Advanta Corp. v. Paulinus Akhimien
Claim Number: FA0806001202819
Complainant is Advanta Corp. (“Complainant”), represented by Bruce
A. McDonald, of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <advantalegal.com>, registered with Melbourne It, Ltd. d/b/a Internet Names Worldwide.
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 June
11, 2008, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative
Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of
July 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@advantalegal.com by
e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent 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 <advantalegal.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s ADVANTA mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <advantalegal.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <advantalegal.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Since 1987, Complainant, Advanta
Corp., has been in the business financial services including offering and
servicing credit cards to small businesses and professionals. Complainant uses the ADVANTA mark in
association with this business and registered the ADVANTA mark with the United
States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) on
Respondent, Paulinus Akhimien,
registered the <advantalegal.com> 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.
The Panel finds Complainant’s USPTO registration of its ADVANTA mark sufficient for establishing Complainant’s rights in the mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Expedia, Inc. v. Emmerson, FA 873346 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 9, 2007) (“Complainant’s trademark registrations with the USPTO adequately demonstrate its rights in the [EXPEDIA] mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).”); see also State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Malain, FA 705262 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 19, 2006) (“Complainant’s registrations with the United States Patent and Trademark Office of the trademark, STATE FARM, establishes its rights in the STATE FARM mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).”).
Respondent’s <advantalegal.com>
domain name fully incorporates Complainant’s ADVANTA mark and adds the generic
term “legal” and the generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) “.com.” The panel in Oki Data Americas, Inc. v.
ASD, Inc., D2001-0903 (WIPO Nov. 6, 2001), stated that “the fact that a
domain name wholly incorporates a Complainant’s registered mark is sufficient
to establish identity [sic] or confusing similarity for purposes of the Policy
despite the addition of other words to such marks.” Additionally, it is well accepted that gTLDs
are irrelevant in the evaluation of the disputed domain name for confusing
similarity. See 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). Therefore, the Panel finds Respondent’s
disputed domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s ADVANTA mark. See Arthur Guinness Son & Co. (
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i)
has been satisfied.
Complainant initially has the burden of proof to demonstrate
that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain
name. However, Complainant can shift
this burden to Respondent by establishing a prima
facie case that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the
disputed domain name. Respondent’s
failure to respond furthers the presumption against Respondent. The Panel finds that Complainant has
demonstrated a prima facie case under
Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) because Respondent failed to
respond, the Panel chooses to examine all of the evidence under Policy ¶ 4(c). See Compagnie Generale des Matieres Nucleaires
v. Greenpeace Int’l, D2001-0376 (WIPO
Respondent’s <advantalegal.com>
domain name resolves to a website displaying competing third-party hyperlinks,
from which the Panel infers that Respondent is receiving click-through
fees. The panel in eBay Inc. v. Hong,
D2000-1633 (WIPO
The Panel finds that Complainant has satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).
Respondent registered and uses a confusingly similar
disputed domain name in an attempt to confuse Internet users as to
Complainant’s affiliation with its resolving website. Respondent is engaging in this behavior to
attract Internet users to the competing resolving website for its commercial
gain from the click-through fees. In H-D Michigan, Inc. v. Petersons Automotive, FA 135608
(Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 8, 2003), the panel found that the disputed domain
name was registered and used in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) through
the respondent’s registration and use of the infringing domain name to
intentionally attempt to attract Internet users to its fraudulent website by
using the complainant’s famous marks and likeness. Likewise, the Panel finds that Respondent
registered and uses the <advantalegal.com>
domain name in bad faith under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See 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).”); see also 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 Associated Newspapers Ltd. v. Domain Manager, FA 201976
(Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 19, 2003) (“Respondent's prior use of the <mailonsunday.com>
domain name is evidence of bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) because the
domain name provided links to Complainant's competitors and Respondent
presumably commercially benefited from the misleading domain name by receiving
‘click-through-fees.’”).
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 <advantalegal.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Hon. Ralph Yachnin, Panelist
Justice, Supreme Court, NY (Ret.)
Dated: July 11, 2008
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