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Generic Top Level Domain Name (gTLD) Decisions |
Wayne Harris v. Velocity Technologies
Claim Number: FA0202000104560
PARTIES
Complainant
is Wayne Harris, Post Falls, ID
(“Complainant”). Respondent is Velocity Technologies, St. Joseph, MO
(“Respondent”).
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The
domain names at issue are <dbdrag.com>, <dbdrags.com>, and <dbdragfinals.com>, registered with Network Solutions, Inc.
PANEL
The
undersigned Daniel B. Banks, Jr. 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.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Complainant
submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum (“the Forum”)
electronically on February 7, 2002; the Forum received
a hard copy of the
Complaint on February 7, 2002.
On
February 8, 2002, Network Solutions, Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the Forum that
the domain names <dbdrag.com>, <dbdrags.com>, and <dbdragfinals.com> are registered with Network Solutions,
Inc. and that the 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 8, 2002, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of
Administrative Proceeding (the “Commencement Notification”),
setting a deadline
of February 28, 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@dbdrag.com, postmaster@dbdrags.com,
and postmaster@dbdragfinals.com by e-mail.
A
timely Response was received and determined to be complete on February 28, 2002.
On March 8, 2002, pursuant to Complainant’s request to
have the dispute decided by a single-member
Panel, the Forum appointed Daniel B. Banks,
Jr. as Panelist.
RELIEF SOUGHT
Complainant
requests that the domain name be transferred from Respondent to Complainant.
PARTIES’ CONTENTIONS
A. Complainant:
Complainant is the registered trademark
holder of dB Drag Racing which is a sport where competitors compete against one
another to
see who has the loudest car stereo system. The dB Drag Racing Association (Complainant's company) sanctions
more than 1,000 events per year. The dB
Drag Racing website (<dbdragracing.com>) lists upcoming events, event
results, rules, competitor stats, competitor standings
and other additional
information related to the sport of dB Drag Racing.
Each year, thousands of auto sound
enthusiasts from all over the world compete in an effort to qualify for the dB
Drag Racing World
Finals. This is the
culmination of the competition season and is promoted by the dB Drag Racing
Association. The Association sells
memberships to auto sound competitors, retailers and manufacturers. The Association also sells booth space at
the World Finals and test equipment to judge dBDrag Racing events. Auto sound competitors, retailers,
manufacturers and consumer publications frequently refer to dB Drag Racing as
"dB Drag"
or "dB Drags".
When Complainant first discovered the Respondent's
website, he was using Complainant's logos and other proprietary graphics on his
site in direct violation of copyright law.
Complainant's attorney sent a cease and desist letter to the Respondent
at that time.
The Respondent does not have any rights or
legitimate interest in the disputed domain names because he does not have a
vested interest
in dB Drag Racing, he does not offer any goods or services
related to dB Drag Racing, does not own the dB Drag Racing trademark and
is not
a material employee of the dB Drag Racing Association.
Respondent offered to sell the disputed
domain names on several occasions (see Exhibits A & B) for amounts far in
excess of the
Respondent's documented out-of-pocket costs. Respondent has registered the domain names
in order to prevent Complainant from reflecting the mark in a corresponding
domain name
and has demonstrated a pattern of such conduct by registering the
domain names of several of Complainant's business rivals. The Respondent is attempting to disrupt
Complainant's business and hurt our organization as reflected on Exhibit
B. The Respondent is using the disputed
domain names to intentionally attract, for commercial gain, Internet users by
creating a likelihood
of confusion with the dB Drag Racing mark. Respondent admits that he is getting traffic
from their use.
B. Respondent:
The Complainant's trademark is not on Db
Drag but on Db Drag Racing. Db Drag is
a generic term used by many people to describe the sport of SPL
competition. It is not used solely by
Db Drag Racing. In 1999, Complainant
made Respondent an "Official Turn Key Event Promoter". Respondent purchased a Termlab computer
measurement system from Complainant, valued at $3,200. Complainant and Respondent also entered into
an agreement that Respondent would take requests from store owners who did not
wish to
do their own Db Drag Racing shows or purchase the equipment
needed. Respondent would do the entire
program for them. In that connection,
Respondent was given specific rights to use the Db Drag Racing logos, name and
image.
During the term of the agreement,
Respondent's name and logo were displayed on the Db Drag Racing website
advertising Respondent as
an official turnkey event promoter. Respondent was allowed to use all logos and
the name for advertising purposes.
Respondent purchased a "Retail Membership" from Complainant so
it could have its shows under its name without the need of
a retailer. Ron Trout, a co-owner of the name Db Drag
Racing gave Respondent verbal permission to use the name.
Our domain website is
<CarAudioPlanet.com>. The
disputed domains all forward to this website.
The site looks nothing like <DbDragRacing.com> and therefore
eliminates most confusion. We did not
register the domains in bad faith. They
were registered to promote Db Drag Racing and Respondent company as a
whole.
Complainant contacted Respondent about
purchasing the domains and, as stated in our emails, they were not for
sale. After a phone conversation, we
were asked to just send a price and we would start from there. I did not want to give up the domain names
so I stated a ridiculous price
ADDITIONAL
SUBMISSIONS:
The Complainant and Respondent
submitted additional submissions after the deadline for submissions. They were not considered by the Panel.
FINDINGS
1 - The disputed domain names are
confusingly similar to Complainant's registered mark.
2 - The Respondent has no right or
legitimate interest in the disputed domain names.
3 - The disputed domain names were
registered in bad faith.
DISCUSSION
Paragraph 15(a) of the Rules for Uniform Domain Name
Dispute Resolution Policy (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 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;
(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
The Respondent’s domain names <dbdrag.com>, <dbdrags.com>, and <dbdragfinals.com> are confusingly similar to Complainant’s
dB DRAG RACING mark. See Down East Enter. Inc. v. Countywide
Communications, FA 96613 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 5, 2001) (finding the domain
name <downeastmagazine.com> confusingly similar to Complainant’s
common
law mark DOWN EAST, THE MAGAZINE OF MAINE); see also WestJet Air Center, Inc. v. West Jets LLC, FA 96882 (Nat. Arb.
Forum Apr. 20, 2001) (finding that the <westjets.com> domain name is
confusingly similar to Complainant’s
mark, where Complainant holds the WEST JET
AIR CENTER mark); see also Wellness
Int’l Network, LTD v. Apostolics.com, FA 96189 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 16,
2001) (finding that the domain name <wellness-international.com> is
confusingly similar
to Complainant’s “Wellness International Network”).
When Complainant first discovered
Respondent’s website, Respondent was actually using Complainant’s logos and
other proprietary graphics
on his site.
See Treeforms, Inc. v.
Cayne Indus. Sales Corp., FA 95856 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 18, 2000) (finding
that confusion would result when Internet users, intending to access
Complainant’s
website, think that an affiliation of some sort exists between
the Complainant and the Respondent, when in fact, no such relationship
would
exist); see also Slep-Tone Entm't
Corp. v. Sounds Choice Disc Jockeys, Inc., FA 93636 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar.
13, 2000) (stating that “likelihood of confusion is further increased by the
fact that the Respondent
and [Complainant] operate within the same industry”).
Additionally, the domain name <dbdragfinals.com> merely exchanges the word “racing” with
“finals” – a term that is used in competive activities. See Caterpillar Inc. v. Quin, D2000-0314 (WIPO June 12, 2000) (finding
that the disputed domain names <caterpillarparts.com> and
<caterpillarspares.com>
were confusingly similar to the registered
trademarks CATERPILLAR and CATERPILLER DESIGN because “the idea suggested by
the disputed
domain names and the trademarks was that the goods and services
offered in association with the domain name are manufactured by or
sold by the
Complainant or one of the Complainants approved distributors. The disputed
trademarks contain one distinct component,
the word Caterpillar.”); see also
Space Imaging LLC v. Brownwell,
AF-0298 (eResolution Sept. 22, 2000) (finding confusing similarity where the
Respondent’s domain name combines the Complainant’s
mark with a generic term
that has an obvious relationship to the Complainant’s business).
Rights or Legitimate Interests
Respondent does not offer any goods
or services related to dB Drag Racing.
Respondent links the domain names to a competing car audio website, and
such use is not a bona fide offering of goods under Policy
¶ 4(c)(i) or a
noncommercial or fair use under Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii). See Toronto-Dominion
Bank v. Karpachev, D2000-1571 (WIPO Jan. 15, 2001) (finding no rights or
legitimate interests where Respondent diverted Complainant’s customers to
his
websites); see also Vapor Blast Mfg. Co.
v. R & S Tech., Inc., FA 96577 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 27, 2001) (finding
that Respondent’s commercial use of the domain name to confuse and divert
Internet
traffic is not a legitimate use of the domain name); see also North Coast Med., Inc. v. Allegro
Med., FA 95541 (Nat. Arb. Forum Oct. 2, 2000) (finding no bona fide use
where Respondent used the domain name to divert Internet users
to its competing
website); see also Big Dog
Holdings, Inc. v. Day, FA 93554 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 9, 2000) (finding no
legitimate use when Respondent was diverting consumers to its own website by
using Complainant’s trademarks).
Respondent does not have
rights or legitimate interests in the domain names because Respondent does not
own the dB Drag Racing trademark
or a vested interest in dB Drag Racing. Respondent is also not a material employee
of Complainant. Therefore, Respondent is not commonly known by the domain
names, which
are confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark. See
Compagnie de Saint Gobain v. Com-Union Corp., D2000-0020 (WIPO Mar. 14,
2000) (finding no rights or legitimate interest where Respondent was not
commonly known by the mark and
never applied for a license or permission from
Complainant to use the trademarked name); 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).
Registration and Use in Bad Faith
Respondent has offered to sell it
the domain names on several occasions for amounts far in excess of the
Respondent’s documented out-of-pocket
costs.
This is evidence of bad faith registration and use under Policy ¶
4(b)(i). See Little Six, Inc v. Domain For Sale, FA
96967 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 30, 2001) (finding Respondent's offer to sell the
domain name at issue to Complainant was evidence
of bad faith); see also
World Wrestling Fed’n Entmt., Inc. v. Bosman, D99-0001 (WIPO Jan. 14, 2000)
(finding that Respondent used the domain name in bad faith because he offered
to sell the domain name
for valuable consideration in excess of any out of
pocket costs).
Respondent
is attempting to disrupt Complainant's business. This is evidence of bad faith registration and use under Policy ¶
4(b)(iii). See EthnicGrocer.com, Inc. v. Unlimited Latin
Flavors, Inc., FA 94385 (Nat. Arb. Forum July 7, 2000) (finding that the
minor degree of variation from the Complainant's marks suggests that
the
Respondent, the Complainant’s competitor, registered the names primarily for
the purpose of disrupting the Complainant's business).
Finally,
Respondent is using the domain names listed above to intentionally attract, for
commercial gain, Internet users by creating
a likelihood of confusion with the
dB Drag Racing mark. In addition, Respondent has admitted that he does not want
to sell the domain
names because he is “getting traffic” from their use. This is evidence of bad faith registration
and use under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See
America Online, Inc. v. Tencent Comm.
Corp., FA 93668 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 21, 2000) (finding bad faith where
the Respondent attracted users to a website sponsored by the
Respondent); see
also Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc. v.
Lalli, FA 95284 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 21, 2000) (finding bad faith where
the Respondent directed Internet users seeking the Complainant’s
site to its
website for commercial gain).
DECISION:
The disputed
domain names, <dbdrag.com>, <dbdrags.com> and <dbdragfinals.com> are transferred to the
Complainant.
Daniel B. Banks, Jr., Panelist
Dated: March 18, 2002
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