E*Trade Financial Holdings, LLC v. E trade Investors / Trade Investors E
Claim Number: FA2205001996509
Complainant is E*Trade Financial Holdings, LLC ("Complainant"), represented by Eric J. Shimanoff of Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, P.C., New York, USA. Respondent is E trade Investors / Trade Investors E ("Respondent"), United Kingdom.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The domain name at issue is <e-tradeinvest.com>, registered with OwnRegistrar, 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.
David E. Sorkin as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the Forum electronically on May 16, 2022; the Forum received payment on May 16, 2022.
On May 20, 2022, OwnRegistrar, Inc. confirmed by email to the Forum that the <e-tradeinvest.com> domain name is registered with OwnRegistrar, Inc. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. OwnRegistrar, Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the OwnRegistrar, Inc. 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 May 23, 2022, the Forum served the Complaint and all Annexes, including a Written Notice of the Complaint, setting a deadline of June 13, 2022 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@e-tradeinvest.com. Also on May 23, 2022, 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 June 20, 2022, 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 provides a suite of digital financial services for investors, traders, financial advisors, stock plan participants, and stock plan administrators. Complainant employs more than 4,100 individuals and has 30 retail branches across the United States. Complainant is part of Morgan Stanley's Wealth Management division, which oversees approximately $3.3 trillion in assets. Complainant owns United States trademark registrations for E*TRADE and ETRADE.COM, having used these marks in connection with financial and related services since at least 1992.
Respondent registered the disputed domain name <e-tradeinvest.com> in June 2021. The domain name is being used for a website entitled "E-TRADE invest" that offers or purports to offer investment opportunities. Complainant asserts that the website is offering fake financial services and that Respondent is using the domain name to impersonate Complainant. The website states that "E-tradeinvestors Group" is licensed by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Cypress Securities and Exchange Commission, although Complainant states (with supporting evidence) that no entity by that name is registered with either of those licensing authorities. Complainant states that Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name, has no relationship with Complainant, and is not authorized to use Complainant's marks.
Complainant contends on the above grounds that the disputed domain name <e-tradeinvest.com> is confusingly similar to its E*TRADE and ETRADE.COM marks; 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 set forth in a complaint; however, the Panel may deny relief where a complaint contains mere conclusory or unsubstantiated arguments. See WIPO Overview of WIPO Panel Views on Selected UDRP Questions, § 4.3 (3d ed. 2017), available at http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/overview3.0/; see also eGalaxy Multimedia Inc. v. ON HOLD By Owner Ready To Expire, FA 157287 (Forum June 26, 2003) (dismissing complaint where complainant failed to "produce clear evidence to support its subjective allegations").
The disputed domain name <e-tradeinvest.com> incorporates Complainant's registered E*TRADE trademark, substituting a hyphen for the asterisk and adding the generic term "invest" and the ".com" top-level domain. It also corresponds to Complainant's registered ETRADE.COM mark, inserting a hyphen and the generic term "invest." These alterations do not substantially diminish the similarity between the domain name and Complainant's marks. See, e.g., E*Trade Financial Holdings, LLC v. Global Tradecapitals / Globaltradecapitals, FA 1977695 (Forum Jan. 21, 2022) (finding <e-trade-platform.com> confusingly similar to E*TRADE and ETRADE.COM); E*Trade Financial Holdings, LLC v. Sangmin Park, FA 1962645 (Forum Oct. 5, 2021) (finding <e-trade365.com> confusingly similar to E*TRADE). The Panel considers the disputed domain name to be 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 Productions, Inc. v. Entertainment Commentaries, FA 741828 (Forum Aug. 18, 2006).
The disputed domain name incorporates Complainant's registered mark without authorization, and it is being used for a misleading website that attempts to pass off as Complainant for what appear to be fraudulent purposes. Such use does not give rise to rights or legitimate interests. See, e.g., E*Trade Financial Holdings, LLC v. Global Tradecapitals / Globaltradecapitals, supra (finding lack of rights or interests in similar circumstances); American International Group, Inc. v. Walter Busby d/b/a AIG Mergers & Acquisitions, FA 156251 (Forum May 30, 2003) (same).
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 is 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 a domain name incorporating Complainant's marks and is using it for a misleading website that attempts to pass off as Complainant for what appear to be fraudulent purposes. Such conduct is indicative of bad faith registration and use under the Policy. See, e.g., E*Trade Financial Holdings, LLC v. Global Tradecapitals / Globaltradecapitals, supra (finding bad faith in similar circumstances). The Panel so finds.
Having considered the three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <e-tradeinvest.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
David E. Sorkin, Panelist
Dated: June 20, 2022
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