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Generic Top Level Domain Name (gTLD) Decisions |
Gurney's Inn Resort & Spa Ltd. v. Jay
Whitney
Claim Number: FA0301000140656
PARTIES
Complainant is Gurney's Inn Resort & Spa Ltd., Montauk, NY (“Complainant”) represented by Sunshine Lemme, of Gurney's Inn Resort & Spa Ltd. Respondent is Jay Whitney, South Huntington, NY (“Respondent”).
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The domain name at issue is <gurneysinn.com>, registered with Register.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.
John J. Upchurch as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum (the "Forum") electronically on January 10, 2003; the Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on January 10, 2003.
On January 15, 2003, Register.com, Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the Forum that the domain name <gurneysinn.com> is registered with Register.com, Inc. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Register.com, Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the Register.com, 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 January 16, 2003, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of February 5, 2003 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@gurneysinn.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 February 13, 2003, 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.
Complainant requests that the domain name be transferred from Respondent to Complainant.
A. Complainant makes the following assertions:
1. Respondent’s <gurneysinn.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s GURNEY’S INN mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <gurneysinn.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <gurneysinn.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant has established the GURNEY’S INN mark through continuous use in commerce since 1926. Complainant uses this mark in relation to the resort, hotel, spa and restaurants operated by Gurney’s Inn Resort & Spa Ltd. Complainant maintains a website at <gurneys-inn.com>.
Complainant alleges that Respondent or its predecessors have registered the <gurneysinn.com> domain name since 1994 but have never created a website for the domain name. An independent investigation of Register.com’s WHOIS database reveals that the disputed domain name has been registered to Respondent since January 26, 1999.
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 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 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.
Complainant has established the GURNEY’S INN mark through continuous use in commerce since 1926. It is not necessary for a Complainant to establish a trademark with a trademark authority. See McCarthy on Trademarks and Unfair Competition, § 25:74.2, Vol. 4 (2000) (The ICANN dispute resolution policy is “broad in scope” in that “the reference to a trademark or service mark ‘in which the complainant has rights’ means that ownership of a registered mark is not required–unregistered or common law trademark or service mark rights will suffice” to support a domain name Complaint under the Policy); see also British Broadcasting Corp. v. Renteria, D2000-0050 (WIPO Mar. 23, 2000) (noting that the Policy “does not distinguish between registered and unregistered trademarks and service marks in the context of abusive registration of domain names” and applying the Policy to “unregistered trademarks and service marks”).
Respondent’s <gurneysinn.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark because the disputed domain name simply removes an apostrophe and a space between the words. Punctuation and spaces between words are not significant in determining the similarity of a domain name and a mark because punctuation and spaces are not reproducible in a domain name. See Chi-Chi’s Inc. v. Rest. Commentary, D2000-0321 (WIPO June 29, 2000) (finding the domain name <chichis.com> to be identical to Complainant’s CHI-CHI’S mark, despite the omission of the apostrophe and hyphen from the mark); see also Wembley Nat’l Stadium Ltd. v. Thomson, D2000-1233 (WIPO Nov. 16, 2000) (finding that the domain name <wembleystadium.net> is identical to the WEMBLEY STADIUM mark).
The only other differentiating characteristic between the disputed domain name and Complainant’s mark is the addition of the generic top-level domain (gTLD) “.com” after the name. Our cases have consistently held that the addition of a gTLD is irrelevant. See Pomellato S.p.A v. Tonetti, D2000-0493 (WIPO July 7, 2000) (finding <pomellato.com> identical to Complainant’s mark because the generic top-level domain (gTLD) “.com” after the name POMELLATO is not relevant); see also Busy Body, Inc. v. Fitness Outlet Inc., D2000-0127 (WIPO Apr. 22, 2000) (finding that "the addition of the generic top-level domain (gTLD) name ‘.com’ is . . . without legal significance since use of a gTLD is required of domain name registrants").
Accordingly, the Panel finds that
Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Respondent has failed to come forward with a Response in this proceeding. Therefore, the Panel may make reasonable inferences in favor of Complainant and accept Complainant’s allegations as true. See Vertical Solutions Mgmt., Inc. v. webnet-marketing, inc., FA 95095 (Nat. Arb. Forum July 31, 2000) (holding that Respondent’s failure to respond allows all reasonable inferences of fact in the allegations of Complainant to be deemed true); see also Desotec N.V. v. Jacobi Carbons AB, D2000-1398 (WIPO Dec. 21, 2000) (finding that failing to respond allows a presumption that Complainant’s allegations are true unless clearly contradicted by the evidence).
Moreover, the Panel may presume that Respondent lacks any rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name because Respondent has failed to respond. See Geocities v. Geociites.com, D2000-0326 (WIPO June 19, 2000) (finding that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the domain name because the Respondent never submitted a response nor provided the Panel with evidence to suggest otherwise); see also Do The Hustle, LLC v. Tropic Web, D2000-0624 (WIPO Aug. 21, 2000) (finding that once Complainant asserts that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests with respect to the domain, the burden shifts to Respondent to provide credible evidence that substantiates its claim of rights and legitimate interests in the domain name).
Respondent has not established a website at the <gurneysinn.com> domain name. The Panel is permitted to infer that passive holding of the disputed domain name indicates a lack of rights or legitimate interests with respect to the domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). See Am. Home Prod. Corp. v. Malgioglio, D2000-1602 (WIPO Feb. 19, 2001) (finding no rights or legitimate interests in the domain name <solgarvitamins.com> where Respondent merely passively held the domain name); see also Vestel Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS v. Kahveci, D2000-1244 (WIPO Nov. 11, 2000) (finding that “merely registering the domain name is not sufficient to establish rights or legitimate interests for purposes of paragraph 4(a)(ii) of the Policy”).
In addition, Respondent has failed to present any proof or evidence to establish that Respondent is commonly known as GURNEYS INN or <gurneysinn.com>. Therefore, Respondent has not established that it has rights or legitimate interests in the diputed domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See 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); see also Gallup Inc. v. Amish Country Store, FA 96209 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 23, 2001) (finding that Respondent does not have rights in a domain name when Respondent is not known by the mark).
Accordingly, the Panel finds that
Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
Respondent’s failure to establish a website at the disputed domain name indicates registration and use in bad faith. See DCI S.A. v. Link Commercial Corp., D2000-1232 (WIPO Dec. 7, 2000) (concluding that the Respondent’s passive holding of the domain name satisfies the requirement of ¶ 4(a)(iii) of the Policy); see also Telstra Corp. v. Nuclear Marshmallows, D2000-0003 (WIPO Feb. 18, 2000) (finding that “it is possible, in certain circumstances, for inactivity by the Respondent to amount to the domain name being used in bad faith”).
Furthermore, Complainant alleges that Respondent has offered to transfer the disputed domain name for an undisclosed price. Complainant also alleges that Respondent has indicated its intention to sell the <gurneysinn.com> domain name through advertisements on the Internet. The Panel may infer that all reasonable allegations are true in lieu of the Respondent’s failure to respond in this proceeding. The registration of a domain name for the purpose of selling is evidence of registration and use in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(i). See Am. Anti-Vivisection Soc’y v. “Infa dot Net” Web Serv., FA 95685 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 6, 2000) (finding that “general offers to sell the domain name, even if no certain price is demanded, are evidence of bad faith”); see also Grundfos A/S v. Lokale, D2000-1347 (WIPO Nov. 27, 2000) (finding that a failure to use the domain name in any context other than to offer it for sale to Complainant amounts to a use of the domain name in bad faith).
Accordingly, the Panel finds that
Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) has been satisfied.
Having established all three elements required under ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <gurneysinn.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
John J. Upchurch, Panelist
Dated: February 19, 2003
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URL: http://www.worldlii.org/int/other/GENDND/2003/177.html