Foster and Smith, Inc. v. Taranga Services Pty Ltd / Domain Admin
Claim Number: FA1105001387335
Complainant is Foster and Smith, Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by Kourtney A. Mulcahy of Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP, Illinois, USA. Respondent is Taranga Services Pty Ltd / Domain Admin (“Respondent”), New Zealand.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The domain name at issue is <drssmithfoster.com>, registered with MONIKER ONLINE SERVICES, 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 May 5, 2011; the National Arbitration Forum received payment on May 6, 2011.
On May 6, 2011, MONIKER ONLINE SERVICES, INC. confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <drssmithfoster.com> domain name is registered with MONIKER ONLINE SERVICES, INC. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. MONIKER ONLINE SERVICES, INC. has verified that Respondent is bound by the MONIKER ONLINE SERVICES, INC. registration agreement and has thereby agreed to resolve domain disputes brought by third parties in accordance with ICANN’s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the “Policy”).
On May 10, 2011, the Forum served the Complaint and all Annexes, including a Written Notice of the Complaint, setting a deadline of May 31, 2011 by which Respondent could file a Response to the Complaint, via e-mail to all entities and persons listed on Respondent’s registration as technical, administrative, and billing contacts, and to postmaster@drssmithfoster.com. Also on May 10, 2011, the Written Notice of the Complaint, notifying Respondent of the email addresses served and the deadline for a Response, was transmitted to Respondent via post and fax, to all entities and persons listed on Respondent’s registration as technical, administrative and billing contacts.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On June 1, 2011, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed Judge Ralph Yachnin 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" through submission of Electronic and Written Notices, as defined in Rule 1 and Rule 2. 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 <drssmithfoster.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s DRS. FOSTER SMITH mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <drssmithfoster.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <drssmithfoster.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Foster and Smith, Inc., is an international distributor and retailer of pet food and wellness supplies. Complainant owns a trademark registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") for its DRS. FOSTER SMITH mark (Reg. No. 2,683,524 issued February 4, 2003).
Respondent registered the <drssmithfoster.com> domain name on November 27, 2005. The disputed domain name resolves to a website that Respondent uses to post hyperlinks to animal supplies that compete with Complainant’s business.
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 that it has rights in the DRS. FOSTER SMITH mark because it registered the mark with the USPTO (Reg. No. 2,683,524 issued February 4, 2003). The Panel finds that Complainant has rights in the mark as registration of a mark with a federal trademark authority is sufficient for establishing rights in a mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Trip Network Inc. v. Alviera, FA 914943 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 27, 2007) (finding that the complainant’s federal trademark registrations for the CHEAPTICKETS and CHEAPTICKETS.COM marks were adequate to establish its rights in the mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i)); see also Renaissance Hotel Holdings, Inc. v. Renaissance Cochin, FA 932344 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 23, 2007) (finding that it does not matter whether the complainant has registered its trademark in the country in which the respondent resides, only that it can establish rights in some jurisdiction).
Complainant alleges that Respondent’s <drssmithfoster.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s DRS. FOSTER SMITH mark. Complainant argues that the domain name merely transposes the terms “foster” and “smith” from its mark while omitting the period from the mark, removing the spaces between the terms of the mark, and adding the generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) “.com.” Complainant argues that such changes and omissions from its mark are not sufficient to render the disputed domain name distinct from Complainant’s mark. The Panel agrees and finds that under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) the <drssmithfoster.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s DRS. FOSTER SMITH mark. See Am. Int’l Group, Inc. v. Domain Admin. Ltd., FA 1106369 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 31, 2007) (finding that “spaces are impermissible and a generic top-level domain, such as ‘.com,’ ‘.net,’ ‘.biz,’ or ‘.org,’ is required in domain names. Therefore, the panel finds that the disputed domain name [<americangenerallifeinsurance.com>] is confusingly similar to the complainant’s [AMERICAN GENERAL] mark.”); see also Dawson v. Doctor, FA 521036 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 1, 2005) (finding that the <drgem.com> domain name was identical to Complainant’s DR. GEM mark because “…the domain name fully incorporates the mark and merely removes the period after the abbreviation “DR.”); see also Bloomberg L.P. v. Herrington Hart, NIRT, FA 464790 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 1, 2005) (“The Panel finds that the use of transposed words, similar to transposed letters does not suffice to differentiate the disputed domain name from Complainant’s mark to create a separate and distinct mark.”); see also Jerry Damson, Inc. v. Tex. Int’l Prop. Assocs., FA 916991 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 10, 2007) (“The mere addition of a generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) “.com” does not serve to adequately distinguish the Domain Name from the mark.”).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been established.
Complainant alleges that Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. Once Complainant has made a prima facie showing in support of its allegation, the burden shifts to Respondent to establish that it has rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. Because Respondent failed to respond to these proceedings, the Panel assumes that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). However, the Panel elects to parse through the record to determine whether Respondent has rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(c). See Intel Corp. v. Macare, FA 660685 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 26, 2006) (finding the “complainant must first make a prima facie case that [the] respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain names under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), and then the burden shifts to [the] respondent to show it does have rights or legitimate interests.”); see also Am. Express Co. v. Fang Suhendro, FA 129120 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 30, 2002) (“[B]ased on Respondent's failure to respond, it is presumed that Respondent lacks all rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name.”).
Complainant contends that Respondent is neither commonly known by the disputed domain name nor has Complainant given Respondent authorization to use Complainant’s mark. The Panel, after parsing through the record, was unable to find any evidence that would allow it to find that Respondent is commonly known by the disputed domain name. Additionally, the WHOIS information fails to contain any information that would permit the Panel to find that Respondent is commonly known by the disputed domain name. Therefore, the Panel finds that Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See Vance Int’l, Inc. v. Abend, FA 970871 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 8, 2007) (concluding that the operation of a pay-per-click website at a confusingly similar domain name does not represent a bona fide offering of goods or services or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use, regardless of whether or not the links resolve to competing or unrelated websites or if the respondent is itself commercially profiting from the click-through fees); see also ALPITOUR S.p.A. v. Albloushi, FA 888651 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 26, 2007) (rejecting the respondent’s contention of rights and legitimate interests in the <bravoclub.com> domain name because the respondent was merely using the domain name to operate a website containing links to various competing commercial websites, which the panel did not find to be a use in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii)).
Complainant asserts that Respondent’s disputed domain name is not being used in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services, nor is Respondent making a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the <drssmithfoster.com> domain name. Respondent’s disputed domain name resolves to a website that displays third-party hyperlinks to websites offering goods and services in competition with Complainant, presumably for profit. The Panel finds that Respondent’s use of the disputed domain name to maintain a links directory website that displays third-party links to Complainant’s competitors in the pet food and wellness supply industry, presumably for financial gain, does not constitute a bona fide offering of goods or services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii). See Vance Int’l, Inc. v. Abend, FA 970871 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 8, 2007) (concluding that the operation of a pay-per-click website at a confusingly similar domain name does not represent a bona fide offering of goods or services or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use, regardless of whether or not the links resolve to competing or unrelated websites or if the respondent is itself commercially profiting from the click-through fees); see also ALPITOUR S.p.A. v. Albloushi, FA 888651 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 26, 2007) (rejecting the respondent’s contention of rights and legitimate interests in the <bravoclub.com> domain name because the respondent was merely using the domain name to operate a website containing links to various competing commercial websites, which the panel did not find to be a use in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii)).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been established.
Complainant contends that Respondent is using of the disputed domain name to divert Internet users who are seeking Complainant’s business to Respondent’s website that displays hyperlinks to competing businesses. The Panel infers that such use results in a disruption of Complainant’s online business and finds that Respondent’s registration and use of the disputed domain name constitutes bad faith under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii). See Tesco Pers. Fin. Ltd. v. Domain Mgmt. Servs., FA 877982 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 13, 2007) (concluding that the use of a confusingly similar domain name to attract Internet users to a directory website containing commercial links to the websites of a complainant’s competitors represents bad faith registration and use under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii)); see also David Hall Rare Coins v. Tex. Int’l Prop. Assocs., FA 915206 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 9, 2007) (finding that the respondent registered and used the disputed domain name in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii) because respondent used the disputed domain name to advertise goods and services of complainant’s competitors, thereby disrupting the complainant’s business).
Complainant further alleges that Respondent’s use of the disputed domain name to intentionally attract Internet users for commercial gain is evidence of bad faith registration and use under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). Complainant argues that Respondent’s disputed domain name creates a likelihood of confusion between the disputed domain name and Complainant’s mark, and Respondent seeks to capitalize on that likelihood of confusion by making money on click-through fees paid by websites in competition with Complainant that are displayed on Respondent’s website. The Panel finds that Respondent has intentionally attempted to attract Internet users to its website for commercial gain and this use is evidence of bad faith 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 AOL LLC v. AIM Profiles, FA 964479 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 20, 2007) (finding that the respondent registered and used the disputed domain name in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) because the respondent was commercially gaining from the likelihood of confusion between the complainant’s AIM mark and the competing instant messaging products and services advertised on the respondent’s website which resolved from the disputed domain name).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) has been established.>
Having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <drssmithfoster.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Hon. Ralph Yachnin, Panelist
Justice, Supreme Court, NY (Ret.)
Dated: June 1, 2011
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