Abbott Laboratories v. Whois Service c/o
Claim Number: FA0903001254682
Complainant is Abbott Laboratories (“Complainant”), represented by Molly
Buck Richard, of Richard Law Group, Inc.,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <pediasure.org>, registered with Domain Contender, LLC.
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.
Judge Ralph Yachnin as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to
the National Arbitration Forum electronically on
On March 27, 2009, Domain Contender, LLC confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <pediasure.org> domain name is registered with Domain Contender, LLC and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Domain Contender, LLC has verified that Respondent is bound by the Domain Contender, LLC 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 April 6, 2009, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of March 27, 2009 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@pediasure.org 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 <pediasure.org> domain name is identical to Complainant’s PEDIASURE mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <pediasure.org> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <pediasure.org> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Abbott Laboratories, is a leading healthcare
company that researches, develops, and sells pharmaceutical products, nutrition
products, and other medical-related products.
Complainant owns a number of trademark registrations with governmental
authorities around the world for the PEDIASURE mark, including multiple registrations
with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) (i.e. Reg. No. 1,475,612
issued
Respondent registered the <pediasure.org> domain name
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.
The Panel finds that Complainant has established rights in
the PEDIASURE mark for purposes of Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) through its trademark
registration with the USPTO. See Metro. Life Ins. Co. v. Bonds, FA 873143 (Nat. Arb. Forum
Complainant alleges that
Respondent’s <pediasure.org> domain name is identical to
Complainant’s PEDIASURE mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). Respondent’s disputed domain name contains
Complainant’s PEDIASURE mark in its entirety and adds the generic top-level
domain (“gTLD”) “.org.” The Panel finds
that the addition of a gTLD is irrelevant in distinguishing a disputed domain
name from a registered mark. See Microsoft Corp. v. Mehrotra, D2000-0053 (WIPO
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant asserts that Respondent lacks all rights and legitimate interests in the <pediasure.org> domain name. If Complainant makes a prima facie case in support of its allegations, the burden shifts to Respondent to prove that rights and legitimate interests exist pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). The Panel finds that Complainant has establised a prima facie case. See Document Techs., Inc. v. Int’l Elec. Commc’ns Inc., D2000-0270 (WIPO June 6, 2000) (“Although Paragraph 4(a) of the Policy requires that the Complainant prove the presence of this element (along with the other two), once a Complainant makes out a prima facie showing, the burden of production on this factor shifts to the Respondent to rebut the showing by providing concrete evidence that it has rights to or legitimate interests in the Domain Name.”); see also Towmaster, Inc. v. Hale, FA 973506 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 4, 2007) (“Complainant must first make a prima facie case that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), and then the burden shifts to Respondent to show it does have rights or legitimate interests.”).
Complainant contends that Respondent is neither commonly
known by nor licensed to register the disputed domain name.
Respondent’s WHOIS information identifies Respondent as “Whois Service
c/o Belize Domain WHOIS Service.” The
Panel finds that Respondent’s failure to respond to the Complaint and the WHOIS
information demonstrate that Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed
domain name. Therefore, pursuant to
Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii), Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the
disputed domain name. See M. Shanken Commc’ns v.
WORLDTRAVELERSONLINE.COM, FA
740335 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 3, 2006) (finding that the respondent was not
commonly known by the <cigaraficionada.com> domain name under Policy ¶
4(c)(ii) based on the WHOIS information and other evidence in the record); see also Tercent Inc. v. Lee Yi,
FA 139720 (Nat. Arb. Forum
Respondent is using the <pediasure.org>
domain name to display links advertising third-party websites, some of which
are in competition with Complainant. The
Panel infers that Respondent is using the disputed domain name to earn
click-through fees, and thus finds that Respondent has not made a bona fide offering of goods or services
under Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use under Policy ¶
4(c)(iii). See Wells Fargo
& Co. v. Lin Shun Shing, FA 205699
(Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 8, 2003) (finding that using a domain name to direct
Internet traffic to a website featuring pop-up advertisements and links to
various third-party websites is neither a bona fide offering of goods or
services under Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) nor a legitimate noncommercial or fair use
under Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii) because the registrant presumably receives
compensation for each misdirected Internet user); see also Coryn Group, Inc. v. Media Insight, FA 198959 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 5, 2003) (finding that
the respondent was not using the domain names for a bona fide offering
of goods or services nor a legitimate noncommercial or fair use because the
respondent used the names to divert Internet users to a website that offered
services that competed with those offered by the complainant under its marks).
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
The Panel finds that Respondent’s use of the <pediasure.org> domain name to disrupt the
business of Complainant by offering links to Complainant’s competitors is
evidence of bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iii). See Classic
Metal Roofs, LLC v. Interlock Indus., Ltd., FA 724554 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug.
1, 2006) (finding that the respondent registered and used the
<classicmetalroofing.com> domain name in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶
4(b)(iii) by redirecting Internet users to the respondent’s competing website); see also Disney
Enters., Inc. v. Noel, FA 198805 (Nat. Arb. Forum
In addition, Respondent is using the <pediasure.org> domain name to intentionally
divert Internet users to the associated website, which displays third-party
links to competing websites. In cases
such as this, the Panel may assume that Respondent is collecting click-through
fees and attempting to profit by creating a likelihood of confusion between
Complainant’s mark and the disputed domain name. The Panel finds that Respondent’s use of the
disputed domain name is further evidence of bad faith registration and use
pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See Velv, LLC v. AAE, FA
677922 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 25, 2006) (finding that the respondent’s use of the
<arizonashuttle.net> domain name, which contained the complainant’s
ARIZONA SHUTTLE mark, to attract Internet traffic to the respondent’s website
offering competing travel services violated Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv)); see also
The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) has been satisfied.
Having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <pediasure.org> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Hon. Ralph Yachnin, Panelist
Justice, Supreme Court, NY (Ret.)
Dated: May 14, 2009
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