Wynn Resorts Holdings, LLC v.
James Cox
Claim Number: FA0711001110107
PARTIES
Complainant is Wynn Resorts Holdings, LLC (“Complainant”), represented by Kelley
Nyquist, of Greenberg Traurig, LLP,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The domain name at issue is <wynnencore.com>, registered with Moniker
Online Services, Inc.
PANEL
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.
Terry F. Peppard as Panelist.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum
electronically on November 15, 2007; the
National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on November 19, 2007.
On November 29, 2007, Moniker Online Services, Inc. confirmed by
e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <wynnencore.com> domain
name is registered with Moniker Online Services,
Inc. and that the Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Moniker Online
Services, Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the Moniker Online Services, 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 December 6, 2007, a
Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the
“Commencement Notification”), setting a deadline of December 26, 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@wynnencore.com by
e-mail.
A timely Response was received on December
26, 2007. The Response was
deficient under ICANN Rule 5 as it was not received in hard copy. The Panel has nonetheless elected, in the
interests of justice, to consider the Response in arriving at its decision.
On December 29, 2007, pursuant to Complainant’s
request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National
Arbitration Forum appointed Terry F. Peppard as sole Panelist in this proceeding.
On January 8, 2008, the parties requested, and the Panel granted, a
stay of the proceeding for a one-time period of twenty (20) days. On January 28, 2008, Complainant filed a
request to lift the stay of arbitration.
The Panel lifted the stay of arbitration on January 29, 2008 and the
case proceeded to a decision.
RELIEF SOUGHT
Complainant requests that the domain name be transferred from
Respondent to Complainant.
PARTIES’ CONTENTIONS
A. Complainant
Complainant contends, among other things, that:
Complainant,
together with its affiliates, is the owner and operator of the “Wynn Las Vegas”
resort hotel casino in
Wynn Las Vegas
opened for business on April 28, 2005.
On November 8,
2004, Wynn Resorts announced its intended expansion of the Wynn Las Vegas
resort hotel casino, entitled “Encore at Wynn Las Vegas.”
The Encore at Wynn
Las Vegas project broke ground on April 28, 2006, and will be fully integrated
with the neighboring Wynn Las Vegas.
Since the public
announcement of the Wynn Las Vegas name in June 2003, Wynn Resorts has
continuously used the mark WYNN in connection with advertising and promoting
its affiliated properties in the
The WYNN name and
marks are among the most recognized and respected names in the gaming industry.
Complainant has
spent substantial sums of money to advertise and promote the WYNN mark in print
and broadcast media, and on the Internet through the Wynn Resorts and Wynn Las
Vegas web sites, accessible throughout the United States and around the world
at the <wynnlasvegas.com> and <wynnresorts.com>, among others.
Complainant has
made extensive use of the WYNN mark on, among other things, signage, wearing
apparel and sales and promotional materials, and has obtained numerous federal
registrations for the WYNN mark for various goods and services.
Respondent
registered the disputed domain name in April of 2005.
The disputed
domain name is confusingly similar to the Wynn mark, and Respondent’s addition
of the term “encore” compounds that confusion because the term “encore”
identifies the newest expansion of the Wynn Las Vegas resort hotel casino.
Respondent has no
rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name, because, among
other things, Respondent has not used it for a bona fide offering of goods or services and does not appear to have
any intention of doing so.
Further,
Respondent is not using the disputed domain name for a legitimate
non-commercial or fair use; rather, although the domain name has been
registered for nearly three years, the Respondent has failed to use the domain
name in connection with any legitimate website content.
Respondent
registered and is using the disputed domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent
Respondent contends, among other things, that:
Respondent has no desire to participate in any proceeding involving
this Complaint.
Respondent has no objection to the transfer of the subject domain name
to Complainant “at any time.”
DISCUSSION
Paragraph 4(a) of the Policy requires that, in the ordinary course,
Complainant must prove each of the following in order to obtain from a Panel an
order that a domain name be transferred:
i.
the domain
name registered by Respondent is identical or confusingly similar to a
trademark or service mark in which Complainant has rights;
ii.
Respondent
has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name; and
iii.
the domain name
has been registered and is being used in bad faith.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Paragraph 15(a) of
the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (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.”
Further, Policy ¶ 3(a) provides for the transfer of a domain name registration upon the written instructions of the parties to a UDRP proceeding without the need for otherwise required findings and conclusions (see Malev Hungarian Airlines, Ltd. v. Vertical Axis Inc., FA 212653 (Nat. Ar. Forum Jan. 13, 2004); see also Disney Enters., Inc. v. Morales, FA 475191 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 24, 2005)).
DECISION
Respondent does not contest the material allegations of the Complaint,
and the parties have effectively agreed in writing to a transfer of the subject
domain name from Respondent to Complainant without the need for further
proceedings.
It is therefore Ordered that the <wynnencore.com>
domain name be TRANSFERRED forthwith
from Respondent to Complainant.
Terry F. Peppard, Panelist
Dated: February 12, 2008, 2008
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