The Boston Consulting Group v. FSE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS
Claim Number: FA1807001798536
Complainant is The Boston Consulting Group ("Complainant"), represented by Thomas E. Zutic of DLA Piper LLP (US), District of Columbia, USA. Respondent is FSE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS ("Respondent"), Slovakia.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The domain name at issue is <bcgwealthgroup.com>, registered with GoDaddy.com, LLC.
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.
David E. Sorkin as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the Forum electronically on July 25, 2018; the Forum received payment on July 25, 2018.
On July 26, 2018, GoDaddy.com, LLC confirmed by email to the Forum that the <bcgwealthgroup.com> domain name is registered with GoDaddy.com, LLC and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. GoDaddy.com, LLC has verified that Respondent is bound by the GoDaddy.com, LLC 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 27, 2018, the Forum served the Complaint and all Annexes, including a Written Notice of the Complaint, setting a deadline of August 16, 2018 by which Respondent could file a Response to the Complaint, via email to all entities and persons listed on Respondent's registration as technical, administrative, and billing contacts, and to postmaster@bcgwealthgroup.com. Also on July 27, 2018, 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 Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On August 20, 2018, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the Forum appointed David E. Sorkin 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.
Complainant requests that the domain name be transferred from Respondent to Complainant.
A. Complainant
Complainant is a business management consulting firm with more than 90 offices in 50 countries and 14,000 employees. The services provided by Complainant include wealth management and various financial services. Complainant has used BCG and related marks in connection with its services since at least as early as 1967. Complainant owns at least two longstanding U.S. trademark registrations for BCG as a standard character mark.
Respondent registered the disputed domain name <bcgwealthgroup.com> through a privacy registration service in March 2018. The domain name is being used for a website entitled "BCG Wealth Group" that offers, or purports to offer, "digital wealth management services." Complainant states that it has received complaints from its own employees and from third parties regarding solicitations made by Respondent, and that online forums contain multiple consumer complaints and scam warnings concerning Respondent. Complainant asserts that Respondent is using the disputed domain name in an apparent attempt to defraud consumers.
Complainant contends on the above grounds that the disputed domain name <bcgwealthgroup.com> is confusingly similar to its BCG mark; that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name; and that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith.
B. Respondent
Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
The Panel finds that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to a mark in which Complainant has rights; that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name; and that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith.
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.").
The disputed domain name <bcgwealthgroup.com> incorporates Complainant's registered BCG trademark, adding the generic terms "wealth" and "group" and the ".com" top-level domain. These additions do not substantially diminish the similarity between the domain name and Complainant's mark. See, e.g., Virgin Enterprises Ltd. v. Jay Cannon, D2016-0452 (WIPO Apr. 11, 2016) (finding <vgfwealthmanagement.com> confusingly similar to VGF); Boston Consulting Group, Inc v. Freedman Alexander, D2012-1061 (WIPO July 12, 2012) (finding <bcgcorp.org> confusingly similar to BCG). Accordingly, the Panel finds that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to a mark in which Complainant has rights.
Under the Policy, the Complainant must first make a prima facie case that the Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name, and then the burden shifts to the Respondent to come forward with concrete evidence of such rights or legitimate interests. See Hanna-Barbera Prods., Inc. v. Entm't Commentaries, FA 741828 (Forum Aug. 18, 2006).
The disputed domain name incorporates Complainant's registered mark without authorization. It is being used to promote competing services and to solicit Complainant's employees and third parties for apparently fraudulent purposes. Such use does not give rise to rights or legitimate interests under the Policy. See, e.g., Boston Consulting Group v. George Bene, FA 1782836 (Forum May 18, 2018) (finding lack of rights or legitimate interests based upon use of domain name for email scam); Boston Consulting Group, Inc v. Rodney Thomas, D2005-0259 (WIPO May 2, 2005) (finding lack of rights or legitimate interests based upon use of domain name to promote competing services).
Complainant has made a prima facie case that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the domain name, and Respondent has failed to come forward with any evidence of such rights or interests. Accordingly, the Panel finds that Complainant has sustained its burden of proving that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name.
Finally, Complainant must show that the disputed domain name was registered and are being used in bad faith. Under paragraph 4(b)(iii) of the Policy, bad faith may be shown by evidence that Respondent registered the disputed domain name "primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor." Under paragraph 4(b)(iv), bad faith may be shown by evidence that "by using the domain name, [Respondent] intentionally attempted to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to [Respondent's] web site or other on-line location, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the complainant's mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of [Respondent's] web site or location or of a product or service on [Respondent's] web site or location."
Respondent registered and is using a domain name that combines Complainant's registered mark with generic terms related to Complainant's business to promote competing services and to solicit Complainant's employees and third parties for apparently fraudulent purposes. Such conduct is indicative of bad faith registration and use under the policy. See, e.g., Boston Consulting Group v. George Bene, supra (finding bad faith based upon use of domain name for email scam); Boston Consulting Group, Inc v. Freedman Alexander, supra (finding bad faith based upon use of domain name for phishing website); Boston Consulting Group, Inc v. Rodney Thomas, supra (finding bad faith based upon use of domain name to promote competing services). Accordingly, the Panel finds that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith.
Having considered the three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <bcgwealthgroup.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
David E. Sorkin, Panelist
Dated: August 22, 2018
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