0709001074884
Complainant is Fringe Benefits Management Company (FBMC), 3101 Sessions
Road,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <fbmc.com>, registered with Rebel.com.
The undersigned certifies that she has acted independently and impartially and that to the best of her knowledge she has no known conflict in serving as Panelist in this proceeding. Hon. Carolyn Marks Johnson sits as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically September 6, 2007; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint September 7, 2007.
On September 7, 2007, Rebel.com confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <fbmc.com> domain name is registered with Rebel.com and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Rebel.com verified that Respondent is bound by the Rebel.com registration agreement and thereby has agreed to resolve domain-name disputes brought by third parties in accordance with ICANN's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Policy").
On September 17, 2007, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of October 9, 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@fbmc.com by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On October 15, 2007, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed Hon. Carolyn Marks Johnson as Panelist.
Having reviewed the communications records, the Administrative Panel (the "Panel") finds that the National Arbitration Forum 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. The domain name that Respondent registered,<fbmc.com>, is identical to Complainant’s FBMC mark.
2. Respondent has no rights to or legitimate interests in the <fbmc.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <fbmc.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Fringe Benefits Management Company (FBMC), is in the business of creating and administering employee benefit plans, insurance claim administration, insurance brokerage and insurance consultation. Complainant continuously has used the FBMC mark in commerce since at least 1992. Complainant has expended in excess of $32.5 million in advertising, promotional campaigns, and employee communications using the FBMC mark, and Complainant is widely known among the buying public as FBMC with product lines bearing the FBMC mark.
Respondent registered the <fbmc.com> domain name May 2, 2004. Respondent is using the disputed domain name to redirect Internet users to its commercial website that features links to unrelated third-party commercial websites.
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 will draw such inferences as the Panel 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.”). However, this Panel reviews the evidence to determine if it shows rights in the Respondent prior to reaching that determination.
Paragraph 4(a) of the Policy requires Complainant to 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.
Complainant is not required to own a trademark application to establish rights in the FBMC mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See British Broad. Corp. v. Renteria, D2000-0050 (WIPO Mar. 23, 2000) (noting that the Policy “does not distinguish between registered and unregistered trademarks and service marks in the context of abusive registration of domain names” and applying the Policy to “unregistered trademarks and service marks”); see also Great Plains Metromall, LLC v. Creach, FA 97044 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 18, 2001) (“The Policy does not require that a trademark be registered by a governmental authority for such rights to exist.”).
The Panel finds that Complainant established common law rights in the FBMC mark through continuous and extensive use of the mark since as early as 1992. Additionally, Complainant has spent millions of dollars advertising and promoting its services under the FBMC mark. As a result of Complainant’s continuous and extensive use of the mark, Complainant’s FBMC mark has acquired secondary meaning sufficient to establish common law rights in the mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Tuxedos By Rose v. Nunez, FA 95248 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 17, 2000) (finding common law rights in a mark where its use was continuous and ongoing, and secondary meaning was established); see also Marty Taylor Homes, Inc. v. JNPR Mgmt., FA 366170 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 5, 2005) (finding that the complainant’s prior use of the disputed domain name, which was identical to the asserted trademark, was evidence of its rights in the mark).
Respondent’s disputed <fbmc.com>
domain name is identical to Complainant’s FBMC mark. The disputed domain name includes
Complainant’s FBMC mark in its entirety.
The only difference between the disputed domain name and Complainant’s
mark is the addition of the generic top-level domain “.com” to Complainant’s
mark. The addition of a generic
top-level domain to Complainant’s mark is insufficient to distinguish the
disputed domain name from Complainant’s mark.
Thus, the Panel finds that the disputed domain name is identical to
Complainant’s mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Blue Sky Software Corp. v. Digital Sierra,
Inc., D2000-0165 (WIPO Apr. 27, 2000) (holding that the domain name
<robohelp.com> is identical to the complainant’s registered ROBOHELP
trademark, and that the "addition of .com is not a distinguishing
difference"); see also Busy Body, Inc. v. Fitness Outlet Inc.,
D2000-0127 (WIPO Apr. 22, 2000) ("[T]he addition of the generic top-level
domain (gTLD) name ‘.com’ is . . . without legal
significance since use of a gTLD is required of domain name registrants . . .
.").
The Panel finds that Complainant satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).
Complainant alleges that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the <fbmc.com> domain name. Under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), Complainant has the initial burden of proving this allegation. However, once Complainant has made a prima facie case, the burden shifts to Respondent to show that it does have rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. The Panel finds, in the present case, that Complainant made a prima facie case 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 lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. See Am. Express Co. v. Fang Suhendro, FA 129120 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 30, 2002) (“[B]ased on Respondent's failure to respond, it is presumed that Respondent lacks all rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name.”); see also Talk City, Inc. v. Robertson, D2000-0009 (WIPO Feb. 29, 2000) (“Given Respondent’s failure to submit a substantive answer in a timely fashion, the Panel accepts as true all of the allegations of the complaint.”). Nevertheless, the Panel examines the record to determine if Respondent has rights or legitimate interests under Policy ¶ 4(c).
Complainant asserts that Respondent is not authorized to use Complainant’s FBMC 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 <fbmc.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 <fbmc.com> domain name to redirect Internet users to its commercial website that features links to unrelated third-party commercial websites. Respondent is attempting to commercially benefit from the goodwill associated with Complainant’s FBMC mark, and such use of the disputed domain names does not constitute a bona fide offering of goods or services under Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use under Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii). See Bank of Am. Corp. v. Nw. Free Cmty. Access, FA 180704 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 30, 2003) (“Respondent's demonstrated intent to divert Internet users seeking Complainant's website to a website of Respondent and for Respondent's benefit is not a bona fide offering of goods or services under Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) and it is not a legitimate noncommercial or fair use under Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii).”); see also Am. Online, Inc. v. Advanced Membership Servs., Inc., FA 180703 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 26, 2003) (“Respondent's registration and use of the <gayaol.com> domain name with the intent to divert Internet users to Respondent's website suggests that Respondent has no rights to or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name pursuant to Policy Paragraph 4(a)(ii).”); see also MSNBC Cable, LLC v. Tysys.com, D2000-1204 (WIPO Dec. 8, 2000) (finding no rights or legitimate interests in the famous MSNBC mark where the respondent attempted to profit using the complainant’s mark by redirecting Internet traffic to its own website).
The Panel finds that Complainant satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).
Respondent’s <fbmc.com> domain name, which is confusingly similar to Complainant’s FBMC mark, is likely to cause confusion among customers searching for Complainant’s goods and services. Specifically, customers may become confused as to Complainant’s affiliation, endorsement, or sponsorship of the links advertised on Respondent’s website. The Panel presumes that Respondent commercially benefits from this confusion. Therefore, the Panel finds that Respondent’s registration and use of the <fbmc.com> domain name constitutes bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See Metro. Life Ins. Co. v. Bonds, FA 873143 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 16, 2007) (“The Panel finds such use to constitute bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv), because Respondent is taking advantage of the confusing similarity between the <metropolitanlife.us> domain name and Complainant’s METLIFE mark in order to profit from the goodwill associated with the mark.”); see also Identigene, Inc. v. Genetest Labs., D2000-1100 (WIPO Nov. 30, 2000) (finding bad faith where the respondent's use of the domain name at issue to resolve to a website where similar services are offered to Internet users is likely to confuse the user into believing that the complainant is the source of or is sponsoring the services offered at the site).
The Panel finds that Complainant satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii).
Having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <fbmc.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Hon. Carolyn Marks Johnson, Panelist
Dated: October 26, 2007.
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