DOMAIN NAME DISPUTE ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION
ESPN, INC.
Complainant,
vs.
NAUGHTYA PAGE, LLC
Respondent.
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DECISION
Forum File No.: FA0004000094397
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The above entitled matter came on for an administrative hearing on
May 15, 2000 before the undersigned Arbitrator on the
complaint of ESPN,
Inc. ("Complainant") represented by Allan Chang, Esq. against
Naughtya Page, LLC ("Respondent")
represented by Martin Severn.
Upon the written submitted record, including the Complaint and the Response
to
the Complaint, the following decision is rendered:
PROCEDURAL FINDINGS
Domain Names: ESPN.NET
ESPN2.COM
ESPN2.NET
Domain Name Registrar: As to ESPN.NET and ESPN2.NET
Network Solutions, Inc.
3894 Courtney Street Suite 150
Bethlehem, PA 18017
As to ESPN2.COM
Network Solutions, Inc.
8070 LaJolla Shores Drive No. 516
LaJolla, CA 29037
Domain Name Registrant: Naughtya Page, LLC
2000 NE 42nd Ave. No. 292
Portland, OR 97213
Date of Domain Name Registrations:ESPN.NET April 28, 1997
ESPN2.COM July 16, 1997
ESPN2.NET April 29, 1997
Date Complaint Filed: April 8, 2000
Date Response Filed: April 28, 2000
After reviewing the Complaint and determining it to be in administrative
compliance, the National Arbitration Forum (the
"Forum") forwarded
the Complaint to Respondent in compliance with Rule 2(a) and the administrative
proceeding
was commenced pursuant to Rule 4(c) in compliance with Rule
4(d). The Forum immediately notified Network Solutions, Inc.,
the INTERNET
CORPORATION FOR ASSIGNED NAMES AND NUMBERS (ICANN) and Respondent that
the administrative proceeding
had commenced. Respondent submitted a
Response to the Forum within twenty (20) days pursuant to Rule 5(a).
The Complaint and the Response were docketed and forwarded to the undersigned
Arbitrator for decision.
The record shows that on July 16, 1997, Respondent registered the domain
name ESPN2.COM with the domain name registrar
Network Solutions, Inc.
Network Solutions, Inc. verified that Respondent is the registrant for
the domain name
ESPN2.COM. Accordingly, Respondent agreed to resolve
any dispute regarding its domain name through ICANNs Rules
for
Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution policy. The record further shows
that on April 28, 1997, Respondent
registered the domain name ESPN.NET
with the domain name registrar Network Solutions, Inc. Network Solutions,
Inc. verified that Respondent is the registrant for the domain name
ESPN.NET. Finally on April 29, 1997, Respondent
registered the domain
name ESPN2.NET with the domain name registrar Network Solutions, Inc.
Network Solutions,
Inc. verified that Respondent is the registrant for
the domain name ESPN2.NET. Accordingly, Respondent agreed to resolve
any disputes regarding its domain name registrations pursuant to ICANNs
Rules for Uniform Domain Name
Dispute Resolution policy. Neither the
Complainant nor Respondent contests the jurisdiction of the Forum or
the undersigned Arbitrator to resolve these controversies.
FINDINGS OF FACT
- ESPN owns an extensive number of registrations in the United States
and throughout the world for its various service
marks and trademarks
including ESPN and the ESPN2 which are registered with the United
States Patent
and Trademark Office. ESPN has also a trademark application
for ESPN.COM [Serial No. 75/440,475]. The trademarks and
service
marks owned and the applications for trademarks filed by ESPN are
referred to collectively
as the "ESPN Marks".
- ESPN spends billions of dollars annually to advertise and promote
the ESPN marks as embodied in its various business
activities through
various media including its own television, radio, internet magazines
and magazines
throughout the world. As a result of its activities,
as well as the widespread public attention and coverage of ESPN
by third-party media, the ESPN marks, including the ESPN.COM domain
name have become famous throughout
the United States and are universally
recognized and relied on as identifying ESPN.
- On September 7, 1979, ESPN launched its flagship network
ESPN. It is the largest sports cable television network
in the United
States and reaches more than 77 million U.S. homes. On October 1,
1993, ESPN launched
its second sports television cable network -
ESPN2, which is now distributed in over 67 million U.S. homes. ESPN
and ESPN2 cover almost every sport including National Football League
and NCAA Football mens and womens
college basketball, the college
world series and numerous other NCAA championships, major league
baseball,
the Womens National Basketball Association, the National
Hockey League, Major League Soccer, professional golf, tennis,
motor
sports, international figure skating and skiing, horse racing among
other sports. ESPN is also
recognized as the preeminent sports journalism
organization in the world with its nightly Sports Center program,
the Emmy award winning Outside the Lines investigative series and
an entire network ESPNews dedicated
to sports related news and information.
- In 1994, ESPN pioneered the dissemination of sports, news and
information in the computer on-line world. On October
4, 1994, ESPN
registered the domain name ESPN.COM with Network Solutions, Inc.
for e-mail purposes.
Then in April, 1995, ESPN launched the first
internet-based sports news and information related website under
the domain name ESPN.SPORTSZONE.COM which on September 3, 1998 became
ESPN.COM. ESPN.COM remains the most
visited sports cite on the internet
and provides features such as real time game coverage, fantasy games,
highlight footage, up-to-the-minute sports stories, game scores,
statistics in-depth analysis and commentary,
live chats and other
cutting edge sports related accounts.
- Respondents domain names which are identical to complainants
ESPN marks are misleading consuming public
as to the source and
origin of the services it is selling and suggests affiliation with
the Complainant
that it does not have. Respondent does not have
any rights or legitimate interests in the domain names ESPN2.COM,
ESPN.NET, ESPN2.NET. Complainant has the exclusive right to use
and to license the ESPN marks.
- Respondents use of Complainants ESPN Marks creates
a likelihood of confusion. Complainants trademark
users and
consumers are likely to be confused into believing that there is
some affiliation, connection,
sponsorship, approval or association
between Respondent and Complainant when, in fact, no such affiliation
or association exists.
- Respondent registered the domain names ESPN2.COM, ESPN.NET, and
ESPN2.NET in bad faith due to the fact that Respondent
has registered
or otherwise acquired the Domain Names primarily for the purpose
of selling or otherwise
transferring the domain name registrations
to Complainant who is the owner of the ESPN trademark or service
marks for valuable consideration in excess of Respondents
documented out-of-pocket costs directly related
to the domain names.
See Rule 4(b)(i).
- Respondent registered the domain names ESPN2.COM, ESPN.NET, and
ESPN2.NET in bad faith due to the fact that Respondent
has intentionally
attempted to attract internet users to its website by creating a
likelihood of confusion
with Complainants ESPN Marks as to
the source, sponsorship, affiliation or endorsement of its website.
The unauthorized and continued use by Respondent in interstate commerce
of the domain names incorporating
Complainants ESPN Marks
constitutes a use of a false designation of origin as well as a
false
description or representation that is likely to cause confusion,
mistake or deception as to (a) the affiliation, connection
or association
between Complainant and Respondent and (b) the sponsorship or endorsement
of Respondents
website by Complainant. See Rule 4(b)(iii).
- Respondents activities constitute an infringement of Complainants
rights in its ESPN Marks and have caused
and will continue to cause
substantial and irreparable harm to Complainant and its business
reputation
and good will. Complainant demands that Respondent transfer
the domain names ESPN2.COM, ESPN.NET, and ESPN2.NET.
CONCLUSION
The undersigned certifies that he has acted independently and has no
known conflict of interest to serve as the Arbitrator
in this proceeding.
Having been duly selected and being impartial and neutral, the undersigned
makes the following
findings and conclusions:
- The domain names ESPN2.COM, ESPN.NET, and ESPN2.NET registered by
Respondent are identical to Complainants ESPN
Marks, registered
trademarks and service marks registered with the United States Patent
and Trademark Office
by Complainant and in which Complainant has all
rights and interests.
- Respondent does not have any substantial rights or legitimate interests
in respect to the domain name ESPN2.COM, ESPN.NET,
and ESPN2.NET.
- Respondent has registered and used the domain name ESPN2.COM, ESPN.NET,
and ESPN2.NET in bad faith.
DECISION
Based upon the above findings and conclusions and pursuant to Rule
4 (1) of the Rules of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute
Resolution Policy
and the National Arbitration Forum Supplemental Rules of ICANNs
Uniform Domain Resolution
Policy, I hereby Order that:
- The domain names ESPN2.COM, ESPN.NET, and ESPN2.NET registered
by Respondent Naughtya Page, LLC be transferred forthwith
to Complainant
ESPN, Inc.; and
- Respondent Naughtya Page, LLC shall cease and desist from any and
all use of the domain names ESPN2.COM, ESPN.NET, and
ESPN2.NET.
Dated: May 17, 2000 Judge Herman D. Michels, Arbitrator
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