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Generic Top Level Domain Name (gTLD) Decisions |
Scooter Planet v. Edward V. Curley IV
Claim
Number: FA0407000297926
Complainant is Scooter Planet (“Complainant”), represented
by Ronald N. Serota, 2620 Regatta Drive, Suite 102, Las
Vegas, NV 89128. Respondent is Edward V. Curley IV (“Respondent”), 72 Pane Road, Newington, CT
06111.
REGISTRAR
AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The
domain name at issue is <scooterplanet.com>, registered with Network
Solutions, 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 July 16, 2004; the Forum
received a hard copy of the
Complaint on August 2, 2004.
On
July 21, 2004, Network Solutions, Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the Forum that
the domain name <scooterplanet.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
August 11, 2004, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative
Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"),
setting a deadline of
August 31, 2004 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@scooterplanet.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
September 9, 2004, 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 <scooterplanet.com>
domain name is identical to Complainant’s SCOOTER PLANET marks.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or
legitimate interests in the <scooterplanet.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <scooterplanet.com>
domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in
this proceeding.
Complainant, Scooter
Planet, is a franchise business for the sale of Scooter Planet stores. Scooter
Planet stores provide rental and
retail sales of scooters, motorcycles,
all-terrain vehicles, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, bicycles and other
recreational and
related equipment and accessories. Scooter Planet was
incorporated in Nevada on Sept. 22, 2003 and has been offering franchises for
sale since January 2004. Complainant first used the SCOOTER PLANET mark in
commerce on January 6, 2004.
Complainant
applied for trademark registrations with the United States Patent and Trademark
Office for the SCOOTER PLANET mark (Reg.
No. 78,370,197, filed on Feb. 18, 2004
and Reg. No. 78,375,034, filed on Feb. 26. 2004). Complainant’s application for
a trademark
registration has not yet been accepted.
Respondent
registered the <scooterplanet.com> domain name on Sept. 14, 1999
and is not using the domain name in any manner.
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.
The <scooterplanet>
domain name is clearly identical to Complainant’s SCOOTER PLANET mark.
However, to satisfy Policy ¶ 4(a)(i), Complainant must first
establish rights
in the mark.
Complainant applied for trademark registrations for the SCOOTER PLANET
mark in February 2004, but Complainant’s application has yet
to mature into an
official registration. An application
for a trademark has been found insufficient to establish rights in a mark
pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). Thus, Complainant
has failed to establish rights
in the SCOOTER PLANET mark under the Policy.
See Amsec Ent. v. McCall,
D2001-0083 (WIPO Apr. 3, 2001) (finding that Complainant’s pending trademark
applications do not establish any enforceable rights
to the mark until a
trademark registration is issued); see also Razorbox, Inc. v. Skjodt, FA 150795 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 9, 2003) (finding
that Complainant did not establish the requisite trademark or common law rights
to grant Complainant the necessary standing for the Panel to find in its favor
as Complainant’s pending trademark application did
not, in and of itself,
demonstrate trademark rights in the mark applied for); see also Worldwide Creations, L.L.C. v. Shawah, FA 263421
(Nat. Arb. Forum June 17, 2004) (“For the purposes of the Policy, trademark
registration applications do not give rise
to trademark rights.”).
Complainant must
establish all three elements to succeed on a claim under the Policy. Complainant has failed to establish Policy ¶
4(a)(i), thus it is unnecessary for the Panel to examine the remaining elements
of the
Policy. See Creative Curb v. Edgetec Int'l
Pty. Ltd., FA 116765 (Nat. Arb. Forum
Sept. 20, 2002) (finding that because Complainant must prove all three elements
under the Policy, Complainant's
failure to prove one of the elements makes
further inquiry into the remaining elements unnecessary); see also VeriSign Inc. v. VeneSign C.A.,
D2000-0303 (WIPO June 28, 2000) (finding that Respondent’s default does not
automatically lead to a ruling for Complainant).
While the Panel
need not examine this element, it would be impossible for Complainant to prove
Respondent registered and used the
<scooterplanet> domain name in
bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii), since by Complainant’s own admission,
Complainant did not even exist, much
less market its products and use them in
commerce until four years after Respondent registered the disputed domain name.
See Interep Nat'l Radio Sales,
Inc. v. Internet Domain Names, Inc., D2000-0174 (WIPO May 26, 2000)
(finding no bad faith where Respondent registered the domain prior to
Complainant’s use of the mark); see also
Aspen Grove, Inc. v. Aspen Grove, D2001-0798 (WIPO October 5,
2001) (finding that it is impossible for Respondent to register disputed domain
name in bad faith if
Complainant's company did not exist at the time of
registration).
Having failed to
establish all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel
concludes that relief shall be DENIED.
Accordingly, it
is Ordered that the <scooterplanet.com> domain name REMAIN WITH
Respondent.
John
J. Upchurch, Panelist
Dated: September 23, 2004
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URL: http://www.worldlii.org/int/other/GENDND/2004/1158.html