AOL LLC v. Andrew Novikov a/k/a DELTA KEY LTD
Claim Number: FA0803001157051
Complainant is AOL LLC (“Complainant”), represented by James
R. Davis, of Arent Fox PLLC,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAMES
The domain names at issue are <icqmoney.net>, <icqmoney.info> and <icqmoney.biz>, registered with Tucows 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.
Terry F. Peppard as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically on March 5, 2008; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on March 6, 2008.
On March 5, 2008, Tucows Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <icqmoney.net>, <icqmoney.info> and <icqmoney.biz> domain names are registered with Tucows Inc. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the names. Tucows Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the Tucows 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 March 12, 2008, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of April 1, 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@icqmoney.net, postmaster@icqmoney.info and postmaster@icqmoney.biz by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On April 4, 2008, 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.
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 names be transferred from Respondent to Complainant.
A. Complainant makes the following assertions:
Complainant is one of the largest telecommunications and Internet based service providers in the world.
Complainant uses the ICQ mark in connection with its sales of goods and services in the field of personal advice, romance, general interest news and health.
Complainant owns trademark registrations for the ICQ mark worldwide, including those on file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) (Reg. No. 2,411,657, issued December 12, 2000) and the Russian trademark authority (Reg. No. 186352, issued March 24, 2000).
Respondent is neither commonly known by the disputed domain names, nor licensed to register domain names using the ICQ mark.
Respondent registered the <icqmoney.net>, <icqmoney.info> and <icqmoney.biz> domain names on September 2, 2007.
Respondent’s domain names resolve to commercial websites offering products and services in direct competition with the business of Complainant.
In addition, the websites contain Complainant’s ICQ mark and display Complainant’s ICQ logo.
Respondent’s <icqmoney.net>, <icqmoney.info> and <icqmoney.biz> domain names are confusingly similar to Complainant’s ICQ mark.
Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <icqmoney.net>, <icqmoney.info> and <icqmoney.biz> domain names.
Respondent registered and uses the domain names <icqmoney.net>, <icqmoney.info> and <icqmoney.biz> in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
(1) the domain names registered by Respondent are confusingly similar to a trademark in which Complainant has rights; and
(2) Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain names; and
(3) the domain names were registered and are being used by Respondent in bad faith.
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 a 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:
i. the domain name registered by Respondent is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which Complainant has rights; and
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.
Registration with the USPTO establishes rights in Complainant’s ICQ mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Vivendi Universal Games v. XBNetVentures Inc., FA 198803 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 11, 2003): “Complainant's federal trademark registrations establish Complainant's rights in the BLIZZARD mark.”
Complainant contends that Respondent’s domain names are
confusingly similar to Complainant’s ICQ mark.
The disputed domain names contain Complainant’s entire ICQ mark, and add
the generic term “money” plus a generic top-level domain (“gTLD”). These differences between the mark and the
domains are not sufficient to distinguish the domain names pursuant to Policy ¶
4(a)(i). See Pfizer, Inc. v. Suger,
D2002-0187 (WIPO Apr. 24, 2002) (finding that because a subject domain name
incorporates the VIAGRA mark in its entirety, and deviates only by the addition
of the word “bomb,” the domain name is rendered confusingly similar to a
complainant’s mark); see also Body Shop Int’l PLC v. CPIC NET,
D2000-1214 (WIPO Nov. 26, 2000) (finding that the domain name
<bodyshopdigital.com> is confusingly similar to a complainant’s THE BODY
SHOP trademark). Moreover, the addition
of a gTLD is irrelevant in distinguishing a disputed domain name from a
mark. See Entrepreneur Media, Inc. v.
Smith, 279 F.3d 1135, 1146 (9th Cir. 2002): “Internet users searching
for a company’s Web site often assume, as a rule of thumb, that the domain name
of a particular company will be the company name or trademark followed by
‘.com.’” Further see Rollerblade, Inc. v. McCrady,
D2000-0429 (WIPO June 25, 2000) (finding that the top level of a 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 to a competing mark).
Therefore, the Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant contends that Respondent lacks rights to and legitimate interests in the disputed domain names. Once Complainant makes out a prima facie case in support of its allegations, the burden shifts to Respondent to prove that it has rights to or legitimate interests in its domains pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). See Compagnie Generale des Matieres Nucleaires v. Greenpeace Int’l, D2001-0376 (WIPO May 14, 2001):
Proving that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in
respect of the Domain Name requires the Complainant to prove a negative. For
the purposes of this sub paragraph, however, it is sufficient for the
Complainant to show a prima facie case and the burden of proof is then shifted
on to the shoulders of Respondent. In
those circumstances, the common approach is for respondents to seek to bring
themselves within one of the examples of paragraph 4(c) or put forward some
other reason why they can fairly be said to have a relevant right or legitimate
interests in respect of the domain name in question.
See also Clerical Med. Inv. Group Ltd. v. Clericalmedical.com, D2000-1228 (WIPO Nov. 28, 2000) (finding that, under appropriate circumstances, the assertion by a complainant that a respondent has no right to or legitimate interest in a contested domain name is sufficient to shift the burden of proof to that respondent to demonstrate that such a right or legitimate interest exists).
In this case Complainant has established a prima facie case, while Respondent, for its part, has failed to respond to the Complaint. In these circumstances, we are permitted to conclude that Respondent has no rights to or legitimate interests in the disputed domain names. See, for example, Desotec N.V. v. Jacobi Carbons AB, D2000-1398 (WIPO Dec. 21, 2000) (finding that failing to respond allows a presumption that a complainant’s allegations are true unless clearly contradicted by the evidence); see also Eroski, So. Coop. v. Getdomains Ishowflat Ltd., D2003-0209 (WIPO July 28, 2003):
It
can be inferred that by defaulting Respondent showed nothing else but an
absolute lack of interest on the domain name.
However, we elect to examine the available evidence against the applicable Policy ¶ 4(c) elements before making a final determination about Respondent’s rights to or legitimate interests in the contested domains.
We begin by observing that Complainant contends, and Respondent does not deny, that Respondent is neither commonly known by the disputed domain names, nor licensed to register domain names using the ICQ mark. Respondent’s WHOIS information identifies Respondent as “Andrew Novikov, Delta Key LTD.” In the absence of conuntervailing evidence, we must conclude that Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain names. See Wells Fargo & Co. v. Onlyne Corp. Services11, Inc., FA 198969 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 17, 2003): “Given the WHOIS contact information for the disputed domain [name], one can infer that Respondent, Onlyne Corporate Services11, is not commonly known by the name ‘welsfargo’ in any derivation.” See also Gallup, Inc. v. Amish Country Store, FA 96209 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 23, 2001) (finding that a respondent does not have rights in a domain name where that respondent is not known by the mark there in issue).
We also note that Complainant contends, without
contradiction from Respondent, that Respondent is using the disputed domain
names in order to attract Internet users to the associated websites for the
purposes of directly competing with Complainant. Intentionally diverting Internet users to a
competing website by using a domain name which is confusingly similar to a
complainant’s mark is neither a bona fide
offering of goods and services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i), nor a legitimate
non-commercial or fair use pursuant to 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 Complain-ant'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 DLJ Long Term Inv. Corp. v. BargainDomainNames.com, FA
104580 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 9, 2002): “Respondent is not using the disputed
domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods and services
because Respondent is using the domain name to divert Internet users to
<visual.com>, where services that compete with Complainant are
advertised.”
The Panel thus finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
In the circumstances here presented, Respondent’s use of the
disputed domain
names to attract Internet users to its websites creates a strong possiblity of
confusion with Complainant’s ICQ mark. Respondent’s
offering products and services in competition with Complainant’s business in
this fashion is evidence of bad faith registration and use of the domains pursuant
to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See G.D.
Searle & Co. v. Celebrex Drugstore, FA 123933 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 21,
2002) (finding that a respondent registered and used a domain name in bad faith
pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) because that respondent used the domain name to
attract Internet users to its commercial website); see also Amazon.com, Inc. v. Shafir, FA 196119 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 10, 2003):
As Respondent is using the domain name at issue in direct
competition with Complainant, and giving the impression of being affiliated
with or sponsored by Complainant, this circumstance qualifies as bad faith
registration and use of the domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv).
It is also evident that Respondent registered the disputed domain names with at least constructive knowledge of
Complainant’s rights in the ICQ trademark by virtue of Complainant’s prior
registrations of that mark with, among others, both the USPTO and the Russian
trademark authority. Registration of a domain
name confusingly similar to a registered mark despite such constructive
knowledge is, without more, evidence of bad faith registration and use of the
domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii).
See, for example, Digi
Int’l v. DDI Sys., FA 124506 (Nat. Arb. Forum Oct. 24, 2002); see also Orange Glo Int’l v. Blume,
FA 118313 (Nat. Arb. Forum Oct. 4, 2002).
For these reasons, the Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) has been satisfied.
Complainant having established all three elements required to be proven under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that the relief requested must be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the domain names <icqmoney.net>,<icqmoney.info> and <icqmoney.biz> be TRANSFERRED forthwith from Respondent to Complainant.
_____________________________________
Terry F. Peppard, Panelist
Dated: April 8, 2008
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