National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. v. baoxing c/o yu lin
Claim Number: FA0908001277623
Complainant is National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences,
Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by Joel R. Feldman, of Greenberg Traurig, LLP,
Georgia,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <grammyusa.com>, registered with Xin Net Technology Corporation.
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.
James A. Carmody, Esq., as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically on August 4, 2009; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on August 5, 2009.
On August 6, 2009, Xin Net Technology Corporation confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <grammyusa.com> domain name is registered with Xin Net Technology Corporation and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Xin Net Technology Corporation has verified that Respondent is bound by the Xin Net Technology Corporation 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 August 14, 2009, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of September 3, 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@grammyusa.com by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On September 11, 2009, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed James A. Carmody, Esq., 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 <grammyusa.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s GRAMMY mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <grammyusa.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <grammyusa.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant,
Respondent, baoxing c/o yu lin, registered the disputed <grammyusa.com> domain name on April 27, 2009. The disputed domain name resolves to a website that displays Complainant’s GRAMMY logo, displays a link to Complainant’s website at the <grammy.com> domain name, and states in Chinese that the resolving website is offering a brand for shoes and jewelry authorized by 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 has submitted evidence of its numerous
registrations of the GRAMMY mark with the USPTO (i.e. Reg. No. 1,865,177 issued
November 29, 1994). The Panel therefore
finds that Complainant has sufficient rights in the mark under Policy ¶
4(a)(i), and that Respondent’s residence is immaterial when considering such
rights. See Google, Inc. v. DktBot.org,
FA 286993 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 4, 2004) (finding that the complainant had
established rights in the GOOGLE mark through its holding of numerous trademark
registrations around the world); see also
Renaissance Hotel Holdings, Inc. v. Renaissance
The <grammyusa.com>
domain name contains Complainant’s entire GRAMMY mark, while adding only the
geographic abbreviation “
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant has asserted that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. Complainant must successfully assert a sufficient prima facie case supporting its allegations before Respondent receives the burden of demonstrating its rights or legitimate interests. The Panel finds that Complainant has met its burden, and therefore Respondent must demonstrate its rights or legitimate interests under Policy ¶ 4(c). See G.D. Searle v. Martin Mktg., FA 118277 (Nat. Arb. Forum Oct. 1, 2002) (“Because Complainant’s Submission constitutes a prima facie case under the Policy, the burden effectively shifts to Respondent. Respondent’s failure to respond means that Respondent has not presented any circumstances that would promote its rights or legitimate interests in the subject domain name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).”); 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).
There is no evidence within the record for the Panel to conclude that Respondent is or ever was commonly known by the disputed domain name. The registrant of record in the WHOIS information is listed as “baoxing c/o yu lin,” which bears no similarity to the disputed domain name. Therefore, the Panel finds that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See 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 Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii) does not apply); see also 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).
The disputed domain name resolves to a website that displays
Complainant’s GRAMMY logo, displays a link to Complainant’s website at the
<grammy.com> domain name, and states in Chinese that the resolving
website is offering a brand for shoes and jewelry authorized by
Complainant. The Panel presumes that
Respondent is attempting to garner some form of commercial gain, such as the
receipt of referral fees, based on its alleged authorization and affiliation
with Complainant. However, given that
Complainant expressly denies any such affiliation, Respondent has thus failed to
create anything that could be described as a bona fide offering of goods
or services or a legitimate or fair use of the domain names pursuant to Policy
¶¶ 4(c)(i) or (iii). See 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); see also eBay Inc. v. Hong,
D2000-1633 (WIPO Jan. 18, 2001) (stating that the respondent’s use of the
complainant’s entire mark in domain names makes it difficult to infer a
legitimate use).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
Complainant contends that Respondent is making a commercial
use of the disputed domain name. The
Panel agrees, given that Complainant’s provided web page translation evidences that Respondent is promoting an
alleged offering of shoes and jewelry under a license from Complainant and
using Complainant’s logo on the resolving website. Respondent has thus created a likelihood of
confusion as to Complainant’s affiliation with, and endorsement of,
Respondent’s disputed domain name and resolving website for commercial
gain. The Panel therefore finds that
Respondent has engaged in bad faith registration and use under Policy ¶
4(b)(iv).
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 <grammyusa.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
James A. Carmody, Esq., Panelist
Dated: September 24, 2009
Click Here to return to the main Domain Decisions Page.
Click Here to return to our Home Page
National
Arbitration Forum