Homer TLC, Inc. v. Cinquemille Corp.
Claim Number: FA0712001119304
Complainant is Homer TLC, Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by Chet
F. Garner, of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <homedepotassociates.com>, registered with Moniker Online Services, Inc.
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.
Tyrus R. Atkinson, Jr., as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically on December 12, 2007; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on December 13, 2007.
On December 21, 2007, Moniker Online Services, Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <homedepotassociates.com> domain name is registered with Moniker Online Services, Inc. and that 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 28, 2007, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of January 17, 2008 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@homedepotassociates.com by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On January 21, 2008, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed Tyrsu R. Atkinson, Jr., 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 <homedepotassociates.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s THE HOME DEPOT mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <homedepotassociates.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <homedepotassociates.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Homer TLC, Inc., owns
Home Depot, a home improvement business.
Complainant’s business includes
over 220 retail stores as well as on-line resources offered at the <homedepot.com>
and <homedepotassociates.com> domain names. Complainant registered the THE HOME DEPOT mark
with the trademark authority in the
Respondent registered the <homedepotassociates.com> domain name on September 4, 2007. The disputed domain name currently resolves to a website containing third-party links involving job staffing services.
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.
Complainant registered the THE HOME DEPOT mark with the
trademark authority of the
Complainant contends that the <homedepotassociates.com> domain name is confusingly
similar to the THE HOME DEPOT mark.
Respondent’s addition of the generic term “associates” to the registered
mark is insufficient to distinguish the disputed domain name from the
registered mark because the generic term has an obvious relationship to Complainant’s
business. In addition, the removal of
the article “the” does not significantly affect the similarity between the disputed
domain name and Complainant’s mark. Finally,
because all domain names are required to have a top-level domain, Respondent’s
use of the generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) “.com” does not distinguish the
disputed domain name from Complainant’s registered mark. Therefore, the Panel finds that the <homedepotassociates.com> domain name
is confusingly similar to Complainant’s THE HOME DEPOT mark pursuant to Policy
¶ 4(a)(i). See Pomellato
S.p.A v. Tonetti, D2000-0493 (WIPO July 7, 2000) (finding
<pomellato.com> identical to the complainant’s mark because the generic
top-level domain (gTLD) “.com” after the name POMELLATO is not relevant); see also 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 Buffalo News v. Barry,
FA 146919 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 31, 2003) (finding respondent's
<bufalonews.com> domain name confusingly similar to Complainant's THE
BUFFALO NEWS mark).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant has the burden of proof for this allegation pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). Once Complainant has made a prima facie showing, the burden of proof shifts to Respondent. The Panel finds Complainant has met its burden. 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 respond to the Complaint allows the Panel to assume Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the <homedepotassociates.com> 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 Do the Hustle, LLC v. Tropic Web, D2000-0624 (WIPO Aug. 21, 2000) (“Failure of a respondent to come forward to [contest complainant’s allegations] is tantamount to admitting the truth of complainant’s assertions in this regard.”). Nonetheless, the Panel will examine the record to determine rights or legitimate interests under Policy ¶ 4(c).
The record contains nothing to suggest Respondent is
commonly known by the disputed domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). The WHOIS
information identifies Respondent as “Cinquemille Corp.” with no reference to
the disputed domain name. Respondent is not
licensed or authorized to use Complainant’s mark. The Panel finds that Respondent has no rights
or legitimate interests to the <homedepotassociates.com> domain name under Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See Tercent Inc. v. Lee Yi,
FA 139720 (Nat. Arb. Forum
Respondent is using the <homedepotassociates.com> domain name
to divert Internet users to third-party websites offering job staffing
services. The Panel presumes that
Respondent is using the disputed domain name for monetary gain, by capitalizing
on the good reputation of Complainant’s mark.
The Panel finds this is not a bona
fide offering of goods or services under Policy ¶ 4(c)(i)
or a legitimate non commercial 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 Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha v. CS into Tech, FA 198795 (Nat.
Arb. Forum Dec. 6, 2003) (“Diverting customers, who are looking for products
relating to the famous SEIKO mark, to a website unrelated to the mark is not a
bona fide offering of goods or services under Policy ¶ 4(c)(i), nor does it
represent a noncommercial or fair use under Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii).”).
The Panel finds that the Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
The Panel finds that Respondent’s use of the <homedepotassociates.com> domain name
to disrupt Complainant’s business through the display of advertising links
constitutes bad faith registration and use under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii). See Disney Enters., Inc. v. Noel, FA 198805 (Nat. Arb. Forum
Further, the Panel presumes
Respondent is commercially benefiting from the disputed domain name with click-through
fees. Respondent has created a likelihood
of confusion as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation or endorsement of
Respondent’s website by Complainant, which evidences bad faith registration and
use under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See G.D. Searle & Co. v.
Celebrex Drugstore, FA 123933 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 21, 2002)
(finding that the respondent registered and used the domain name in bad faith
pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) because the respondent was using the confusingly
similar domain name to attract Internet users to its commercial website); see also Entrepreneur Media, Inc. v. Smith, 279 F.3d 1135, 1148 (9th Cir.
2002) ("While an intent to confuse consumers is not required for a finding
of trademark infringement, intent to deceive is strong evidence of a likelihood
of confusion."); see also Perot Sys.
Corp. v. Perot.net, FA 95312
(Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 29, 2000) (finding bad faith where the
domain name in question is obviously connected with the complainant’s
well-known marks, thus creating a likelihood of confusion strictly for
commercial gain).
The Panel finds that the 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 <homedepotassociates.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Tyrus R. Atkinson, Jr., Panelist
Dated: February 4, 2008
Click Here to return to the main Domain Decisions Page.
Click Here to return to our Home Page
National
Arbitration Forum