Pirelli & C. S.p.A. v. Daniel Engel c/o Engel Consulting, Inc.
Claim Number: FA0703000938092
Complainant is Pirelli & C. S.p.A. (“Complainant”), represented by Cristina
Cazzetta, of Porta, Checcacci & Associati S.p.A.,
Via Trebbia 20,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <zero.org>, registered with easyDNS Technologies Inc.
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 March 16, 2007; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on March 19, 2007.
On March 19, 2007, easyDNS Technologies Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <zero.org> domain name is registered with easyDNS Technologies Inc. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. EasyDNS Technologies Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the easyDNS Technologies Inc. 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 March 28, 2007, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of April 17, 2007 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@zero.org by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On April 24, 2007, 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 <zero.org> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s PZERO mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <zero.org> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <zero.org> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Pirelli & C.
S.p.A., is a worldwide leader in the performance automobile tire industry. In furtherance of the provision of these
goods and services, Complainant has registered a number of trade and service
marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) including
the PZERO mark (Reg. No. 1,625,883 issued April 12, 1990).
Respondent registered the
disputed domain name on May 18, 1996.
The disputed domain name resolves to no content other than the word
“busy.”
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 asserts rights in the PZERO mark through
registration with the USPTO. The Panel
finds that Complainant’s timely registration and subsequent extensive use of
the PZERO mark in connection with its tire business sufficiently establishes
rights in the mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See
Respondent’s disputed domain name contains the dominant portion of Complainant’s PZERO mark. The disputed domain name eliminates the letter “p” and adds the generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) “.org.” The Panel finds that elimination of a single letter from a protected mark, as well as the addition of a gTLD, fails to sufficiently preclude a finding of confusing similarity in the disputed domain name with the mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Rollerblade, Inc. v. McCrady, D2000-0429 (WIPO June 25, 2000) (finding that the top level of the domain name such as “.net” or “.com” does not affect the domain name for the purpose of determining whether it is identical or confusingly similar); see also Reuters Ltd. v. Global Net 2000, Inc., D2000-0441 (WIPO July 13, 2000) (finding that a domain name which differs by only one letter from a trademark has a greater tendency to be confusingly similar to the trademark where the trademark is highly distinctive).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
In instances where Complainant has made a prima facie case under Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii), the burden shifts to Respondent to set forth concrete evidence that it does possess rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. See Clerical Med. Inv. Group Ltd. v. Clericalmedical.com, D2000-1228 (WIPO Nov. 28, 2000) (finding that, under certain circumstances, the mere assertion by the complainant that the respondent has no right or legitimate interest is sufficient to shift the burden of proof to the respondent to demonstrate that such a right or legitimate interest does exist); see also Woolworths plc. v. Anderson, D2000-1113 (WIPO Oct. 10, 2000) (finding that, absent evidence of preparation to use the domain name for a legitimate purpose, the burden of proof lies with the respondent to demonstrate that it has rights or legitimate interests).
In this case, Respondent has failed to respond, which raises
a presumption that it lacks any rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain
name. See Am. Express Co. v. Fang Suhendro,
FA 129120 (Nat. Arb. Forum
The disputed domain name resolves to no substantive content. The Panel finds that the failure of Respondent to set forth demonstrable preparations to use the disputed domain name illustrates a lack of rights or legitimate interests in the mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). See LFP, Inc. v. B & J Props., FA 109697 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 30, 2002) (the respondent cannot simply do nothing and effectively “sit on his rights” for an extended period of time when that the respondent might be capable of doing otherwise); see also AT&T Corp. v. Domains by Brian Evans, D2000-0790 (WIPO Sept. 27, 2000) (finding no rights or legitimate interests where the respondent did not provide any documentation on the existence of its alleged company that might show what the company’s business was, or how the company’s years of existence, if it ever existed, might mesh with the complainant’s trademark claims).
A review of Respondent’s WHOIS registration information
reveals that the registrant of the disputed domain name is “Daniel Engel c/o
Engel Consulting, Inc.” The Panel finds,
in lieu of evidence supporting a contrary conclusion, Respondent is not
commonly known by the mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See Am. W.
Airlines, Inc. v. Paik, FA 206396 (Nat.
Arb. Forum Dec. 22, 2003) (“Respondent
has registered the domain name under the name ‘Ilyoup Paik a/k/a David
Sanders.’ Given the WHOIS domain name
registration information, Respondent is not commonly known by the
[<awvacations.com>] domain name.”); 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.
The disputed domain name resolves to no substantive content. The Panel finds that the lack of any content associated with Respondent’s disputed domain name evinces registration and use in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii). See Mondich v. Brown, D2000-0004 (WIPO Feb. 16, 2000) (holding that the respondent’s failure to develop its website in a two year period raises the inference of registration in bad faith); see also Clerical Med. Inv. Group Ltd. v. Clericalmedical.com, D2000-1228 (WIPO Nov. 28, 2000) (finding that merely holding an infringing domain name without active use can constitute use in bad faith).
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 <zero.org> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Honorable Karl V. Fink (Ret.), Panelist
Dated: May 1, 2007
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