Stunt Dynamics c/o John Zimmerman v. BWI Domains c/o Domain Manager
Claim Number: FA0809001226425
Complainant is Stunt Dynamics c/o John Zimmerman (“Complainant”), represented by Stacy
L Brinkerhoff, of Pro Assistant,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <stuntdynamics.com>, registered with Rebel.com.
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.
John J. Upchurch as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically on September 26, 2008; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on September 29, 2008.
On September 26, 2008, Rebel.com confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <stuntdynamics.com> domain name is registered with Rebel.com and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Rebel.com has verified that Respondent is bound by the Rebel.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 October
9, 2008, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative
Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of
October 29, 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@stuntdynamics.com by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On November 6, 2008, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed John J. Upchurch 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 <stuntdynamics.com> domain name is identical to Complainant’s STUNT DYNAMICS mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <stuntdynamics.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <stuntdynamics.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Stunt Dynamics, Inc., has provided stunt acting, rigging services, and various equipment sales and rentals for 48 motion pictures over a span of fifteen years. Complainant has used the STUNT DYNAMICS mark in association with its stunt related products and services for approximately fifteen years. Complainant does not own a trademark registration.
Respondent registered the <stuntdynamics.com> on November 25, 1997. Respondent registered the disputed domain name after Complainant failed to renew the dispuetd domain name. Respondent’s disputed domain name resolves to a website offering links to third-party websites unrelated to Complainant.
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 alleges common law rights in the STUNT DYANAMICS mark. The Policy does not require a complainant to hold a trademark registration in a mark to establish rights under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See SeekAmerica Networks Inc. v. Masood, D2000-0131 (WIPO Apr. 13, 2000) (finding that the Rules do not require that the complainant's trademark or service mark be registered by a government authority or agency for such rights to exist) ; see also British Broad. Corp. v. Renteria, D2000-0050 (WIPO Mar. 23, 2000) (noting that the Policy “does not distinguish between registered and unregistered trademarks and service marks in the context of abusive registration of domain names” and applying the Policy to “unregistered trademarks and service marks”). However, Complainant must establish that the asserted mark has developed secondary meaning to confer common law rights. See Tuxedos By Rose v. Nunez, FA 95248 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 17, 2000) (finding common law rights in a mark where its use was continuous and ongoing, and secondary meaning was established); see also S.A. Bendheim Co., Inc. v. Hollander Glass, FA 142318 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 13, 2003) (holding that the complainant established rights in the descriptive RESTORATION GLASS mark through proof of secondary meaning associated with the mark).
Complainant alleges that the STUNT DYNAMCICS mark has been used continuously in commerce for the past fifteen years. Complainant lists 48 motion picture movies that Complainant’s stunt products and services were used in. A few examples are: Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, The Mist, The Reaping, Miami Vice (2006), Red Eye, Bad Boys II, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and The Patriot. The Panel finds that the evidence meets the minimum threshold of proof of secondary meaning to prove common law rights under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See BroadcastAmerica.com, Inc. v. Quo, DTV2000-0001 (WIPO Oct. 4, 2000) (finding that the complainant has common law rights in BROADCASTAMERICA.COM, given extensive use of that mark to identify the complainant as the source of broadcast services over the Internet, and evidence that there is wide recognition with the BROADCASTAMERICA.COM mark among Internet users as to the source of broadcast services); see also Nat’l Ass’n of Prof’l Baseball Leagues v. Zuccarini, D2002-1011 (WIPO Jan. 21, 2003) (finding that the complainant had provided evidence that it had valuable goodwill in the <minorleaguebaseball.com> domain name, establishing common law rights in the MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL mark).
Complainant asserts that Respondent’s <stuntdynamics.com> domain name is identical to
the STUNT DYNAMICS mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). Respondent’s disputed domain name contains
Complainant’s mark in its entirety, removes spacing, and adds the generic top-level
domain (“gTLD”) “.com.” The Panel finds
that omitted spacing and the addition of a gTLD are irrelevant in
distinguishing a disputed domain name from a mark. See
Blue Sky Software Corp. v. Digital Sierra, Inc., D2000-0165 (WIPO
Apr. 27, 2000) (holding that the domain name <robohelp.com> is identical
to the complainant’s registered ROBOHELP trademark, and that the "addition
of .com is not a distinguishing difference"); see also Planned Parenthood Fed’n of Am. v. Bucci, 42
U.S.P.Q. 2d 1430 (S.D.N.Y. 1997), cert. denied 525 U.S. 834 (1998)
(finding plaintiff’s PLANNED PARENTHOOD mark and defendant’s
<plannedparenthood.com> domain name nearly identical). Therefore, pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i),
Respondent’s <stuntdynamics.com> domain name is identical to
Complainants STUNT DYNAMICS mark.
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant asserts that Respondent lacks all rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. When Complainant makes a prima facie case in support of its allegations, the burden shifts to Respondent to prove that rights and legitimate interests exist pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). In this case, the Panel finds that Complainant has established a prima facie case and the burden is shifted to Respondent. 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 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).
By failing to respond to the Complaint, the Panel assumes that Respondent fails to meet its burden of establishing rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. See Broadcom Corp. v. Ibecom PLC, FA 361190 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 22, 2004) (“Respondent’s failure to respond to the Complaint functions as an implicit admission that [Respondent] lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. It also allows the Panel to accept all reasonable allegations set forth…as true.”); see also Law Soc’y of Hong Kong v. Domain Strategy, Inc., HK-0200015 (ADNDRC Feb. 12, 2003) (“A respondent is not obligated to participate in a domain name dispute . . . but the failure to participate leaves a respondent vulnerable to the inferences that flow naturally from the assertions of the complainant and the tribunal will accept as established assertions by the complainant that are not unreasonable.”). However, the Panel will examine the evidence on record against the applicable ¶ 4(c) elements before making a final determination with regards to Respondent’s rights and legitimate interests.
Complainant fails to contend that Respondent is neither
commonly known by, nor licensed to register the disputed domain name.
However, Respondent’s WHOIS information identifies Respondent as “BWI
Domains.” The Panel finds that
Respondent’s failure to respond to the Complaint and WHOIS information proves
that Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name. Therefore, pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii),
Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain
name. See Nature’s Path Foods Inc. v. Natures Path, Inc.,
FA 237452 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 2, 2004) (“In its WHOIS contact information,
Respondent lists its name and its administrative contact as ‘Natures Path,
Inc.’ However, since Respondent failed
to respond to the Complaint, there has not been any affirmative evidence
provided to the Panel showing that Respondent was commonly known by the
disputed domain name prior to its registration of the domain name.”); see also Gestmusic Endemol, S.A. v.
operaciontriunfo.us, FA 214337 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 14, 2004) (“Though Respondent’s WHOIS information lists Respondent’s
name as ‘o. operaciontriunfo.us’ and organization as ‘operaciontriunfo.us,’
there is no evidence before the Panel that Respondent was actually commonly
known by the [<operaciontriunfo.us>] domain
name.”).
Complainant asserts that Respondent lacks all rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. Respondent’s disputed domain name resolves to a website offering third-party links to websites unrelated to Complainant. In cases such as this, the Panel assumes that Respondent receives pay-per-click fees for each link clicked. Therefore, Respondent’s use of the disputed domain name is neither a bona fide offering of goods and services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i), nor a legitimate noncommercial or fair use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii). See 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 Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) nor a legitimate noncommercial or fair use under Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii) because the registrant presumably receives compensation for each misdirected Internet user); see also Tercent Inc. v. Lee Yi, FA 139720 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 10, 2003) (holding that the respondent’s use of the disputed domain name to host a series of hyperlinks and a banner advertisement was neither a bona fide offering of goods or services nor a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the domain name).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
Complainant alleges that Respondent’s past use of the <stuntdynamics.com> domain name to intentionally cause a likelihood of confusion between the disputed domain name and Complainant’s mark to commercially benefit is evidence of bad faith. The Panel finds that Respondent’s use of the disputed domain name to commercially benefit is further evidence of bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See Perot Sys. Corp. v. Perot.net, FA 95312 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 29, 2000) (finding bad faith where the domain name in question is obviously connected with the complainant’s well-known marks, thus creating a likelihood of confusion strictly for commercial gain); see also MathForum.com, LLC v. Weiguang Huang, D2000-0743 (WIPO Aug. 17, 2000) (finding bad faith under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) where the respondent registered a domain name confusingly similar to the complainant’s mark and the domain name was used to host a commercial website that offered similar services offered by the complainant under its mark).
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 <stuntdynamics.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
John J. Upchurch, Panelist
Dated: November 14, 2008
NATIONAL ARBITRATION FORUM