national arbitration forum

 

DECISION

 

Hewlett-Packard Company and Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. v. Surya Technologies c/o Manoj Kumar Allakattu

Claim Number: FA0708001059665

 

PARTIES

Complainant is Hewlett-Packard Company and Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (collectively, “Complainant”), represented by Molly Buck Richard of Richard Law Group, Inc., 8411 Preston Road, Suite 890, Dallas, TX, 75225.  Respondent is Surya Technologies c/o Manoj Kumar Allakattu (“Respondent”), Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad 500028, IN.

 

REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME

The domain name at issue is <hpsoftware.com>, registered with Enom, Inc.

 

PANEL

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.

 

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically August 9, 2007; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint August 10, 2007.

 

On August 10, 2007, Enom, Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <hpsoftware.com> domain name is registered with Enom, Inc. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name.  Enom, Inc. verified that Respondent is bound by the Enom, Inc. 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 August 21, 2007, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of September 10, 2007, 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@hpsoftware.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 18, 2007, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed Hon. Carolyn Marks Johnson 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.

 

RELIEF SOUGHT

Complainant requests that the domain name be transferred from Respondent to Complainant.

 

PARTIES' CONTENTIONS

A.  Complainant makes the following assertions:

 

1.      The domain name that Respondent registered, <hpsoftware.com>, is confusingly similar to Complainant’s HP mark.

 

2.      Respondent has no rights to or legitimate interests in the <hpsoftware.com> domain name.

 

3.      Respondent registered and used the <hpsoftware.com> domain name in bad faith.

 

B.  Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.

 

FINDINGS

Complainant, Hewlett-Packard Development Company, is an affiliate of Hewlett-Packard Company (collectively referred to as “Complainant”).  Complainant produces computer hardware, printers, peripherals, software and other related goods or services.  Hewlett-Packard is the owner of over 45 trademarks and service marks registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) alone.  Specifically, Complainant owns rights in the trademark registration for the HP mark (Reg. No. 614,803 issued October 25, 1955).

 

Respondent registered the <hpsoftware.com> domain name May 8, 2005.  Respondent’s domain name resolves to a website featuring links to various competing printing related websites along with other unrelated commercial websites.

 

DISCUSSION

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.

 

Identical to and/or Confusingly Similar

 

Complainant contends that it has rights in the HP mark through its ownership of a trademark registration with the USPTO.  The Panel finds that Complainant’s longstanding trademark registration further establishes its rights in the HP mark for purposes of Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).  See Men’s Wearhouse, Inc. v. Wick, FA 117861 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 16, 2002) (“Under U.S. trademark law, registered marks hold a presumption that they are inherently distinctive [or] have acquired secondary meaning.”); see also Lockheed Martin Corp. v. Hoffman, FA 874152 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 31, 2007) (finding that complainant established rights in the SKUNK WORKS mark through its registration with the USPTO).

 

Respondent’s <hpsoftware.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s long-established mark.  Respondent’s disputed domain name contains Complainant’s HP mark and adds the term “software” as well as the generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) “.com.”  Past panels have held that the addition of a term that relates to the business in which Complainant engages and the addition of the gTLD are not sufficient to differentiate a domain name from a known mark.  See Am. Int’l Group, Inc. v. Ling Shun Shing, FA 206399 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 15, 2003) (finding that the addition of the term “assurance,” to the complainant’s AIG mark failed to sufficiently differentiate the name from the mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) because the appended term related directly to the complainant’s business); see also Am. Online, Inc. v. Anytime Online Traffic Sch., FA 146930 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 11, 2003) (finding that the respondent’s domain names, which incorporated the complainant’s entire mark and merely added the descriptive terms “traffic school,” “defensive driving,” and “driver improvement” did not add any distinctive features capable of overcoming a claim of confusing similarity); see also Rollerblade, Inc. v. McCrady, D2000-0429 (WIPO June 25, 2000) (finding that the top level of the domain name such as “.net” or “.com” does not affect the domain name for the purpose of determining whether it is identical or confusingly similar).  As a result, the Panel finds that Respondent’s domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark for purposes of Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).

 

The Panel finds that Complainant satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).

 

Rights to or Legitimate Interests

 

Complainant contends that Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the <hpsoftware.com> domain name.  Under certain circumstances, Complainant’s assertion may establish a prima facie case, resulting in a shift of the burden to Respondent to establish that Respondent does have rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain names.  The Panel finds Complainant has met its burden in this case.  See Do The Hustle, LLC v. Tropic Web, D2000-0624 (WIPO Aug. 21, 2000) (holding that, where the complainant has asserted that the respondent has no rights or legitimate interests with respect to the domain name, it is incumbent on the respondent to come forward with concrete evidence rebutting this assertion because this information is “uniquely within the knowledge and control of the respondent”).  Because Respondent failed to respond to the Complaint, the Panel infers that Respondent does not have rights and legitimate interests in the <hpsoftware.com> domain name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).  See Desotec N.V. v. Jacobi Carbons AB, D2000-1398 (WIPO Dec. 21, 2000) (finding that failing to respond allows a presumption that the complainant’s allegations are true unless clearly contradicted by the evidence).  However, the Panel examines the evidence under the Policy ¶ 4(c) elements before making findings that Respondent has no such rights or legitimate interests.

 

Complainant contends that Respondent is not commonly known by the <hpsoftware.com> domain name and is not licensed to register names featuring Complainant’s HP mark.  The Panel finds that without evidence suggesting otherwise, Respondent has not established rights or legitimate interests in the <hpsoftware.com> domain name under Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii).  See 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); see also Charles Jourdan Holding AG v. AAIM, D2000-0403 (WIPO June 27, 2000) (finding no rights or legitimate interests where (1) the respondent is not a licensee of the complainant; (2) the complainant’s prior rights in the domain name precede the respondent’s registration; (3) the respondent is not commonly known by the domain name in question).

 

Complainant submitted evidence that Respondent is using the disputed <hpsoftware.com> domain name to resolve to a website that features links to various websites offering competing printing related products as well as links to companies offering other unrelated commercial products and services.  The Panel infers from Respondent’s use that it is presumably collecting referral fees for each misdirected Internet user.  The Panel finds that Respondent’s use is not a bona fide offering of goods or services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) and it is not a legitimate noncommercial or fair use pursuant to Policy ¶ (c)(iii).  See Prudential Ins. Co. of Am. v. Stonybrook Invs., LTD, FA 100182 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 15, 2001) (finding no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name where the respondent was using the complainant’s mark to redirect Internet users to a website offering credit card services unrelated to those services legitimately offered under the complainant’s mark); 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 that Complainant satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).

 

Registration and Use in Bad Faith

 

Complainant contends that Respondent acted in bad faith is registering and using a domain name that contains in its entirety Complainant’s protected mark.  Respondent is using the <hpsoftware.com> domain name to operate websites that provide Internet users with links to various competing printing related websites.  The Panel finds that Respondent’s use of the disputed domain name constitutes a disruption of Complainant’s business and evinces bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii).  See Puckett, Individually v. Miller, D2000-0297 (WIPO June 12, 2000) (finding that the respondent has diverted business from the complainant to a competitor’s website in violation of Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii)); see also EBAY, Inc. v. MEOdesigns, D2000-1368 (WIPO Dec. 15, 2000) (finding that the respondent registered and used the domain name <eebay.com> in bad faith where the respondent has used the domain name to promote competing auction sites).

 

Furthermore, Respondent’s use will likely cause confusion as to Complainant’s sponsorship of and affiliation with the resulting websites.  The Panel finds that use of a confusingly similar domain name for Respondent’s own commercial gain is additional evidence of Respondent’s bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv).  See Perot Sys. Corp. v. Perot.net, FA 95312 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 29, 2000) (finding bad faith where the domain name in question is obviously connected with the complainant’s well-known marks, thus creating a likelihood of confusion strictly for commercial gain); see also Anne of Green Gable Licensing Auth., Inc. v. Internetworks, AF-0109 (eResolution June 12, 2000) (finding that the respondent violated Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) because the respondent admittedly used the complainant’s well-known mark to attract users to the respondent's website).

 

The Panel finds that Complainant satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii).

 

DECISION

Having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.

 

Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <hpsoftware.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.

 

 

Hon. Carolyn Marks Johnson, Panelist

Dated: October 2, 2007.

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