Cafepress.com, Inc. v. Forsyte Corporation
Claim Number: FA0907001273217
Complainant is Cafepress.com, Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by CitizenHawk, Inc.,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <cafewpress.com>, registered with Availabledomains.ca.
The undersigned certifies that he 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.
Judge Ralph Yachnin as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to
the National Arbitration Forum electronically on
On
On July 20, 2009, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of August 10, 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@cafewpress.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 <cafewpress.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s CAFEPRESS mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <cafewpress.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <cafewpress.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Cafepress.com, Inc., operates a popular website
offering customized merchandise to a wide range of customers. Complainant owns a trademark registration for
the CAFEPRESS mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”)
(Reg. No. 2,935,560 issued
Respondent registered the <cafewpress.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.
Complainant owns a trademark registration for the CAFEPRESS
mark with the USPTO (Reg. No. 2,935,560 issued
Complainant argues that
Respondent’s <cafewpress.com> domain name is confusingly
similar to Complainant’s CAFEPRESS mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). Respondent’s disputed domain name contains
Respondent’s mark in its entirety, adds a “w,” and adds the generic top-level
domain (“gTLD”) “.com.” The Panel finds
that a disputed domain name that adds a “w” to a registered mark has the effect
of making the disputed domain name confusingly similar to the registered
mark. See Reuters Ltd. v.
Global Net 2000, Inc., D2000-0441 (WIPO July 13, 2000) (finding that a
domain name which differs by only one letter from a trademark has a greater
tendency to be confusingly similar to the trademark where the trademark is
highly distinctive); see also
Computerized Sec. Sys., Inc. v. Hu, FA 157321 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 23,
2003) (finding that the addition of the letter “c” to the complainant’s SAFLOK
mark does not distinguish the <saflock.com> domain name from the mark
under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i)). ).”). In
addition, the Panel finds that the addition of a gTLD is irrelevant in
distinguishing a disputed domain name from a registered mark. See
Reese v. Morgan, FA 917029 (Nat. Arb. Forum
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant alleges that Respondent lacks all rights and legitimate interests in the <cafewpress.com> domain name. If 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). The Panel finds that Complainant has establised a prima facie case. 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 Towmaster, Inc. v. Hale, FA 973506 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 4, 2007) (“Complainant must first make a prima facie case that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), and then the burden shifts to Respondent to show it does have rights or legitimate interests.”).
Complainant contends that Respondent is neither commonly
known by, nor licensed to register, the <cafewpress.com> domain name. Respondent’s WHOIS information identifies
Respondent as “Forsyte Corporation.” The
Panel finds that the WHOIS information demonstrates 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
M. Shanken Commc’ns v. WORLDTRAVELERSONLINE.COM, FA 740335 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 3,
2006) (finding that the respondent was not commonly known by the
<cigaraficionada.com> domain name under Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii) based on the
WHOIS information and other evidence in the record); see also 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).
Respondent registered the <cafewpress.com>
domain name on November 15, 2007 and is using it to display links advertising
third-party websites, some of which are in competition with Complainant. The Panel infers that Respondent is using the
disputed domain name to earn click-through fees, and thus finds that Respondent
has not made a bona fide offering of
goods or services under Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or a legitimate noncommercial or fair
use under 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 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).
Respondent has engaged in the practice known as
“typosquatting.” This occurs when domain
names are registered with the intent of targeting Internet users who commit
typographical errors. This practice
constitutes evidence of Respondent’s lack of rights and legitimate interests
under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). See LTD Commodities LLC v. Party Night, Inc., FA 165155 (Nat. Arb. Forum
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
The Panel finds that Respondent’s use of the <cafewpress.com> domain name to disrupt the
business of Complainant by offering links to competitors is evidence of bad
faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii). See EBAY, Inc. v. MEOdesigns, D2000-1368 (
In addition, Respondent is using the <cafewpress.com> domain name to intentionally
divert Internet users to the associated website, which displays third-party
links to competing websites. In cases
such as this, the Panel assumes that Respondent is collecting click-through
fees and attempting to profit by creating a likelihood of confusion between
Complainant’s mark and the disputed domain name. The Panel finds that Respondent’s use of the
disputed domain name is further evidence of bad faith registration and use
pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See Zee TV USA, Inc. v.
Siddiqi, FA 721969 (Nat. Arb. Forum July 18, 2006) (finding that the
respondent engaged in bad faith registration and use by using a domain name
that was confusingly similar to the complainant’s mark to offer links to
third-party websites that offered services similar to those offered by the
complainant); see
also
The Panel has determined that Respondent has engaged in
typosquatting. The Panel need only note
here that typosquatting is generally considered to be sufficient evidence
itself of bad faith registration and use under Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii). The Panel so finds in the instant case. See Zone Labs, Inc. v. Zuccarini, FA 190613 (Nat. Arb. Forum
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 <cafewpress.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Hon. Ralph Yachnin, Panelist
Justice, Supreme Court, NY (Ret.)
Dated: August 27, 2009
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