Sterling Jewelers Inc. v.
Sajid Mehmood
Claim Number: FA0809001224134
PARTIES
Complainant is Sterling Jewelers Inc., (“Complainant”) represented by John J. Cunniff, of Hahn Loeser
& Parks, LLP, Ohio, USA. Respondent is Sajid Mehmood, , (“Respondent”), Pakistan.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The domain name at issue is <kayjewelers.us>, registered with Godaddy.com,
Inc.
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
(the “Forum”) electronically on September 10,
2008; the Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on September 11, 2008.
On September 11, 2008, Godaddy.com, Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the
Forum that the <kayjewelers.us> domain name is registered with Godaddy.com,
Inc. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Godaddy.com,
Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the Godaddy.com, Inc. registration agreement and
has thereby agreed to resolve domain-name disputes brought by third parties in
accordance with the U. S. Department of Commerce’s usTLD Dispute Resolution
Policy (the “Policy”).
On September 22, 2008, a
Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the
“Commencement Notification”), setting a deadline of October 13, 2002 by which
Respondent could file a Response to the Complaint, was transmitted to
Respondent in compliance with Paragraph 2(a) of the Rules for usTLD Dispute
Resolution Policy (the “Rules”).
Having received no Response from Respondent, the Forum transmitted to
the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On October 27, 2008, pursuant to Complainant’s request to have the
dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the Forum appointed Sandra J.
Franklin as Panelist.
Having reviewed the communications records, the Administrative Panel
(the “Panel”) finds that the Forum has discharged its responsibility under
Paragraph 2(a) of the Rules. Therefore,
the Panel may issue its decision based on the documents submitted and in
accordance with the Policy, the Rules, the Forum’s Supplemental Rules and any
rules and principles of law that the Panel deems applicable, without the
benefit of any Response from Respondent.
RELIEF SOUGHT
Complainant requests that the domain name be transferred from
Respondent to Complainant.
PARTIES’ CONTENTIONS
A. Complainant
1. Respondent’s <kayjewelers.us> domain name is identical to Complainant’s KAY JEWELERS mark.
2.
Respondent does not have any rights or
legitimate interests in the <kayjewelers.us>
domain name.
3.
Respondent registered and used the <kayjewelers.us> domain name in bad
faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
FINDINGS
Complainant, Sterling Jewelers, Inc., is in
the business of providing jewelry and jewelry store services, and operates over
1,100 stores throughout the United States.
Complainant owns the KAY and KAY JEWELERS marks, both of which have been
registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) (Reg.
No. 748,204 issued Apr. 16, 1963, and Reg. No. 2,222,703 issued Feb. 9, 1999,
respectively).
Respondent registered the disputed <kayjewelers.us> domain name on
August 27, 2008, and is currently using the disputed domain name to resolve to
a website that discusses creating online jewelry stores, as well as displaying
third-party advertisements.
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 the Complainant's undisputed
representations pursuant to Paragraphs 5(f), 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 the 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 the Respondent is identical or
confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has
rights; and
(2) the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of
the domain name; and
(3) the domain name has been registered or is being used in bad faith.
Given the similarity between the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution
Policy (“UDRP”) and the usTLD Policy, the Panel will draw upon UDRP precedent
as applicable in rendering its decision.
Identical
and/or Confusingly Similar
Complainant has established rights in the KAY JEWELERS mark through registration with the USPTO pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Innomed Techs., Inc. v. DRP Servs., FA 221171 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 18, 2004) (“Registration of the NASAL-AIRE mark with the USPTO establishes Complainant's rights in the mark.”); see also 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.”).
Respondent’s disputed domain name includes Complainant’s entire KAY JEWELERS mark, while omitting the space between the words of the mark and adding the country-code top-level domain (“ccTLD”) “.us.” The Panel finds that neither alteration is relevant under the Policy, and that therefore the disputed domain name is identical to Complainant’s mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Tropar Mfg. Co. v. TSB, FA 127701 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 4, 2002) (finding that since the addition of the country-code “.us” fails to add any distinguishing characteristic to the domain name, the <tropar.us> domain name is identical to the complainant’s TROPAR mark); see also Future Steel Holdings Ltd. v. Majercik, FA 224964 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 15, 2004) (“The <steelmaster.us> domain name is identical to the STEEL MASTER mark. The only difference is the omission of the space between the words and the addition of the ccTLD “.us,” which does not significantly distinguish the domain name from the mark.”).
The Panel finds
that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Rights
or Legitimate Interests
Complainant has asserted that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the <kayjewelers.us> domain name. Once Complainant has set forth a prima facie case supporting its allegations, as it has in this case, the burden shifts to Respondent to prove that is does have rights or legitimate interests pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). See 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”); see also 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 [UDRP] 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.”).
Respondent is using the <kayjewelers.us> domain name to resolve to a website that
features links to third-party websites, and provides a discussion on creating
online jewelry stores. Respondent
presumably receives referral fees from the advertisers listed on its
website. Moreover, Respondent presumably
intended to compete with Complainant by discussing online jewelry store
creation. Therefore, the Panel finds
that Respondent’s use of the disputed domain name does not constitute a bona
fide offering of goods and services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii), or a
legitimate noncommercial or fair use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iv). 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 Complainant's website to a website of Respondent and for
Respondent's benefit is not a bona fide offering of goods or services under
[UDRP] Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) and it is not a legitimate noncommercial or fair use
under [UDRP] Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii).”); see also Wells Fargo & Co. v. Lin
Shun Shing, FA 205699 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 8, 2003) (finding that using a
domain name to direct Internet traffic to a website featuring pop-up
advertisements and links to various third-party websites is neither a bona
fide offering of goods or services under UDRP ¶ 4(c)(i) nor a legitimate
noncommercial or fair use under UDRP ¶ 4(c)(iii) because the registrant
presumably receives compensation for each misdirected Internet user).
Respondent offers no evidence to
suggest that it is commonly known by the <kayjewelers.us> domain name, which is significant given
Complainant’s long-standing and widespread use of the KAY JEWELERS mark. The WHOIS domain name registration
information offers the same conclusion.
Thus, the Panel finds that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate
interests pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii).
See Gallup, Inc. v. Amish
Country Store, FA 96209 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 23, 2001) (finding that the
respondent does not have rights in a domain name when the respondent is not
known by the mark); see also Tercent Inc. v. Lee Yi, FA 139720 (Nat.
Arb. Forum Feb. 10, 2003) (stating “nothing in Respondent’s WHOIS information
implies that Respondent is ‘commonly known by’ the disputed domain name” as one
factor in determining that UDRP ¶ 4(c)(ii) does not apply); see also Xerox Corp. v. Anti-Globalization Domains, FA 210224 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 22, 2003) (“[I]t would be
difficult for Respondent to demonstrate that it had rights or legitimate
interests in the domain name given Complainant's long and substantial use of
its unique and famous XEROX mark.”).
Finally, there is no evidence in the record to conclude that Respondent owns any service marks or trademarks that reflect the <kayjewelers.us> domain name. Therefore the Panel finds that Respondent does not have rights and legitimate interests pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i). See Meow Media Inc. v. Basil, FA 113280 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 20, 2002) (finding that there was no evidence that Respondent was the owner or beneficiary of a mark that is identical to the <persiankitty.com> domain name); see also Pepsico, Inc. v Becky, FA 117014 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 3, 2002) (holding that because Respondent did not own any trademarks or service marks reflecting the <pepsicola.us> domain name, it had no rights or legitimate interests pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i)).
The Panel finds
that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
Registration
or Use in Bad Faith
Respondent’s use of Complainant’s KAY JEWELERS mark within
the disputed domain name creates a likelihood of confusion as to the source and
affiliation of Respondent’s website and the disputed domain name. Further, Respondent’s presumed receipt of
referral fees from advertisers listed on its website justifies the conclusion
that Respondent registered the disputed domain name to garner commercial
benefits. Therefore, the Panel finds
that Respondent engaged in bad faith registration and use of the disputed
domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv).
See H-D Michigan, Inc. v. Petersons Auto., FA
135608 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 8, 2003) (finding that the disputed domain name
was registered and used in bad faith pursuant to UDRP ¶ 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); see also State Fair of Texas v. Granbury.com, FA
95288 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 12, 2000) (finding bad faith where the respondent
registered the domain name <bigtex.net> to infringe on the complainant’s
goodwill and attract Internet users to the respondent’s website).
The Panel finds
that Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) has been satisfied.
DECISION
Having established all three elements required under the usTLD Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <kayjewelers.us> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Sandra J. Franklin, Panelist
Dated:
October 31, 2008
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