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Generic Top Level Domain Name (gTLD) Decisions |
Tag & Associates v. Focus F, Ltd.
Claim Number: FA0201000104188
PARTIES
Complainant
is Cindy Leung Tag & Associates,
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA (“Complainant”) represented by Cindy Leung, of Tag &
Associates. Respondent is Craig Williamson Focus F, Ltd,
Henderson, NV (“Respondent”).
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The
domain name at issue is <ibingoclub.com>,
registered with Network Solutions, Inc.
PANEL
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.
John
J. Upchurch as Panelist.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Complainant
submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum (the “Forum”)
electronically on January 31, 2002; the Forum received
a hard copy of the
Complaint on January 31, 2002.
On
February 5, 2002, Network Solutions, Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the Forum that
the domain name <ibingoclub.com>
is registered with Network Solutions, Inc. and that Respondent is the current
registrant of the name. Network
Solutions, Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the Network Solutions,
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
February 5, 2002, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of
Administrative Proceeding (the “Commencement Notification”),
setting a deadline
of February 25, 2002 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@ibingoclub.com by
e-mail.
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
March 4, 2002, pursuant to Complainant’s request to have the dispute decided by
a single-member Panel, the Forum appointed John
J. Upchurch 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.” 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.
RELIEF SOUGHT
Complainant
requests that the domain name be transferred from Respondent to Complainant.
PARTIES’ CONTENTIONS
A.
Complainant
Respondent’s
<ibingoclub.com> domain name is confusingly similar to
Complainant’s IBINGO mark.
Respondent does not have rights or legitimate
interests in <ibingoclub.com>.
Respondent registered and used the <ibingoclub.com>
domain name in bad faith.
B.
Respondent
No
Response was submitted.
FINDINGS
Complainant has used its
<ibingo.com> domain name since June 27, 1997 and has built a thriving
bingo business around the use
of this name.
A significant part of Complainant’s business identity is in its IBINGO
club. Moreover, Complainant has filed for a registration of
IBINGO with the
United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Respondent registered the disputed domain
name on August 25, 2001, and has used it as a website to promote its on-line
bingo services.
DISCUSSION
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 the 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.
Paragraph
4(a) of the Policy requires that the 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 the Respondent is identical or confusingly
similar 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 and is being used in bad faith.
Identical and/or Confusingly Similar
Complainant has established common law
rights in its IBINGO mark through continuous use of the name since 1997 and the
resulting goodwill
that its customer base associates with the IBINGO mark.
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Rights or Legitimate Interests
The
Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
Registration and Use in Bad Faith
Respondent’s
use of the confusingly similar domain name to offer its competing bingo
services is evidence of bad faith pursuant to
Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii) and Policy ¶
4(b)(iv). See Surface Protection Indus., Inc. v.
Webposters, D2000-1613 (WIPO Feb. 5, 2001) (finding that, given the
competitive relationship between Complainant and Respondent, Respondent
likely
registered the contested domain name with the intent to disrupt Complainant's
business and create user confusion); see also Southern Exposure v. Southern Exposure, Inc.,
FA 94864 (Nat. Arb. Forum July 18, 2000) (finding Respondent acted in bad faith
by attracting Internet users to a website that
competes with Complainant’s
business); see also TM Acquisition
Corp. v. Carroll, FA 97035 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 14, 2001) (finding bad
faith where Respondent used the domain name, for commercial gain, to
intentionally
attract users to a direct competitor of Complainant).
The
Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) has been satisfied.
DECISION
Having established all three elements
required under the ICANN policy, the Panel concludes that the requested relief
shall be hereby
granted.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the
domain name <ibingoclub.com> be transferred from Respondent
to Complainant.
John J. Upchurch, Panelist
Dated: March 6, 2002
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