Medline Industries, Inc. v. German Vladimirovich Zuev
Claim Number: FA0905001265192
Complainant is Medline Industries, Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by Andrew
N. Downer of Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard
& Geraldson LLP,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <topmedline.com>, registered with Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a Publicdomainregistry.com.
The undersigned certifies that she has acted independently and impartially and that to the best of her knowledge she has no known conflict in serving as Panelist in this proceeding. Hon. Carolyn Marks Johnson sits as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically May 27, 2009; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint May 29, 2009.
On May 29, 2009, Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a Publicdomainregistry.com confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <topmedline.com> domain name is registered with Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a Publicdomainregistry.com and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a Publicdomainregistry.com verified that Respondent is bound by the Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a Publicdomainregistry.com registration agreement and thereby has agreed to resolve domain-name disputes brought by third parties in accordance with ICANN's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Policy").
On June
4, 2009, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative
Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of
June 24, 2009,
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@topmedline.com by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On June 30, 2009, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed Hon. Carolyn Marks Johnson to sit as Panelist.
Having reviewed the communications records, the Administrative Panel (the "Panel") finds that the National Arbitration Forum 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. The domain name that Respondent registered, <topmedline.com>, is confusingly similar to Complainant’s MEDLINE mark.
2. Respondent has no rights to or legitimate interests in the <topmedline.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <topmedline.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant is a manufacturer and distributor of healthcare
supplies and services, and has promoted those supplies and services under the
MEDLINE mark since at least as early as 1967.
Complainant registered the MEDLINE mark with the United States Patent
and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) July 14, 1970 (Reg. No. 894,673). Complainant currently manufactures and
distributes more than 100,000 different medical and healthcare-related products
throughout the
Respondent registered the <topmedline.com> domain name April 18, 2009. The disputed domain name resolves to a website that appears to operate as an online pharmacy, allowing users to purchase prescription medications without prescriptions.
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 will draw such inferences as the Panel 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 Complainant to 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 that Complainant established rights in the MEDLINE
mark through its federal trademark registration pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Miller
Brewing
Complainant contends that Respondent’s <topmedline.com> domain name is confusingly similar to its mark. Respondent’s domain name contains Complainant’s MEDLINE mark in its entirety and merely adds the generic term “top” and the generic top-level domain “.com.” The Panel finds that adding a generic term does not sufficiently distinguish Respondent’s disputed domain name from Complainant’s mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i), nor does adding a generic top-level domain. See Arthur Guinness Son & Co. (Dublin) Ltd. v. Healy/BOSTH, D2001-0026 (WIPO Mar. 23, 2001) (finding confusing similarity where the domain name in dispute contains the identical mark of the complainant combined with a generic word or term); 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.”). Because the changes made to Complainant’s mark do not sufficiently distinguish the disputed domain name from the mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i), the Panel finds that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s MEDLINE mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).
The Panel finds that Complainant satisfied the elements of ICANN Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).
Complainant contends that Respondent lacks all rights and legitimate interests in the <topmedline.com> domain name. In instances such as this, where Complainant makes a prima facie case against Respondent, the burden of proof shifts from Complainant to Respondent to bring forth evidence of its rights to or legitimate interests under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). The Panel finds that Complainant met its burden of proof and established a prima facie case against Respondent. See Document Techs., Inc. v. Int’l Elec. Commc’ns Inc., D2000-0270 (WIPO June 6, 2000) (“Although Paragraph 4(a) of the Policy requires that the Complainant prove the presence of this element (along with the other two), once a Complainant makes out a prima facie showing, the burden of production on this factor shifts to the Respondent to rebut the showing by providing concrete evidence that it has rights to or legitimate interests in the Domain Name.”); see also Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce v. D3M Virtual Reality Inc., AF-0336 (eResolution Sept. 23, 2000) (finding no rights or legitimate interests where no such right or interest was immediately apparent to the panel and the respondent did not come forward to suggest any right or interest it may have possessed).
Complainant contends that Respondent is not commonly known by the <topmedline.com> domain name, as the WHOIS information for the disputed domain name lists the registrant as “German Vladimirovich Zuev.” Moreover, Complainant contends that it has not licensed the MEDLINE mark for Respondent’s use and that no other evidence exists that Respondent is commonly known by any variant on the MEDLINE mark. Consequently, the Panel finds that Respondent is not commonly known by the <topmedline.com> domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See Coppertown Drive-Thru Sys., LLC v. Snowden, FA 715089 (Nat. Arb. Forum July 17, 2006) (concluding that the respondent was not commonly known by the <coppertown.com> domain name where there was no evidence in the record, including the WHOIS information, suggesting that the respondent was commonly known by the disputed domain name); see also IndyMac Bank F.S.B. v. Eshback, FA 830934 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 7, 2006) (finding that the respondent failed to establish rights and legitimate interests in the <emitmortgage.com> domain name as the respondent was not authorized to register domain names featuring the complainant’s mark and failed to submit evidence of that it is commonly known by the disputed domain name).
Respondent is using the <topmedline.com> domain
name to redirect Internet users to a website that purports to sell
pharmaceutical products in direct competition with Complainant’s own line of products. The Panel finds that Respondent’s use of the
disputed domain name to directly compete with Complainant is not a bona fide offering of goods or services
under Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) nor a legitimate non-commercial
or fair use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii).
See Computerized Sec. Sys., Inc. v. Hu, FA 157321 (Nat. Arb.
Forum June 23, 2003) (“Respondent’s appropriation of [Complainant’s] SAFLOK
mark to market products that compete with Complainant’s goods does not
constitute a bona fide offering of goods and services.”); see also Coryn
Group, Inc. v. Media Insight, FA 198959
(Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 5, 2003) (finding that the respondent was not using the
domain names for a bona fide offering of goods or services nor a
legitimate noncommercial or fair use because the respondent used the names to
divert Internet users to a website that offered services that competed with
those offered by the complainant under its marks).
The Panel finds that Complainant satisfied the elements of ICANN Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).
Complainant has shown that the <topmedline.com> domain name redirects Internet users to a website advertising products that directly compete with Complainant’s own products. Complainant contends that Respondent is intentionally diverting Internet visitors searching for Complainant’s website to Respondent’s own website. The Panel finds that Respondent’s diversion of Internet users is a disruption of Complainant’s business and is evidence of bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii). See Instron Corp. v. Kaner, FA 768859 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 21, 2006) (finding that the respondent registered and used the disputed domain names in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii) by using the disputed domain names to operate websites that compete with the complainant’s business); see also Marriott Int’l, Inc. v. MCM Tours, Inc., FA 444510 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 6, 2005) (“The Respondent is a travel agency and thus operates in the same business as the Complainant. The parties can therefore be considered as competitors. The Panel thus finds that the Respondent registered the domain name primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor, which constitutes evidence of registration and use in bad faith under Policy 4(b)(iii).”).
Complainant also contends that Respondent is gaining commercially from the sale of pharmaceutical products on the website that resolves from the disputed domain name. The Panel finds that Respondent’s use of the disputed domain name for commercial gain is further evidence of Respondent’s bad faith registration and use under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv), due to the intentional likelihood of confusion between the disputed domain name and Complainant’s mark. See Busy Body, Inc. v. Fitness Outlet, Inc., D2000-0127 (WIPO Apr. 22, 2000) (finding bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) because the respondent and the complainant were in the same line of business and the respondent was using a domain name confusingly similar to the complainant’s FITNESS WAREHOUSE mark to attract Internet users to its <efitnesswarehouse.com> domain name); see also TM Acquisition Corp. v. Carroll, FA 97035 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 14, 2001) (finding bad faith where the respondent used the domain name, for commercial gain, to intentionally attract users to a direct competitor of the complainant).
The Panel finds that Complainant satisfied the elements of ICANN Policy¶ 4(a)(ii).
Having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <topmedline.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Hon. Carolyn Marks Johnson, Panelist
Dated: July 14, 2009.
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