State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company v. Jung TaeYoung
Claim Number: FA0710001087458
Complainant is State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (“Complainant”), represented by Janice
K. Forrest, of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance
Company,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The domain name at issue is <statefarmisurance.com>, registered with Adoptadomain.com.
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.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to
the National Arbitration Forum electronically on
On
On October 10, 2007, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of October 30, 2007 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@statefarmisurance.com by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On
Having reviewed the communications records, the Administrative Panel (the "Panel") finds that the National Arbitration 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 National Arbitration 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 <statefarmisurance.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s STATE FARM INSURANCE mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <statefarmisurance.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <statefarmisurance.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, State Farm
Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, is a nationally known company that
has been doing business under the name “State Farm” since 1930. Complainant engages in business in both the
insurance and the financial services industry.
Complainant also has established a nationally recognized presence on
television and other media. State Farm
first began using the STATE FARM trademark in 1930 and registered it with the United
States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) on
Respondent registered the <statefarmisurance.com>
domain name
on
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. The Panel is entitled to accept all reasonable allegations and inferences set forth in the Complaint as true unless the evidence is clearly contradictory. See Vertical Solutions Mgmt., Inc. v. webnet-marketing, inc., FA 95095 (Nat. Arb. Forum July 31, 2000) (holding that the respondent’s failure to respond allows all reasonable inferences of fact in the allegations of the complaint to be deemed true); see also 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.”).
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 sufficiently established its rights in the STATE
FARM INSURANCE mark through registration with the USPTO pursuant to Policy ¶
4(a)(i). See Innomed Techs., Inc. v. DRP Servs.,
FA 221171 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 18, 2004) (“Registration of the NASAL-AIRE mark
with the USPTO establishes Complainant's rights in the mark.”); see also Koninklijke KPN N.V. v. Telepathy Inc., D2001-0217 (WIPO May 7,
2001) (finding that the Policy does not require that the mark be registered in
the country in which the respondent operates; therefore it is sufficient that
the complainant can demonstrate a mark in some jurisdiction).
Respondent’s <statefarmisurance.com> domain name is confusingly similar to
Complainant’s STATE FARM INSURANCE mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) as it
includes the entire mark with a close misspelling of the word “insurance.” The misspelling of this word does not negate
the confusion over the connection of the disputed domain name with
Complainant’s business. See Victoria’s Secret v. Zuccarini, FA 95762 (Nat. Arb.
Forum Nov. 18, 2000) (finding that, by misspelling words and adding letters to
words, a respondent does not create a distinct mark but nevertheless renders
the domain name confusingly similar to the complainant’s marks); see also Ty, Inc. v. O.Z. Names,
D2000-0370 (WIPO June 27, 2000) (finding that the domain names <beanybaby.com>,
<beaniesbabies.com>, <beanybabies.com> are confusingly similar to
the complainant’s mark BEANIE BABIES).
Respondent’s <statefarmisurance.com> domain name also adds the generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) “.com.” The addition of a gTLD is not relevant in a Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) analysis. The Panel finds that the <statefarmisurance.com> domain name is confusingly similar to the Complainant’s mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Rollerblade, Inc. v. McCrady, D2000-0429 (WIPO June 25, 2000) (finding that the top level of the domain name such as “.net” or “.com” does not affect the domain name for the purpose of determining whether it is identical or confusingly similar); see also Busy Body, Inc. v. Fitness Outlet Inc., D2000-0127 (WIPO Apr. 22, 2000) ("[T]he 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 . . . .").
The Panel concludes that Complainant has satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).
Complainant asserts that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the <statefarmisurance.com> domain name. Complainant has the burden of proof for this allegation pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). Once Complainant has shown a prima facie case, the burden of proof shifts to Respondent. The Panel finds Complainant has met its burden. See Do The Hustle, LLC v. Tropic Web, D2000-0624 (WIPO Aug. 21, 2000) (holding that, where the complainant has asserted that the respondent has no rights or legitimate interests with respect to the domain name, it is incumbent on the respondent to come forward with concrete evidence rebutting this assertion because this information is “uniquely within the knowledge and control of the respondent”).
Respondent’s failure to respond to the Complaint allows the Panel to assume that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. See Am. Express Co. v. Fang Suhendro, FA 129120 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 30, 2002) (“[B]ased on Respondent's failure to respond, it is presumed that Respondent lacks all rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name.”); see also Do the Hustle, LLC v. Tropic Web, D2000-0624 (WIPO Aug. 21, 2000) (“Failure of a respondent to come forward to [contest complainant’s allegations] is tantamount to admitting the truth of complainant’s assertions in this regard.”). Nonetheless, the Panel will examine the record to determine legitimate rights or interests under Policy ¶ 4(c).
Respondent’s WHOIS information does not suggest that
Respondent is commonly known by the <statefarmisurance.com> domain name. There is no other information in the record that
supports that assertion. Respondent is
not associated with, affiliated with or sponsored by Complainant. Complainant did not authorize Respondent to
register the disputed domain name or to use the STATE FARM INSURANCE trademark
for Respondent’s business purposes. Therefore, the Panel finds that Respondent
is not commonly known by the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). See Tercent Inc. v. Lee
Yi, FA 139720 (Nat. Arb. Forum
Respondent’s disputed domain name resolves to a website that
provides links and keyword advertisements of other companies that are in direct
competition with Complainant. The Panel presumes that Respondent is using
the domain name for monetary gain, by capitalizing on Complainant’s mark. The Panel finds this is not a bona fide offering of goods or services
under Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or a legitimate non-commercial
or fair use under Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii). See 24
Hour Fitness USA, Inc. v. 24HourNames.com-Quality Domains For
The Panel also finds that Respondent’s <statefarmisurance.com> domain name is a
typosquatted version of Complainant’s STATE FARM INSURANCE mark as the disputed
domain name takes advantage of a common typing error. As such, the Panel finds that the nature of
the disputed domain name itself indicates that Respondent lacks rights and
legitimate interests in the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). See IndyMac
Bank F.S.B. v. Ebeyer, FA 175292 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 19, 2003) (finding that the respondent lacked
rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain names because it “engaged
in the practice of typosquatting by taking advantage of Internet users who
attempt to access Complainant's <indymac.com> website but mistakenly
misspell Complainant's mark by typing the letter ‘x’ instead of the letter
‘c’”); see also LTD Commodities LLC v. Party Night, Inc., FA 165155 (Nat. Arb. Forum
The Panel finds that Complainant satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).
Respondent’s <statefarmisurance.com> domain name is a classic example of typosquatting and is evidence of bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii). See National Ass’n of Prof’l Baseball Leagues, Inc. v. Zuccarini, D2002-1011 (WIPO Jan. 21, 2003) (“Typosquatting … is the intentional misspelling of words with intent to intercept and siphon off traffic from its intended destination, by preying on Internauts who make common typing errors. Typosquatting is inherently parasitic and of itself evidence of bad faith”); see also Dermalogica, Inc. v. Domains to Develop, FA 175201 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 22, 2003) (finding that the <dermatalogica.com> domain name was a “simple misspelling” of the complainant's DERMALOGICA mark which indicated typosquatting and bad faith pursuant to Policy 4 ¶ (a)(iii)).
The Panel presumes that Respondent is financially benefiting from the <statefarmisurance.com> domain name through click-through fees. The website that resolves from the disputed domain name displays various links to competitors of Complainant, including a hyperlink labeled with Complainant’s mark that resolves to competitors of Complainant. The Panel finds this to be additional evidence of Respondent’s bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See America Online, Inc. v. Fu, D2000-1374 (WIPO Dec. 11, 2000) (finding that the respondent violated Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) by displaying the complainant’s mark on its website and offering identical services as those offered by the complainant); see also Associated Newspapers Ltd. v. Domain Manager, FA 201976 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 19, 2003) (“Respondent's prior use of the <mailonsunday.com> domain name is evidence of bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) because the domain name provided links to Complainant's competitors and Respondent presumably commercially benefited from the misleading domain name by receiving ‘click-through-fees.’”).
The Panel concludes that Complainant has satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii).
Having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <statefarmisurance.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Dated: November 20, 2007
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