Interbond Corporation of
Claim Number: FA1002001307433
Complainant is Interbond Corporation of America d/b/a
Brandsmart U.S.A. (“Complainant”),
represented by Scott R. Austin, of Roetzel & Andress, LPA,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <proformabrandsmart.com>, registered with Godaddy.com, Inc.
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.
Judge Ralph Yachnin as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to
the National Arbitration Forum electronically on
On
On February 23, 2010, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of March 15, 2010 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@proformabrandsmart.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 <proformabrandsmart.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s BRANDSMART mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <proformabrandsmart.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <proformabrandsmart.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Interbond
Corporation of
Respondent, Proforma
Printelligence c/o Chris Bosworth, registered the disputed domain name
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.
Respondent, Proforma Printelligence c/o Chris Bosworth, registered the disputed domain name July 11, 2009.Complainant asserts it has rights in its BRANDSMART mark due to its registration with the USPTO (Reg. No. 1,754,384 issued February 23, 1993). The Panel finds that Complainant’s registration of its BRANDSMART mark with the USPTO is sufficient to establish Complainant’s rights in the mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Morgan Stanley v. Fitz-James, FA 571918 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 29, 2005) (finding from a preponderance of the evidence that the complainant had registered its mark with national trademark authorities, the Panel determined that “such registrations present a prima facie case of Complainant’s rights in the mark for purposes of Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).”).
The disputed domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s BRANDSMART mark. Respondent’s <proformabrandsmart.com> domain name incorporates the dominant features of Complainant’s mark, adds the term “proforma,” and adds the generic top-level domain “.com.” The Panel finds these minor alterations do not negate the confusingly similar aspects of Respondent’s domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Disney Enters. Inc. v. McSherry, FA 154589 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 17, 2003) (finding the <disneyvacationvillas.com> domain name to be confusingly similar to Complainant’s DISNEY mark because it incorporated Complainant’s entire famous mark and merely added two terms to it); see also Vanguard Group Inc. v. Proven Fin. Solutions, FA 572937 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 18, 2005) (holding that the addition of both the word “advisors” and the gTLD “.com” did not sufficiently alter the disputed domain name to negate a finding of confusing similarity under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i)); see also Westfield Corp. v. Hobbs, D2000-0227 (WIPO May 18, 2000) (finding the <westfieldshopping.com> domain name confusingly similar because the WESTFIELD mark was the dominant element).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) is satisfied.
The burden to establish that Respondent has rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name shifts to the Respondent once Complainant has made a prima facie case in support of allegations to the contrary, pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). Complainant alleges that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. The Panel finds Complainant has established a prima facie case, shifting the burden to the Respondent. In light of Respondent’s failure to respond to the proceedings, the Panel will proceed to analyze the record in light of Policy ¶ 4(c). See Domtar, Inc. v. Theriault, FA 1089426 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan 4, 2008) (“It is well established that, once a complainant has made out a prima facie case in support of its allegations, the burden shifts to respondent to show that it does have rights or legitimate interests pursuan to paragraph 4 (a)(ii) of the Policy.”); see also G.D. Searle v Martin Mktg., FA 118277 (Nat. Arb. Forum Oct. 1, 2002) (“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).”)
The WHOIS information for the <proformabrandsmart.com> domain name lists “Proforma Printelligence, Chris Bosworth” as the registrant. Complainant asserts Respondent is not licensed or otherwise authorized to use the BRANDSMART mark. Without affirmative evidence, the Panel finds that Respondent appears to be but is not commonly known by the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). 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 Yoga Works, Inc. v. Arpita, FA 155461 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 17, 2003) (finding that the respondent was not “commonly known by” the <shantiyogaworks.com> domain name despite listing its name as “Shanti Yoga Works” in its WHOIS contact information because there was “no affirmative evidence before the Panel that the respondent was ever ‘commonly known by’ the disputed domain name prior to its registration of the disputed domain name”).
The disputed domain name resolves to a website that offers links to competitors of Complainant. The Panel finds that Respondent’s use of the <proformabrandsmart.com> domain name is not a bona fide offering of goods or services under Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or a making legitimate noncommercial or fair use under Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii). See Black & Decker Corp. v. Clinical Evaluations, FA 112629 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 24, 2002) (holding that the respondent’s use of the disputed domain name to redirect Internet users to commercial websites, unrelated to the complainant and presumably with the purpose of earning a commission or pay-per-click referral fee did not evidence rights or legitimate interests in the domain name); see also TM Acquisition Corp. v. Sign Guards, FA 132439 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 31, 2002) (finding that the respondent’s diversionary use of the complainant’s marks to send Internet users to a website which displayed a series of links, some of which linked to the complainant’s competitors, was not a bona fide offering of goods or services).
The Panel finds Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii)
has been satisfied.
The Panel finds Respondent’s registration and use of the <proformabrandsmart.com>
domain name to operate a web directory that contains links to third-party
websites that compete with the Complainant constitutes a disruption of
Complainant’s business and qualifies as bad faith registration and use pursuant
to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii). See
DatingDirect.com Ltd. v. Aston,
FA 593977 (Nat. Arb. Forum
Respondent uses the disputed
domain name to offer links to competitors of Complainant. Internet
users, searching for Complainant’s products, may become confused as to
Complainant’s sponsorship or affiliation with the disputed domain name and
resolving website. Respondent attempts to profit from this confusion through
its presumed receipt of click-through fees by linking to third-parties.
Therefore, the Panel finds Respondent’s use of the disputed domain name
constitutes bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See Computerized Sec. Sys., Inc. v. Hu,
FA 157321 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 23, 2003) (finding that the respondent’s use of
the <saflock.com> domain name to offer goods competing with the
complainant’s illustrates the respondent’s bad faith registration and use of
the domain name, evidence of bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy
¶ 4(b)(iv)); see also DatingDirect.com Ltd. v. Aston, FA
593977 (Nat. Arb. Forum
The Panel finds 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 <proformabrandsmart.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Hon. Ralph Yachnin, Panelist
Justice, Supreme Court, NY (Ret.)
Dated: April 6, 2010
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