national arbitration forum

 

DECISION

 

Google Inc. v. Yunkook Jung

Claim Number: FA0801001139101

 

PARTIES

Complainant is Google Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by James L. Vana, of Perkins Coie LLP, Washington, USA.  Respondent is Yunkook Jung (“Respondent”), Korea.

 

REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME

The domain names at issue are <googlesky.com> and <googlecomputer.com>, registered with Korea Information Certificate Authority, Inc. d/b/a Domainca.com.

 

PANEL

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.

 

Sandra J. Franklin as Panelist.

 

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically on January 18, 2008; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on January 21, 2008.  The Complaint was submitted in both Korean and English.

 

On January 21, 2008, Korea Information Certificate Authority, Inc. d/b/a Domainca.com confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <googlesky.com> and <googlecomputer.com> domain names are registered with Korea Information Certificate Authority, Inc. d/b/a Domainca.com and that Respondent is the current registrant of the names.  Korea Information Certificate Authority, Inc. d/b/a Domainca.com has verified that Respondent is bound by the Korea Information Certificate Authority, Inc. d/b/a Domainca.com 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 January 31, 2008, a Korean language Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of February 20, 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@googlesky.com and postmaster@googlecomputer.com by e-mail.

 

Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.

 

On February 27, 2008, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed Sandra J. Franklin 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.

 

Pursuant to Rule 11(a) the Panel determines that the language requirement has been satisfied through the Korean language Complaint and Commencement Notification and, absent a Response, determines that the remainder of the proceedings may be conducted in English.

 

RELIEF SOUGHT

Complainant requests that the domain names be transferred from Respondent to Complainant.

 

PARTIES' CONTENTIONS

A.  Complainant makes the following assertions:

 

1.      Respondent’s <googlesky.com> and <googlecomputer.com> domain names are confusingly similar to Complainant’s GOOGLE mark.

 

2.      Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <googlesky.com> and <googlecomputer.com> domain name.

 

3.      Respondent registered and used the <googlesky.com> and <googlecomputer.com> domain name in bad faith.

 

B.  Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.

 

FINDINGS

Complainant, Google, Inc., was created in 1997 and has grown to be one of the most popular search engines in the world.  Complainant has received numerous awards for its technology and service dating back to 1998.  Complainant’s services have expanded to include software products, such as Google toolbar, the Google Earth three-dimensional map of the world, and Google Sky, which is a partnership between NASA and Complainant to bring Internet users pictures of the universe.  Complainant has built one of the most successful brands in the world using the GOOGLE mark which is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) (Reg. No. 2,954,071 issued May 24, 2005).

 

Respondent registered the <googlesky.com> domain name on June 29, 2007 and the <googlecomputer.com> domain name on November 16, 2007.  Respondent’s <googlesky.com> domain name does not currently resolve to an active website while the <googlecomputer.com> domain name resolves to a website that features links to various commercial websites.

 

DISCUSSION

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.

 

Identical and/or Confusingly Similar

 

Complainant asserts rights in the GOOGLE mark through registration with the USPTO.  The Panel finds that such evidence is enough to establish rights in the mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).  See Metro. Life Ins. Co. v. Bin g Glu, FA 874496 (Nat Arb. Forum Feb. 13, 2007) (finding rights in the METLIFE mark as a result of its registration with the United States federal trademark authority); see also Automotive Racing Products, Inc. v. Linecom, FA 836787 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 21, 2006) (finding that the Complainant’s federal trademark registration establishes rights under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i)).

 

Respondent’s <googlesky.com> and <googlecomputer.com> domain names are confusingly similar to Complainant’s GOOGLE mark.  Each of Respondent’s disputed domain names contains Complainant’s mark in its entirety and adds a generic term, either “sky” or “computer,” along with the generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) “.com.”  The Panel finds that Respondent’s domain names are confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).  See Arthur Guinness Son & Co. (Dublin) Ltd. v. Healy/BOSTH, D2001-0026 (WIPO Mar. 23, 2001) (finding confusing similarity where the domain name in dispute contains the identical mark of the complainant combined with a generic word or term); see also Westfield Corp. v. Hobbs, D2000-0227 (WIPO May 18, 2000) (finding the <westfieldshopping.com> domain name confusingly similar because the WESTFIELD mark was the dominant element); see also Rollerblade, Inc. v. McCrady, D2000-0429 (WIPO June 25, 2000) (finding that the top level of the domain name such as “.net” or “.com” does not affect the domain name for the purpose of determining whether it is identical or confusingly similar).

 

The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.

 

Rights or Legitimate Interests

 

Complainant contends that Respondent lacks all rights and legitimate interests in the <googlesky.com> and <googlecomputer.com> domain names.  When Complainant has made a prima facie case under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), the burden shifts to Respondent to set forth concrete evidence that it does possess rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name.  The Panel finds that Complainant has satisfied 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”).

 

Respondent is using the <googlecomputer.com> domain name to operate a website that contains various links to commercial websites.  The Panel finds that Respondent’s operation of a website at the disputed domain name for the purpose of collecting click-through fees for each misdirected Internet user is neither a bona fide offering of goods or services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) nor a legitimate noncommercial or fair use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii).  See TM Acquisition Corp. v. Sign Guards, FA 132439 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 31, 2002) (finding that the respondent’s diversionary use of the complainant’s marks to send Internet users to a website which displayed a series of links, some of which linked to the complainant’s competitors, was not a bona fide offering of goods or services); see also Black & Decker Corp. v. Clinical Evaluations, FA 112629 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 24, 2002) (holding that the respondent’s use of the disputed domain name to redirect Internet users to commercial websites, unrelated to the complainant and presumably with the purpose of earning a commission or pay-per-click referral fee did not evidence rights or legitimate interests in the domain name).

 

The <googlesky.com> domain name does not currently resolve to a website with active content.  Without demonstrable preparations to use the disputed domain name in connection with 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 Respondent has not demonstrated rights or legitimate interests in the <googlesky.com> domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).  See L.F.P., Inc. v. B and J Props., FA 109697 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 30, 2002) (“A Respondent cannot simply do nothing and effectively ‘sit on his rights’ for an extended period of time when that Respondent might be capable of doing otherwise.”); see also AT&T Corp. v. Domains by Brian Evans, D2000-0790 (WIPO Sept. 27, 2000) (finding no rights or legitimate interests where the respondent did not provide any documentation on the existence of its alleged company that might show what the company’s business was, or how the company’s years of existence, if it ever existed, might mesh with the complainant’s trademark claims).

 

Respondent has submitted no evidence that it is either commonly known by the disputed domain names or authorized to register domain names featuring Complainant’s mark.  In the absence of such evidence, the Panel finds that Respondent has not established rights or legitimate interests pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii).  See also Ian Schrager Hotels, L.L.C. v. Taylor, FA 173369 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 25, 2003) (finding that without demonstrable evidence to support the assertion that a respondent is commonly known by a domain name, the assertion must be rejected); 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).

 

The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.

 

Registration and Use in Bad Faith

 

Respondent is using the <googlecomputer.com> domain name to operate a website that contains links to various commercial websites.  The Panel infers from Respondent’s use that it is collecting click-through fees for each misdirected Internet user.  Internet users will likely be confused as to Complainant’s sponsorship of or affiliation with the <googlecomputer.com> domain name and its contents.  The Panel finds that using a domain name that is likely to confuse Internet users so that Respondent can gain financially based on that confusion, is evidence of bad faith registration and use pursuant to 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 Am. Online, Inc. v. Tencent Commc’ns Corp., FA 93668 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 21, 2000) (finding bad faith where the respondent registered and used a domain name confusingly similar to the complainant’s mark to attract users to a website sponsored by the respondent).

 

Finally, Respondent’s <googlesky.com> domain name does not currently resolve to an active website.  As Respondent has failed to set forth evidence of preparations to use the <googlesky.com> domain name in any way, the Panel finds that Respondent has shown bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii).  See Caravan Club v. Mrgsale, FA 95314 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 30, 2000) (finding that the respondent made no use of the domain name or website that connects with the domain name, and that the inactive use of a domain name permits an inference of registration and use in bad faith); see also Clerical Med. Inv. Group Ltd. v. Clericalmedical.com, D2000-1228 (WIPO Nov. 28, 2000) (finding that merely holding an infringing domain name without active use can constitute use in bad faith).

 

The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) has been satisfied.

 

DECISION

Having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.

 

Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <googlesky.com> and <googlecomputer.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.

 

 

 

 

Sandra J. Franklin, Panelist

Dated:  March 6, 2008

 

 

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