Exxon Mobil Corporation v. Internet Administrator
Claim Number: FA0906001267986
Complainant is Exxon
Mobil Corporation (“Complainant”), represented by Leanne Stendell, of Haynes and Boone, LLP,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <exxonmobilgiftcard.com>, registered with Dotster.
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.
The Honorable Charles K. McCotter, Jr. (Ret.) as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically on June 12, 2009; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on June 15, 2009.
On June 12, 2009, Dotster confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <exxonmobilgiftcard.com> domain name is registered with Dotster and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Dotster has verified that Respondent is bound by the Dotster 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 June 18, 2009, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of July 8, 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@exxonmobilgiftcard.com by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On July 14, 2009, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed the Honorable Charles K. McCotter, Jr. (Ret.) 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 <exxonmobilgiftcard.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s EXXONMOBIL mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <exxonmobilgiftcard.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <exxonmobilgiftcard.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Exxon Mobil Corporation, has registered its EXXONMOBIL mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) (Reg. No. 2,510,978 issued November 20, 2001). The mark is used in connection with its oil and petroleum products. Complainant also authorizes the use of its mark in connection with its provision of gift cards.
Respondent registered the <exxonmobilgiftcard.com> domain name on June 11, 2008. The disputed domain name resolves to a website that falsely purports to offer a $1,000 gift card from Respondent.
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 established its rights in the EXXONMOBIL
mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) by submitting evidence of
its registration of the mark with the USPTO.
The Panel finds that the <exxonmobilgiftcard.com> domain name is confusingly similar to the EXXONMOBIL mark because the additions of the descriptive phrase “gift card” and the generic top-level domain “.com” are insufficient to distinguish the disputed domain name from the mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Trip Network Inc. v. Alviera, FA 914943 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 27, 2007) (concluding that the affixation of a gTLD to a domain name is irrelevant to a Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) analysis); see also Vance Int’l, Inc. v. Abend, FA 970871 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 8, 2007) (finding that by adding the term “security” to the complainant’s VANCE mark, which described the complainant’s business, the respondent “very significantly increased” the likelihood of confusion with the complainant’s mark).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant has alleged that Respondent lacks rights and
legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. The Panel finds that Complainant must set forth
a sufficient prima facie case
supporting this assertion, before Respondent receives the burden of proving its
rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. The Panel finds Complainant has set forth a
sufficient prima facie case in this
instance, and now the burden of proving otherwise lies with Respondent. See Hanna-Barbera Prods., Inc. v. Entm’t Commentaries, FA 741828 (Nat. Arb. Forum
Aug. 18, 2006) (holding that the complainant must first make a prima facie
case that the respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed
domain name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) before the burden
shifts to the respondent to show that it does have rights or legitimate
interests in a domain name); see also Swedish
Match UK Ltd. v. Admin, Domain,
FA 873137 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 13, 2007) (finding that once a prima
facie case has been established by the complainant under Policy ¶ 4(c), the
burden then shifts to the respondent to demonstrate its rights or legitimate
interests in the disputed domain name).
Complainant asserts that Respondent is not commonly known by the
disputed domain name, and that the registrant for the disputed domain name is “Internet
Administrator.” Moreover, Complainant
argues that Respondent has no license or permission to use Complainant’s mark
in any fashion. The Panel finds that
Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed 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
Reese v. Morgan, FA 917029 (Nat.
Arb. Forum Apr. 5, 2007) (concluding that the respondent was not commonly known
by the <lilpunk.com> domain name as there was no evidence in the record
showing that the respondent was commonly known by that domain name, including
the WHOIS information as well as the complainant’s assertion that it did not
authorize or license the respondent’s use of its mark in a domain name).
Complainant alleges that Respondent is using the disputed domain name
to fraudulently convey an offer for a $1,000 gift card from Complainant. Complainant contends that it does not produce
a gift card of this value, that Respondent is obtaining referral fees for
persons directed to the website, and that any information volunteered by
Internet users to Respondent is obtained by fraud. The Panel finds that this use fails to
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 Bank of Am. Corp. v. Nw. Free Cmty. Access, FA 180704 (Nat. Arb.
Forum Sept. 30, 2003) (“Respondent’s demonstrated intent to divert Internet
users seeking Complainant’s website to a website of Respondent and for
Respondent’s benefit is not a bona fide offering of goods or services under
Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) and it is not a legitimate
noncommercial or fair use under Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii).”); see also Juno Online Servs., Inc. v. Nelson, FA 241972 (Nat. Arb.
Forum Mar. 29, 2004) (finding that using a domain name in a fraudulent scheme
to deceive Internet users into providing their credit card and personal
information is not a bona fide offering
of goods or services nor a legitimate noncommercial or fair use).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
The Panel finds that Respondent intentionally created a
likelihood of confusion as to Complainant’s affiliation or endorsement of the
disputed domain name. By purporting to
offer one of Complainant’s gift cards, albeit in an amount not proffered by
Complainant, Internet users voluntarily giving Respondent information in
reliance thereon will be subject to misappropriation of that information for
Respondent’s personal gain. Respondent presumably
obtains referral fees for Internet users successfully tricked into visiting the
resolving website and giving up their personal information. Therefore, Respondent has engaged in bad
faith registration and use under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See Juno Online Servs.,
Inc. v. Iza, FA 245960 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 3, 2004) (finding that
using a domain name that “is confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark,
redirects Internet users to a website that imitates Complainant’s billing
website, and is used to fraudulently acquire personal information from
Complainant’s clients” is evidence of bad faith registration and use); see also 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).
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 <exxonmobilgiftcard.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
The Honorable Charles K. McCotter, Jr. (Ret.), Panelist
Dated: July 28, 2009
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