DECISION

 

Ebates Performance Marketing, Inc. v. Eric Ye / Eric

Claim Number: FA1806001794302

 

PARTIES

Complainant is Ebates Performance Marketing, Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by Brian M. Davis of VLP Law Group LLP, North Carolina, USA.  Respondent is Eric Ye / Eric (“Respondent”), New York, USA.

 

REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME

The domain name at issue is <shopular.app>, registered with NameCheap, Inc..

 

PANEL

The undersigned certifies that she has acted independently and impartially and to the best of her knowledge has no known conflict in serving as Panelist in this proceeding.

 

Sandra J. Franklin as Panelist.

 

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Complainant submitted a Complaint to the Forum electronically on June 28, 2018; the Forum received payment on June 28, 2018.

 

On June 29, 2018, NameCheap, Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the Forum that the <shopular.app> domain name is registered with NameCheap, Inc. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name.  NameCheap, Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the NameCheap, 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 July 2, 2018, the Forum served the Complaint and all Annexes, including a Written Notice of the Complaint, setting a deadline of July 23, 2018 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@shopular.app.  Also on July 2, 2018, the Written Notice of the Complaint, notifying Respondent of the e-mail 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 Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.

 

On July 26, 2018, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the Forum appointed as Panelist.

 

Having reviewed the communications records, the Administrative Panel (the "Panel") finds that the 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 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

1.    Respondent’s <shopular.app> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s SHOPULAR mark.

 

2.    Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <shopular.app> domain name.

 

3.    Respondent registered and uses the <shopular.app> domain name in bad faith.

 

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

 

FINDINGS

Complainant, Ebates Performance Marketing, Inc., uses the SHOPULAR mark in connection with its mobile application offering local promotions.  Complainant holds a registration for the SHOPULAR mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) (Reg. No. 5,283,587 registered Sep. 12, 2017).

 

Respondent registered the <shopular.app> domain name on May 9, 2018, and  is passively holding the domain name.

 

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."

 

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.

 

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(f), 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 (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.”).

 

Identical and/or Confusingly Similar

The Panel finds that Complainant has rights in the SHOPULAR mark based upon its registration of the mark with the USPTO.  Registration of a mark with the USPTO is sufficient to establish Complainant’s rights in a mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).  See Haas Automation, Inc. v. Jim Fraser, FA 1627211 (Forum Aug. 4, 2015) (finding that Complainant’s USPTO registrations for the HAAS mark sufficiently demonstrate its rights in the mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i)). Here, Complainant provides a copy of its registration of the mark with the USPTO (e.g., Reg. No. 5,283,587 registered Sep. 12, 2017).

 

Respondent’s <shopular.app> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark because Respondent incorporates the mark and adds a descriptive gTLD.  These changes are insufficient to distinguish a domain name from a mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).  See Tupelo Honey Hospitality Corporation v. King, Reggie, FA 1732247 (Forum July 19, 2017) (“Addition of a gTLD is irrelevant where a mark has been fully incorporated into a domain name and the gTLD is the sole difference.”).  Therefore, the Panel finds that Respondent’s <shopular.app> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s SHOPULAR mark.

 

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

 

Rights or Legitimate Interests

Once Complainant makes a prima facie case that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), the burden shifts to Respondent to show it does have rights or legitimate interests. See Advanced International Marketing Corporation v. AA-1 Corp, FA 780200 (Forum Nov. 2, 2011) (finding that a complainant must offer some evidence to make its prima facie case and satisfy Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii)); see also Neal & Massey Holdings Limited v. Gregory Ricks, FA 1549327 (Forum Apr. 12, 2014) (“Under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), Complainant must first make out a prima facie case showing that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in respect of an at-issue domain name and then the burden, in effect, shifts to Respondent to come forward with evidence of its rights or legitimate interests”).

 

Complainant argues that Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name and fails to make an active use of the domain name.  The WHOIS information of record identifies the registrant of the disputed domain name as “Eric Ye.”  The Panel finds that the Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name and thus lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name per Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii).  See Chevron Intellectual Property LLC v. Fred Wallace, FA1506001626022 (Forum July 27, 2015) (finding that the respondent was not commonly known by the <chevron-europe.com> domain name under Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii), as the WHOIS information named “Fred Wallace” as registrant of the disputed domain name).

 

Complainant argues that the Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the <shopular.app> domain name because Respondent fails to use the disputed domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods and services or for a legitimate noncommercial or fair use.  Specifically, Complainant asserts that Respondent fails to make an active use of the disputed domain name.  Passively holding a domain name may not be considered a bona fide offering or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use per Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) and (iii).  See George Weston Bakeries Inc. v. McBroom, FA 933276 (Forum Apr. 25, 2007) (finding that the respondent had no rights or legitimate interests in a domain name under either Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii) where it failed to make any active use of the domain name).  Complainant provides evidence showing that Respondent claims to have purchased the disputed domain name to give to a friend as a gift and has not made an active use of the domain name since the purchase.  The Panel finds that Respondent fails to use the disputed domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods and services or for a legitimate noncommercial or fair use per Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) and (iii).

 

The Panel finds that Complainant has satisfied Policy ¶ 4(b)(ii).

 

Registration and Use in Bad Faith

Respondent is passively holding the disputed domain name.  A respondent who passively holds a disputed domain name containing a registered mark may be found to be acting in bad faith under Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii).  See VideoLink, Inc. v. Xantech Corporation, FA1503001608735 (Forum May 12, 2015) (“Failure to actively use a domain name is evidence of bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii).”). Consequently, the Panel finds that the Respondent registered and uses the disputed domain name in bad faith under Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii).

 

The Panel finds that Complainant has satisfied Policy ¶ 4(b)(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 <shopular.app> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.

Sandra J. Franklin, Panelist

Dated:  July 31, 2018

 

 

Click Here to return to the main Domain Decisions Page.

Click Here to return to our Home Page