American Girl, LLC v. The Tidewinds Group, Inc
Claim Number: FA0802001153605
Complainant is American Girl, LLC (“Complainant”), represented by Nikitas
E. Nicolakis, of Dunnegan LLC,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <americangirl.net>, registered with Fabulous.com Pty Ltd.
The undersigned certifies that he or she 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.
Sandra J. Franklin as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to
the National Arbitration Forum electronically on
On
On March 7, 2008, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of March 27, 2008 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@americangirl.net 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 <americangirl.net> domain name is identical to Complainant’s AMERICAN GIRL mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <americangirl.net> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <americangirl.net> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, American Girl, LLC, markets dolls, doll related
accessories and other child entertainment items under its AMERICAN GIRL
mark. Complainant has provided evidence that
it first registered its AMERICAN GIRL mark with the United States Patent and
Trademark Office (“USPTO”) on
Respondent registered its <americangirl.net>
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.
Complainant has provided evidence of the registration of its
mark with the USPTO. The Panel finds
this is sufficient evidence to establish Complainant’s rights in its AMERICAN
GIRL mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See
Respondent’s <americangirl.net>
domain name is identical to Complainant’s AMERICAN GIRL mark because it fully
incorporates Complainant’s mark without the space between the two terms, and with
the addition of the generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) “.net,” both of which are
considered irrelevant for the purposes of evaluating a disputed domain name
under the UDRP. Therefore, the Panel
finds Respondent’s disputed domain name is identical to Complainant’s mark pursuant
to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Little Six, Inc. v. Domain For
The Panel finds Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant has alleged Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. Once Complainant makes a prima facie case in support of its allegations, the burden shifts to Respondent to prove it does have rights or legitimate interests pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). The Panel finds Complainant has established a prima facie case. Due to Respondent’s failure to respond to the Complaint, the Panel assumes Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. The Panel will nevertheless examine the record to determine whether Respondent has rights or legitimate interests pursuant to 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 Pavillion Agency, Inc. v. Greenhouse Agency Ltd., D2000-1221 (WIPO Dec. 4, 2000) (finding that the respondents’ failure to respond can be construed as an admission that they have no legitimate interest in the domain names).
Respondent’s disputed domain name resolves to a website which displays links to commercial websites. The Panel finds this use is not a use in connection with a bona fide offering of goods and services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i), or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use pursuant to 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 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).
Additionally, Respondent does not appear to be commonly known
by the <americangirl.net>
domain name. The WHOIS information
indicates Respondent is “The Tidewinds Group, Inc.” and the record does not
indicate Complainant has authorized Respondent to use its AMERICAN GIRL mark. Therefore, the Panel finds Respondent is not
commonly known by the disputed domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See
Wells Fargo & Co. v. Onlyne Corp. Services11,
Inc., FA 198969 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 17,
2003) (“Given the WHOIS contact information for the disputed domain [name], one
can infer that Respondent, Onlyne Corporate Services11, is not commonly known
by the name ‘welsfargo’ in any derivation.”); see also Ian Schrager Hotels, L.L.C. v. Taylor, FA 173369
(Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 25, 2003) (finding that without demonstrable evidence to
support the assertion that a respondent is commonly known by a domain name, the
assertion must be rejected).
The Panel finds Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii)
has been satisfied.
Complainant has provided evidence of its rights in the mark
through the registration of its AMERICAN GIRL mark with the USPTO. Panels have held that Complainant’s
registration with the USPTO creates rights in the mark dating back to the
filing date of the application. The
earliest evidence of Complainant’s registration of its AMERICAN GIRLS mark with
the USPTO dates back to an application filing date of January 14, 2005. Complainant has not provided any evidence
that it possessed common law rights or other trademarks previous to this
date. Since Respondent registered the
disputed domain name on March 28, 2002, approximately three years before
Complainant has alleged rights in the mark, the Panel finds Respondent did not
register or use the mark in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii). See
Open Sys. Computing AS v. degli
Alessandri, D2000-1393 (WIPO Dec. 11, 2000) (finding no bad faith where the
respondent registered the domain name in question before application and
commencement of use of the trademark by the complainant); see also Interep Nat'l Radio Sales, Inc. v. Internet
Domain Names, Inc., D2000-0174 (WIPO May 26, 2000) (finding no bad faith
where the respondent registered the domain prior to the complainant’s use of
the mark).
The Panel finds Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) has not been satisfied.
Having failed to establish all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be DENIED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <americangirl.net> domain name REMAIN with Respondent.
Sandra J. Franklin, Panelist
Dated: April 16, 2008
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