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Generic Top Level Domain Name (gTLD) Decisions |
WebMD Corporation v. EarlyBird
Claim Number: FA0204000112493
Complainant
is WebMD Corporation, Atlanta, GA,
USA (“Complainant”) represented by Demetrius
T. Lockett, of Alston & Bird LLP. Respondent is EarlyBird, Austin, TX, USA (“Respondent”).
The
domain name at issue is <webmd.biz>,
registered with AllDomains.com, 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.
James P. Buchele as Panelist.
Complainant
has standing to file a Start-up Trademark Opposition Policy (“STOP”) Complaint,
as it timely filed the required Intellectual
Property (IP) Claim Form with the
Registry Operator, NeuLevel. As an IP
Claimant, Complainant timely noted its intent to file a STOP Complaint against
Respondent with the Registry Operator, NeuLevel
and with the National
Arbitration Forum (the “Forum”).
Complainant
submitted a Complaint to the Forum electronically on April 26, 2002; the Forum
received a hard copy of the Complaint on
April 27, 2002.
On
May 1, 2002, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative
Proceeding (the “Commencement Notification”), setting
a deadline of May 21,
2002 by which Respondent could file a Response to the Complaint, was
transmitted to Respondent in compliance
with paragraph 2(a) of the Rules for
the Start-up Trademark Opposition Policy (the “STOP Rules”).
Having
received no Response from Respondent, using the same contact details and
methods as were used for the Commencement Notification,
the Forum transmitted
to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On June 27, 2002, pursuant to STOP Rule 6(b), the Forum
appointed James P. Buchele
as the single 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 STOP Rules. Therefore, the Panel
may issue its decision based on the documents submitted and in accordance with
the STOP Policy, STOP Rules, the
Forum’s STOP Supplemental Rules and any rules
and principles of law that the Panel deems applicable, without the benefit of
any Response
from Respondent.
Transfer
of the domain name from Respondent to Complainant.
A.
Complainant
The
<webmd.biz> domain name is identical to Complainant's WEBMD mark.
Respondent
has no rights or legitimate interests in the <webmd.biz> domain
name.
Respondent
registered the <webmd.biz> domain name in bad faith.
B.
Respondent
Respondent
failed to submit a Response.
Complainant registered WEBMD with the
United States Patent and Trademark Office as Registration Number
2,394,818. Complainant has used its
WEBMD mark since 1998 to identify its health care services. Complainant is a well known for its online
medical information services and has spent over $160 million dollars
advertising and promoting
its mark since 1999.
Respondent registered the disputed domain
name on March 27, 2002. Respondent
identified itself to the registrar as “Earlybird.” Complainant’s investigation has found no evidence that Respondent
is using or intends to use the domain name in connection with a
business.
Paragraph 15(a) of the STOP 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 the Complainant's
undisputed
representations pursuant to paragraphs 5(e), 14(a) and 15(a) of the STOP Rules
and draw such inferences it considers appropriate
pursuant to paragraph 14(b)
of the STOP Rules.
Paragraph
4(a) of the STOP Policy requires that the Complainant must prove each of the
following three elements to obtain an order
that a domain name should be
transferred:
(1)
the domain name is identical to a trademark or service mark in which
the Complainant has rights;
and
(2) the Respondent has no rights or
legitimate interests in respect of the domain name; and
(3)
the domain name has been registered or is being used in bad faith.
Due
to the common authority of the ICANN policy governing both the Uniform Domain
Name Dispute Resolution Policy (“UDRP”) and these
STOP proceedings, the Panel
will exercise its discretion to rely on relevant UDRP precedent where
applicable.
Under
the STOP proceedings, a STOP Complaint may only be filed when the domain name
in dispute is identical to a trademark or service
mark for which a Complainant
has registered an Intellectual Property (IP) claim form. Therefore, every STOP proceeding necessarily
involves a disputed domain name that is identical to a trademark or service
mark in which
a Complainant asserts rights.
The existence of the “.biz” generic top-level domain (gTLD) in the
disputed domain name is not a factor for purposes of determining
that a
disputed domain name is not identical to the mark in which the Complainant
asserts rights.
Complainant
has established its rights in the WEBMD mark through registration with the
United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Respondent’s <webmd.biz> domain name is identical to
Complainant’s WEBMD mark.
The
Panel finds that STOP Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Furthermore, when Respondent fails to
submit a Response the Panel is permitted to make all inferences in favor of
Complainant. See 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”).
There is no evidence on record, and the
Respondent has not come forward to establish that it owns any trademark or
service mark rights
for the WEBMD mark.
Therefore, Respondent has not demonstrated that it has rights or
legitimate interests in the disputed domain name pursuant to STOP
Policy ¶
4(c)(i). See Nat’l Acad. Of
Recording Arts & Sci Inc. v. Lsites, FA 103059 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb.
11, 2002) (finding that, because Respondent did not come forward with a
Response, the Panel could
infer that it had no trademark or service marks
identical to <grammy.biz> and therefore had no rights or legitimate
interests
in the domain name).
Based on the fame of Complainant’s WEBMD
mark any use by Respondent will likely cause Internet users to be confused as
to the source,
sponsorship, and affiliation of the disputed domain name. This type of use is not considered to be a
bona fide offering of goods and services pursuant to STOP Policy ¶
4(c)(ii). See William L. Lyon &
Assocs., Inc. v. Yata, FA 103043 (Nat. Arb. Forum March 21, 2002) (finding the Respondent’s “intent to
trade [on] the goodwill of Complainant’s mark, by attracting Internet users
confused as to the
likely affiliation between Complainant and Respondent’s
website” indicated the respondent had no rights or legitimate interests
pursuant
to STOP Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii)); see also Peachtree Software v.
Scarponi, FA 102781 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 23, 2002) (finding that
Respondent’s intended use of the <peachtree.biz> domain name to provide
information and services related to Complainant’s PEACHTREE product, but
without Complainant’s authorization, would cause customer
confusion and was not
a bona fide offering of goods or services).
Respondent is known to the Panel as
“Earlybird;” there is no evidence that Respondent is commonly known as WEBMD or
<webmd.biz>. Therefore,
Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name
pursuant to STOP Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii). See Gallup Inc. v. Amish Country Store, FA
96209 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 23, 2001) (finding that Respondent does not have
rights in domain name when Respondent is not known
by the mark); see also
Broadcom Corp. v. Intellifone Corp.,
FA 96356 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 5, 2001) (finding no rights or legitimate
interests because Respondent is not commonly known by
the disputed domain name
or using the domain name in connection with a legitimate or fair use).
The Panel finds that STOP Policy ¶
4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
Based on the fame of Complainant’s mark
it can be inferred that Respondent registered the disputed domain name in order
to cause a
likelihood of confusion as to the source, sponsorship, and
affiliation of the disputed domain name for Respondent’s own commercial
gain. This intended use is evidence of
bad faith pursuant to STOP Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv).
See Red Bull GmbH v. Gutch,
D2000-0766 (WIPO Sept. 21, 2000) (finding that Respondent’s expected use of the
domain name <redbull.org> would lead people
to believe that the domain
name was connected with Complainant, and thus is the equivalent to bad faith
use); see also Fluor Corp. v. Song, FA 102757 (Nat. Arb. Forum
Jan. 31, 2002) (finding that, where the Respondent’s <fluor.biz> domain
name was identical to the
Complainant’s FLUOR mark, Internet users would likely
believe an affiliation between the Respondent and Complainant).
Furthermore, it can be inferred that
Respondent was on notice of Complainant’s rights when it registered the
disputed domain name
based on the fame of Complainant’s mark and nature of the
STOP proceeding. Respondent received
notice from the Registry Operator that Complainant filed an IP claim in regards
to its rights in the WEBMD mark.
Therefore, Respondents registration of <webmd.biz>, despite
this notice, is evidence of bad faith registration. See Gene Logic Inc. v. Bock, FA 103042 (Nat. Arb. Forum
Mar. 4, 2002) (finding that the unique nature of the STOP Policy and the notice
given to Respondent regarding
existing IP Claims identical to its chosen domain
name precluded good faith registration of <genelogic.biz> when Respondent
registered it with “full knowledge that his intended business use of this
domain name was in direct conflict with a registered trademark
of a known
competitor in exactly the same field of business”); see also Samsonite Corp. v. Colony Holding, FA
94313 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 17, 2000) (evidence of bad faith includes actual or
constructive knowledge of commonly known mark
at the time of registration).
The Panel finds that STOP Policy ¶
4(a)(iii) has been satisfied.
Having
established all three elements required under the Start-up Trademark Opposition
Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall
be hereby granted.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the
domain name <webmd.biz> be transferred from Respondent to
Complainant and subsequent challenges under the STOP Policy against this domain
name shall not be permitted.
James P. Buchele, Panelist
Dated:
July 1, 2002
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