Van Kampen Investments Inc. v. DOMIBOT
Claim Number: FA0605000697900
Complainant is Van
Kampen Investments Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by Baila H. Celedonia, of Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, P.C., 1133 Avenue of the Americas,
New York, NY 10036-6799. Respondent is DOMIBOT
(“Respondent”), Avenida Caroni 5478, Colinas Monte, Caracas, Venezuela.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <vankanpen.com>, registered with Belgiumdomains, 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.
Judge Ralph Yachnin as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically on May 1, 2006; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on May 3, 2006.
On May 2, 2006, Belgiumdomains, Llc confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <vankanpen.com> domain name is registered with Belgiumdomains, Llc and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Belgiumdomains, Llc has verified that Respondent is bound by the Belgiumdomains, Llc 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 May 5, 2006, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of May 25, 2006 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@vankanpen.com by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On May 30, 2006, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed Judge Ralph Yachnin 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 <vankanpen.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s VAN KAMPEN INVESTMENTS mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <vankanpen.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <vankanpen.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Van Kampen Investments Inc., offers investment advisory and administrative services. Complainant’s products include at least forty proprietary funds, as well as individual retirement accounts, unit trusts, college savings plans, closed-end funds and separate accounts. Complainant holds a trademark registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) for the VAN KAMPEN INVESTMENTS mark (Reg. No. 2,502,489 issued October 30, 2001).
Respondent registered the <vankanpen.com> domain name on March 7, 2006. Respondent is using the disputed domain name to divert consumers to a website with links to Complainant’s competitors.
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 rights in the VAN KAMPEN
INVESTMENTS mark through its registration with the USPTO. See Vivendi Universal Games v.
XBNetVentures Inc., FA 198803 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 11, 2003)
(“Complainant's federal trademark registrations establish Complainant's rights
in the BLIZZARD mark.”); see also Innomed Techs.,
Inc. v. DRP Servs., FA 221171 (Nat. Arb.
Forum Feb. 18, 2004) (“Registration of the NASAL-AIRE mark with the USPTO
establishes Complainant's rights in the mark.”).
Respondent’s <vankanpen.com>
domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark pursuant to Policy ¶
4(a)(i) because it incorporates the dominant features of Complainant’s VAN
KAMPEN INVESTMENTS mark, omits the term “investments” and misspells the term
“kampen” by replacing the letter “m” with the letter “n.” Such minor alterations to Complainant’s
registered mark do not adequately distinguish Respondent’s domain name from
Complainant’s mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See WestJet Air Ctr., Inc. v. W. Jets LLC, FA 96882
(Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 20, 2001) (finding that the <westjets.com> domain
name is confusingly similar to the complainant’s mark, where the complainant
holds the WEST JET AIR CENTER mark); see also Wellness Int’l Network, LTD v.
Apostolics.com, FA 96189 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 16, 2001) (finding that the
domain name <wellness-international.com> is confusingly similar to the
complainant’s WELLNESS INTERNATIONAL NETWORK); see also Belkin Components v.
Gallant, FA 97075 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 29, 2001) (finding the
<belken.com> domain name confusingly similar to the complainant's BELKIN
mark because the name merely replaced the letter “i” in the complainant's mark
with the letter “e”).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant has alleged that Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the <vankanpen.com>domain name. Complainant has the initial burden of proof in asserting that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the domain name. Once Complainant makes a prima facie case in support of its allegations, the burden then shifts to Respondent to show it does have rights or legitimate interests pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). 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 Do The Hustle, LLC v. Tropic Web, D2000-0624 (WIPO Aug. 21, 2000) (holding that once the complainant asserts that the respondent has no rights or legitimate interests with respect to the domain, the burden shifts to the respondent to provide “concrete evidence that it has rights to or legitimate interests in the domain name at issue”).
Respondent is using the <vankanpen.com> domain
name, which is confusingly similar to Complainant’s VAN KAMPEN INVESTMENTS
mark, to divert consumers to a website with links to
Complainant’s competitors. Such use
of the disputed domain name for Respondent’s commercial gain does not
constitute a bona fide offering of goods or services pursuant to Policy
¶ 4(c)(i), or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the domain name
pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii). See
TM Acquisition Corp. v. Sign Guards, FA 132439 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 31,
2002) (finding that the respondent’s diversionary use of the complainant’s
marks to send Internet users to a website which displayed a series of links,
some of which linked to the complainant’s competitors, was not a bona fide
offering of goods or services); see also Coryn
Group, Inc. v. Media Insight, FA 198959
(Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 5, 2003) (finding that the respondent was not using the
domain names for a bona fide offering of goods or services nor a
legitimate noncommercial or fair use because the respondent used the names to
divert Internet users to a website that offered services that competed with
those offered by the complainant under its marks).
Respondent has not answered the Complaint with any
information indicating that it is commonly known by the disputed domain
name. Complainant has not given
Respondent its consent to use its mark in Respondent’s domain name. There is no information in the WHOIS
database implying that Respondent is commonly known by the <vankanpen.com>
domain name. Therefore, Respondent has
not established rights or legitimate interests in the <vankanpen.com>
domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii).
See Gallup, Inc. v. Amish Country
Store, FA 96209 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 23, 2001) (finding that the
respondent does not have rights in a domain name when the respondent is not
known by the mark); see also 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.”).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
Respondent is using the <vankanpen.com> domain name to operate a website containing links to Complainant’s competitors. The Panel infers that Respondent receives click-through fees for misleading consumers to competing websites. Therefore, Respondent is taking advantage of the likelihood of confusion between Respondent’s domain name and Complainant’s mark and capitalizing on the goodwill of the mark. The Panel finds that such use constitutes bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See Am. Online, Inc. v. Tencent Commc’ns Corp., FA 93668 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 21, 2000) (finding bad faith where the respondent registered and used a domain name confusingly similar to the complainant’s mark to attract users to a website sponsored by the respondent); see also Identigene, Inc. v. Genetest Labs., D2000-1100 (WIPO Nov. 30, 2000) (finding bad faith where the respondent's use of the domain name at issue to resolve to a website where similar services are offered to Internet users is likely to confuse the user into believing that the complainant is the source of or is sponsoring the services offered at the site).
Respondent’s domain name incorporates the dominant features of Complainant’s mark, and Respondent’s website contains several links to websites offering investment products and services in competition with Complainant. Respondent’s use of Complainant’s mark to divert Internet users to Complainant’s competitors amounts to disruption of Complainant’s business pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii). See Puckett v. Miller, D2000-0297 (WIPO June 12, 2000) (finding that the respondent has diverted business from the complainant to a competitor’s website in violation of Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii)); see also EBAY, Inc. v. MEOdesigns, D2000-1368 (Dec. 15, 2000) (finding that the respondent registered and used the domain name <eebay.com> in bad faith where the respondent has used the domain name to promote competing auction sites).
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 <vankanpen.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Hon. Ralph Yachnin, Panelist
Justice, Supreme Court, NY (Ret.)
Dated: June 12, 2006
Click Here to return to the main Domain Decisions Page.
Click Here to return to our Home Page
National
Arbitration Forum