Metropolitan Life Insurance Company v. Inversiones G.O.S. S.A. c/o George Ring
Claim Number: FA0610000823032
Complainant is Metropolitan Life Insurance Company 1 MetLife Plaza, 27-01 Queens Plaza North, Long Island City, NY 11101(“Complainant”). Respondent is Inversiones G.O.S. S.A. c/o George Ring (“Respondent”), Av. Jose Contreras 156, Santo Domingo DN 00000 DO.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <metlifeinsureance.com>, registered with Fabulous.com Pty Ltd.
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.
Honorable Karl V. Fink (Ret.), as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically on October 17, 2006; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on October 19, 2006.
On October 18, 2006, Fabulous.com Pty Ltd. confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <metlifeinsureance.com> domain name is registered with Fabulous.com Pty Ltd. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Fabulous.com Pty Ltd. has verified that Respondent is bound by the Fabulous.com Pty Ltd. 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 October 25, 2006, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of November 14, 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@metlifeinsureance.com by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On November 20, 2006, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed Honorable Karl V. Fink (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 <metlifeinsureance.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s METLIFE mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <metlifeinsureance.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <metlifeinsureance.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, is a leading provider of insurance, annuities, pension funds, residential and commercial mortgage, and real estate brokerage and management services. Complainant serves approximately thirty-seven million employees in the United States and is ranked thirty-eighth on the Fortune 500. In connection with the provision of these services, Complainant has registered numerous marks including the METLIFE mark, which is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) (Reg. No. 1,541,862 issued May 30, 1989).
Respondent registered the <metlifeinsureance.com> domain name on October 10, 2005. Respondent’s disputed domain name resolves to a website featuring links to various competing and non-competing commercial websites.
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 METLIFE mark through 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 Janus Int’l Holding Co. v. Rademacher, D2002-0201 (WIPO Mar. 5, 2002) ("Panel decisions have held that registration of a mark is prima facie evidence of validity, which creates a rebuttable presumption that the mark is inherently distinctive.").
Complainant contends that Respondent’s <metlifeinsureance.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark. Respondent’s disputed domain name features Complainant’s entire METLIFE mark and adds the a misspelled variation of the term “insurance,” a term directly related to the business in which Complainant engages. The Panel finds that the addition of a term, which directly relates to Complainant’s business is insufficient to effectively distinguish a domain name from an established mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Space Imaging LLC v. Brownell, AF-0298 (eResolution Sept. 22, 2000) (finding confusing similarity where the respondent’s domain name combines the complainant’s mark with a generic term that has an obvious relationship to the complainant’s business); see also Christie’s Inc. v. Tiffany’s Jewelry Auction, Inc., D2001-0075 (WIPO Mar. 6, 2001) (finding that the domain name <christiesauction.com> is confusingly similar to the complainant's mark since it merely adds the word “auction” used in its generic sense).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant contends that Respondent lacks all rights or legitimate interests in the <metlifeinsureance.com> domain name. In instances where Complainant has made a prima facie case under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), the burden shifts to Respondent to set forth concrete evidence that it does possess rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. See Do The Hustle, LLC v. Tropic Web, D2000-0624 (WIPO Aug. 21, 2000) (holding that, where the complainant has asserted that the respondent has no rights or legitimate interests with respect to the domain name, it is incumbent on the respondent to come forward with concrete evidence rebutting this assertion because this information is “uniquely within the knowledge and control of the respondent”).
Complainant contends that Respondent is using its disputed
domain name to resolve to a website that features links to various competing
and non-competing commercial websites from which Respondent presumably receives
referral fees. The Panel finds that
Respondent’s use is neither a bona fide offering of goods or services
pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) nor a legitimate noncommercial or fair use
pursuant to Policy ¶ (c)(iii). See Computer Doctor Franchise Sys., Inc. v.
Computer Doctor, FA 95396 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 8, 2000) (finding that the
respondent’s website, which is blank but for links to other websites, is not a
legitimate use of the domain names); see also 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).
Moreover, Complainant contends that Respondent is neither
commonly known by the <metlifeinsureance.com> domain name nor
authorized to register domain names featuring Complainant’s METLIFE mark in any
way. In the absence of evidence
suggesting otherwise, the Panel finds that Respondent has not established
rights or legitimate interests in accordance with Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See Compagnie de Saint Gobain v. Com-Union Corp., D2000-0020 (WIPO Mar.
14, 2000) (finding no rights or legitimate interest where the respondent was
not commonly known by the mark and never applied for a license or permission
from the complainant to use the trademarked name); see also Charles Jourdan Holding AG v. AAIM, D2000-0403 (WIPO June 27, 2000) (finding no
rights or legitimate interests where (1) the respondent is not a licensee of
the complainant; (2) the complainant’s prior rights in the domain name precede
the respondent’s registration; (3) the respondent is not commonly known by the
domain name in question).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
Complainant contends that Respondent is using the <metlifeinsureance.com> domain name to operate websites that provide Internet users with links to various competing insurance and financial services websites. The Panel finds that Respondent’s use constitutes a disruption of Complainant’s business and evinces bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii). See Puckett, Individually 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).
Furthermore, Respondent’s use will likely cause confusion as to Complainant’s sponsorship of and affiliation with the resulting websites. The Panel finds that such use of a domain name for Respondent’s own commercial gain is additional evidence of Respondent’s bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See Perot Sys. Corp. v. Perot.net, FA 95312 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 29, 2000) (finding bad faith where the domain name in question is obviously connected with the complainant’s well-known marks, thus creating a likelihood of confusion strictly for commercial gain); see also Anne of Green Gable Licensing Auth., Inc. v. Internetworks, AF-0109 (eResolution June 12, 2000) (finding that the respondent violated Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) because the respondent admittedly used the complainant’s well-known mark to attract users to the respondent's website).
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 <metlifeinsureance.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Honorable Karl V. Fink (Ret.), Panelist
Dated: December 4, 2006
Click Here to return to the main Domain Decisions Page.
Click Here to return to our Home Page