Disney Enterprises, Inc. v. Kevin Ausman
Claim Number: FA0712001119347
Complainant is Disney Enterprises, Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by J.
Andrew Coombs, of J. Andrew Coombs, A Professional Corporation,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <disneyparks.tv>, registered with eNom, 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 December 18, 2007, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of January 7, 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@disneyparks.tv by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent’s Default.
On
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 <disneyparks.tv> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s DISNEY mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <disneyparks.tv> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <disneyparks.tv> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Disney Enterprises, Inc. is a worldwide leading producer of children’s entertainment goods and services such as movies, television programs, books, and merchandise. Complainant owns hundreds of registrations with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) for the DISNEY mark (Reg. No. 1,162,727 issued on July 28, 1981) in association with producing children’s entertainment.
Respondent registered the <disneyparks.tv>
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.
Complainant has established rights in the DISNEY mark
pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) through registration of
the mark with the USPTO. See Innomed
Techs., Inc. v. DRP Servs., FA 221171 (Nat. Arb. Forum
Complainant contends that Respondent’s <disneyparks.tv> domain name is confusingly
similar to Complainant’s DISNEY mark.
Respondent’s domain name contains Complainant’s mark and adds the term
“parks,” which directly relates to Complainant’s business in the children’s
entertainment industry through movies, books and amusement parks. The Panel finds that the addition of terms
that directly relate to a complainant’s business is sufficient to show that the
disputed domain name and the mark are confusingly similar. 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 contends that Respondent lacks all rights and legitimate interests in the <disneyparks.tv> domain name. Once Complainant makes a prima facie case in support of its allegations, the burden shifts to Respondent to prove that it does have rights or legitimate interests pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). The Panel finds in this case that Complainant has established a prima facie case. 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”) Due to Respondent’s failure to respond to the complaint, the Panel assumes that Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. See Am. Online, Inc. v. AOL Int'l, D2000-0654 (WIPO Aug. 21, 2000) (finding no rights or legitimate interests where the respondent fails to respond); see also Parfums Christian Dior v. QTR Corp., D2000-0023 (WIPO Mar. 9, 2000) (finding that by not submitting a response, the respondent has failed to invoke any circumstance which could demonstrate any rights or legitimate interests in the domain name). However, the Panel chooses to examine the evidence on record against the applicable Policy 4(c) elements.
Complainant contends that Respondent is neither commonly known by the <disneyparks.tv> domain name nor licensed to register names using the famous DISNEY mark. The Panel finds that without evidence suggesting otherwise, Respondent has not established rights or legitimate interests in the <disneyparks.tv> domain name under the Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See Charles Jourdan Holding AG v. AAIM, D2000-0403 (WIPO June 27, 2000) (finding it appropriate for the panel to draw adverse inferences from the respondent’s failure to reply to the complaint); see also Desotec N.V. v. Jacobi Carbons AB, D2000-1398 (WIPO Dec. 21, 2000) (finding that failing to respond allows a presumption that the complainant’s allegations are true unless clearly contradicted by the evidence).
Respondent is using the <disneyparks.tv>
domain name
in order to divert Internet users to a website where Respondant has various
advertisements for domain name sales.
The Panel finds that intentionally diverting Internet users to a website
unrelated to Complainant in an attempt to commerically benefit is neither a bona fide offering of goods and services
pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) nor does it
represent a noncommercial or fair use under Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii). See
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).”); see also Golden Bear Int’l, Inc. v.
Kangdeock-ho, FA 190644 (Nat. Arb. Forum Oct. 17, 2003) (“Respondent's use
of a domain name confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark to divert Internet
users to websites unrelated to Complainant's business does not represent 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).”).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
Complainant contends that Respondent is using the <disneyparks.tv> domain name for the purpose of intentionally diverting Internet users to the corresponding website by creating a likelihood of confusion with Complainant’s mark, while offering goods unrelated to Complainant and presumably commerically benefitting. The Panel finds that Respondent’s attempt to commericially benefit from the misdirection of unsuspecting Internet users is bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See Am. Univ. v. Cook, FA 208629 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 22, 2003) (“Registration and use of a domain name that incorporates another's mark with the intent to deceive Internet users in regard to the source or affiliation of the domain name is evidence of bad faith.”); see also 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).
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 <disneyparks.tv> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Hon. Ralph Yachnin, Panelist
Justice, Supreme Court, NY (Ret.)
Dated: January 24, 2007
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