Enterprise Holdings, Inc. v. Nitish Vats
Claim Number: FA2010001916052
Complainant is Enterprise Holdings, Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by Hadi Al-Shathir of Thompson Coburn LLP, Missouri, USA. Respondent is Nitish Vats (“Respondent”), India.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The domain name at issue is <enterpriserentalcarusa.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.
Paul M. DeCicco, as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the Forum electronically on October 6, 2020; the Forum received payment on October 6, 2020.
On October 7, 2020, GoDaddy.com, LLC confirmed by e-mail to the Forum that the <enterpriserentalcarusa.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 October 9, 2020, the Forum served the Complaint and all Annexes, including a Written Notice of the Complaint, setting a deadline of October 29, 2020 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@enterpriserentalcarusa.com. Also on October 9, 2020, 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 November 3, 2020, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the Forum appointed Paul M. DeCicco 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 contends as follows:
Complainant owns and operates a nationwide car rental service.
Complainant has rights in the ENTERPRISE and ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR marks through its registrations with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”).
Respondent’s <enterpriserentalcarusa.com> domain name is identical or confusingly similar to Complainant’s ENTERPRISE and ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR marks as it incorporates the marks in their entirety and adds the letter “l” along with the geographical term “USA” and the “.com” generic top-level domain (“gTLD”).
Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the <enterpriserentalcarusa.com> domain name. Respondent is not commonly known by the at-issue domain name, nor has Complainant authorized or licensed Respondent to use its ENTERPRISE and ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR marks. Respondent does not use the domain name for any bona fide offering of goods or services, nor any legitimate noncommercial or fair use, but instead attempts to divert internet users seeking Complainant’s services to the at-issue domain name’s resolving website, which offers competing services.
Respondent registered and uses the <enterpriserentalcarusa.com> domain name in bad faith. Respondent attempts to divert internet users seeking Complainant’s services to the at-issue domain name’s website where Respondent offers competing services. Respondent registered the at-issue domain name with actual knowledge of Complainant’s rights in the ENTERPRISE and ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR marks.
B. Respondent
Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant has rights in the ENTERPRISE marks through its registration of such marks with the USPTO.
Respondent is not affiliated with Complainant and has not been authorized to use Complainant’s trademark in any capacity.
Respondent registered the at‑issue domain name after Complainant acquired rights in the ENTERPRISE trademark.
Respondent uses the at-issue domain name to direct internet users to a website offering services that compete with services offered by Complainant.
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 set forth in a complaint; however, the Panel may deny relief where a complaint contains mere conclusory or unsubstantiated arguments. See WIPO Jurisprudential Overview 3.0 at ¶ 4.3; see also eGalaxy Multimedia Inc. v. ON HOLD By Owner Ready To Expire, FA 157287 (Forum June 26, 2003) (“Because Complainant did not produce clear evidence to support its subjective allegations [. . .] the Panel finds it appropriate to dismiss the Complaint”).
The at-issue domain name is confusingly similar to a trademark in which Complainant has rights.
Complainant’s ownership of a USPTO trademark registration for the ENTERPRISE mark evidences Complainant’s rights in such trademark for the purposes of Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Microsoft Corp. v. Burkes, FA 652743 (Forum Apr. 17, 2006) (“Complainant has established rights in the MICROSOFT mark through registration of the mark with the USPTO.”).
Additionally, the at-issue domain name contain Complainant’s entire ENTERPRISE trademark followed by the suggestive terms “car,” rental,” and “usa” all followed by the top level domain name “.com”. The differences between Respondent’s <enterpriserentalcarusa.com> domain name and Complainant’s ENTERPRISE trademark are insufficient to distinguish the at-issue domain name from Complainant’s trademark for the purposes of the Policy. Likewise, Complainant also has rights in ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR which also sufficiently shows Complainant’s rights in a confusingly similar mark under the Policy. However, the Panel need only consider either one of Complainant’s trademarks and does so finding that pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) Respondent’s <enterpriserentalcarusa.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s ENTERPRISE trademark. See Microsoft Corporation v. Thong Tran Thanh, FA 1653187 (Forum Jan. 21, 2016) (determining that confusing similarity exists where [a disputed domain name] contains Complainant’s entire mark and differs only by the addition of a generic or descriptive phrase and top-level domain, the differences between the domain name and its contained trademark are insufficient to differentiate one from the other for the purposes of the Policy); see also, Bloomberg Finance L.P. v. Nexperian Holding Limited, FA 1782013 (Forum June 4, 2018) (“Where a relevant trademark is recognizable within a disputed domain name, the addition of other terms (whether descriptive, geographical, pejorative, meaningless, or otherwise) does not prevent a finding of confusing similarity under the first element.”); see also Home Depot Product Authority, LLC v. Angelo Kioussis, FA 1784554 (Forum June 4, 2018) (“The domain name contains the mark in its entirety, with only the addition of the generic letters ‘sb’ and the digits ‘2018,’ plus the generic Top Level Domain (“gTLD”) ‘.com.’ These alterations of the mark, made in forming the domain name, do not save it from the realm of confusing similarity under the standards of the Policy.”).
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. See Hanna-Barbera Prods., Inc. v. Entm’t Commentaries, FA 741828 (Forum Aug. 18, 2006). Since Respondent failed to respond, Complainant’s prima facie showing acts conclusively.
Respondent lacks both rights and legitimate interests in respect of the at-issue domain name. Respondent is not authorized to use Complainant’s trademarks in any capacity and, as discussed below, there are no Policy ¶ 4(c) circumstances from which the Panel might find that Respondent has rights or interests in respect of the at‑issue domain name.
WHOIS information for the at-issue domain name identifies the domain name’s registrant as “Nitish Vats” and the record before the Panel contains no evidence that otherwise tends to prove that Respondent is commonly known by the <enterpriserentalcarusa.com> domain name. The Panel therefore concludes that Respondent is not commonly known by the at-issue domain name for the purposes of Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See Coppertown Drive-Thru Sys., LLC v. Snowden, FA 715089 (Forum July 17, 2006) (concluding that the respondent was not commonly known by the <coppertown.com> domain name where there was no evidence in the record, including the WHOIS information, suggesting that the respondent was commonly known by the disputed domain name).
Respondent’s domain name addresses a website that competes with Complainant’s rental car business. Using the confusingly similar domain name to compete with Complainant indicates 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). See Glaxo Group Ltd. v. WWW Zban, FA 203164 (Forum Dec. 1, 2003) (finding that the respondent was not using the domain name within the parameters of Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or (iii) because the respondent used the domain name to take advantage of the complainant's mark by diverting Internet users to a competing commercial site); see also, Invesco Ltd. v. Premanshu Rana, FA 1733167 (Forum July 10, 2017) (“Use of a domain name to divert Internet users to a competing website is not a bona fide offering of goods or services or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use.”).
Given the forgoing, Complainant satisfies its initial burden and conclusively demonstrates Respondent’s lack of rights and lack of interests in respect of the at-issue domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).
Respondent’s <enterpriserentalcarusa.com> domain name was registered and used in bad faith. As discussed below without limitation, bad faith circumstances are present from which the Panel may conclude that Respondent acted in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶4(a)(iii) with regard to its <enterpriserentalcarusa.com> domain name.
First as mentioned above with regard to rights and legitimate interests, Respondent uses the <enterpriserentalcarusa.com> domain name to address a website that competes with Complainant’s ENTERPRISE brand. Doing so disrupts Complainant’s business and indicates Respondent’s bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶¶ 4(b)(iii) and (iv). See Gardens Alive, Inc. v. D&S Linx, FA 203126 (Forum Nov. 20, 2003) (“Respondent registered and used the <my-seasons.com> domain name in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶¶ 4(b)(iii) and (iv) because Respondent is using a domain name that is confusingly similar to the MYSEASONS mark for commercial benefit by diverting Internet users to the <thumbgreen.com> website, which sells competing goods and services.”).
Moreover, Respondent had actual knowledge of Complainant’s rights in the ENTERPRISE mark when it registered the <enterpriserentalcarusa.com> domain name. Respondent’s actual knowledge is evident from the notoriety of Complainant’s ENTERPRISE trademark, from Respondent’s juxtaposition of terms suggesting Complainant’s business with such mark in the at-issue domain name, and from the fact that the website addressed by the <enterpriserentalcarusa.com> domain name directly competes with Complainant. Registering and using a confusingly similar domain with knowledge of a complainant’s rights in such domain name indicates bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶4(a)(iii). See Minicards Vennootschap Onder FIrma Amsterdam v. Moscow Studios, FA 1031703 (Forum Sept. 5, 2007) (holding that respondent registered a domain name in bad faith under Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) after concluding that respondent had actual knowledge of Complainant's mark when registering the disputed domain name).
Having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <enterpriserentalcarusa.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Paul M. DeCicco, Panelist
Dated: November 4, 2020
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