Dermalogica, Inc. and The International Dermal Institute, Inc. v. Buyuk Izmir Eczanesi and Suat Yildizhan
Claim Number: FA0801001139124
Complainant is Dermalogica, Inc. and The International Dermal Institute, Inc. (collectively, “Complainant”), represented by David J. Steele, of Christie, Parker & Hale LLP, California, USA. Respondent is Buyuk Izmir Eczanesi and Suat Yildizhan (collectively, “Respondent”).
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <derma-logica.com>, 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.
Honorable Karl V. Fink (Ret.), as Panelist.
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.
On January 21, 2008, Enom, Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <derma-logica.com> domain name is registered with Enom, Inc. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Enom, Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the Enom, 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 January 29, 2008, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of February 19, 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@derma-logica.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 24, 2008, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed Honorable Karl V. Fink (Ret.), 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 <derma-logica.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s DERMALOGICA mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <derma-logica.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <derma-logica.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, International Dermal Institute, was founded in
1983 and is a post-graduate training facility for professional skin care
therapists. Complainant, International
Dermal Institute, also researches and develops skin care products and is the
owner of the trademark registration for the DERMALOGICA mark, which is
registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) (Reg.
No. 1,539,948 registered May 23, 1989).
Complainant, Dermalogica, Inc., is a
licensee of the DERMALOGICA mark which uses the trademark to market International
Dermal Institute’s skin care products to consumers across the world
(hereinafter collectively referred to as, “Complainant”).
Respondent registered the <derma-logica.com> domain name on March 27, 2007. Respondent’s disputed domain name resolves to a website that sells Complainant’s products without Complainant’s authorization.
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 DERMALOGICA mark
for purposes of Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) through registration
of the mark with the USPTO. 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
Respondent’s <derma-logica.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark. Respondent’s disputed domain name contains Complainant’s DERMALOGICA mark in its entirety and adds a hyphen as well as the generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) “.com.” The Panel finds that neither distinction is enough to preclude a finding that Respondent’s domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark for purposes of Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Teleplace, Inc. v. De Oliveira, FA 95835 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 4, 2000) (finding that the domain names <teleplace.org>, <tele-place.com>, and <theteleplace.com> are confusingly similar to the complainant’s TELEPLACE trademark); see also Sports Auth. Mich. Inc. v. Batu 5, FA 176541 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 23, 2003) (“The addition of a hyphen to Complainant's mark does not create a distinct characteristic capable of overcoming a Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) confusingly similar analysis.”); see also Gardline Surveys Ltd. v. Domain Fin. Ltd., FA 153545 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 27, 2003) (“The addition of a top-level domain is irrelevant when establishing whether or not a mark is identical or confusingly similar, because top-level domains are a required element of every domain name.”).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i)
has been satisfied.
Complainant asserts that Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the <derma-logica.com> domain name. The Panel finds that Complainant’s assertion and accompanying evidence is sufficient to establish a prima facie case under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). As a result, the burden shifts to Respondent to set forth evidence of rights and legitimate interests under the UDRP. See 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); see also Do The Hustle, LLC v. Tropic Web, D2000-0624 (WIPO Aug. 21, 2000) (holding that once the complainant asserts that the respondent has no rights or legitimate interests with respect to the domain, the burden shifts to the respondent to provide “concrete evidence that it has rights to or legitimate interests in the domain name at issue”).
Complainant contends that Respondent is using the <derma-logica.com> domain name to
operate a website that sells Complainant’s products without authorization to do
so. The Panel finds that Respondent’s
use of the <derma-logica.com>
domain name is not one that establishes either a bona fide offering of goods or services pursuant to Policy ¶
4(c)(i) or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use pursuant to Policy ¶
4(c)(iii). See Nat’l Collegiate Athletic Ass’n v. Halpern, D2000-0700 (WIPO
Dec. 10, 2000) (finding that domain names used to sell the complainant’s goods
without the complainant’s authority, as well as others’ goods, is not bona
fide use); see also Caterpillar Inc. v. Huth, FA 169056 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 2, 2003) (“Respondent
lacks rights in the disputed domain names because Respondent competes with
Complainant by selling Complainant's used parts without a license from
Complainant to do so.”).
Moreover, Complainant contends
that Respondent is not commonly known by the <derma-logica.com> domain name or licensed to register
domain names featuring Complainant’s mark.
With no evidence to the contrary in the record, the Panel finds that
Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name pursuant to Policy
¶ 4(c)(ii). See 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); 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).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
Respondent is using the <derma-logica.com> domain name to sell Complainant’s products without Complainant’s authorization. The Panel finds that Respondent’s use constitutes a disruption of Complainant’s business and is evidence of bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii). See Fossil, Inc. v. NAS, FA 92525 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 23, 2000) (transferring the <fossilwatch.com> domain name from the respondent, a watch dealer not otherwise authorized to sell the complainant’s goods, to the complainant); see also G.D. Searle & Co. v. Celebrex Cox-2 Vioxx.com, FA 124508 (Nat. Arb. Forum Oct. 16, 2002) (“Unauthorized use of Complainant’s CELEBREX mark to sell Complainant’s products represents bad faith use under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii).”).
Additionally, Respondent’s use of the <derma-logica.com> domain name will
likely cause confusion as to Complainant’s sponsorship or affiliation with the
resulting website. Moreover, Respondent
is profiting from this confusion by selling Complainant’s products. The Panel finds this to be evidence of bad
faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See World
Wrestling Fed’n Entm’t, Inc. v. Ringside Collectibles, D2000-1306 (WIPO
Jan. 24, 2001) (concluding that the respondent registered and used the
<wwfauction.com> domain name in bad faith because the name resolved to a
commercial website that the complainant’s customers were likely to confuse with
the source of the complainant’s products, especially because of the
respondent’s prominent use of the complainant’s logo on the site); see also Hunter Fan Co. v. MSS, FA 98067 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 23, 2001) (finding bad
faith where the respondent used the disputed domain name to sell the
complainant’s products without permission and mislead Internet users by
implying that the respondent was affiliated with the complainant).
Finally, because Respondent is using the disputed domain name to sell Complainant’s products, the Panel finds that Respondent had knowledge of Complainant’s rights in the DERMALOGICA mark. Registration of a domain name that is confusingly similar to a known trademark is further evidence of bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii). See Pfizer, Inc. v. Suger, D2002-0187 (WIPO Apr. 24, 2002) (finding that because the link between the complainant’s mark and the content advertised on the respondent’s website was obvious, the respondent “must have known about the Complainant’s mark when it registered the subject domain name”); see also G.D. Searle & Co. v. Pelham, FA 117911 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 19, 2002) (“[I]t can be inferred that Respondent had knowledge of Complainant’s rights in the CELEBREX mark because Respondent is using the CELEBREX mark as a means to sell prescription drugs, including Complainant’s CELEBREX drug.”).
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 <derma-logica.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Honorable Karl V. Fink (Ret.), Panelist
Dated: March 6, 2008
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