T-Mobile USA, Inc. dba MetroPCS v. amit patel / Lead Generation
Claim Number: FA1510001643152
Complainant is T-Mobile USA, Inc. dba MetroPCS (“Complainant”), represented by James F. Struthers of Richard Law Group, Inc., Texas, USA. Respondent is amit patel / Lead Generation (“Respondent”), India.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The domain name at issue is <metro-franchise.com>, registered with GoDaddy.com, 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.
Paul M. DeCicco, as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the Forum electronically on October 20, 2015; the Forum received payment on October 20, 2015.
On October 20, 2015, GoDaddy.com, LLC confirmed by e-mail to the Forum that the <metro-franchise.com> domain name is registered with GoDaddy.com, LLC and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. GoDaddy.com, LLC has verified that Respondent is bound by the GoDaddy.com, LLC registration agreement and has thereby agreed to resolve domain disputes brought by third parties in accordance with ICANN’s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the “Policy”).
On October 21, 2015, the Forum served the Complaint and all Annexes, including a Written Notice of the Complaint, setting a deadline of November 10, 2015 by which Respondent could file a Response to the Complaint, via e-mail to all entities and persons listed on Respondent’s registration as technical, administrative, and billing contacts, and to postmaster@metro-franchise.com. Also on October 21, 2015, the Written Notice of the Complaint, notifying Respondent of the e-mail addresses served and the deadline for a Response, was transmitted to Respondent via post and fax, to all entities and persons listed on Respondent’s registration as technical, administrative and billing contacts.
Having received no response from Respondent, the Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On November 13, 2015, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the Forum appointed Paul M. DeCicco 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" through submission of Electronic and Written Notices, as defined in Rule 1 and Rule 2. 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
Complainant contends as follows:
Complainant has rights in the METROPCS mark through its registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) (e.g., Reg. No. 2,792,316, registered on December 9, 2003).
Respondent’s <metro-franchise.com> domain name is confusingly similar to the METROPCS mark because it contains the “metro” portion of the mark, while adding the generic word “franchise” and the inconsequential additions of a hyphen and the generic top-level domain “.com.”
Respondent is not commonly known by the <metro-franchise.com> domain name because there is nothing to indicate being so commonly known and because Complainant has not authorized Respondent to use the METROPCS mark.
Respondent fails to provide a bona fide offering of goods or services or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use because the resolving website is used to create the impression of association with Complainant in order to engage in phishing.
Respondent uses the <metro-franchise.com> domain name in bad faith because the resolving website is used to create an impression of association with Complainant in order to commercially profit and to engage in phishing.
Respondent registered the <metro-franchise.com> domain name in bad faith because it did so with actual knowledge of Complainant’s rights in the METROPCS mark.
B. Respondent
Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant has rights in the METROPCS mark through its registration of such mark with the USPTO.
Respondent is not affiliated with Complainant and had not been authorized to use Complainant’s trademark in any capacity.
Respondent registered the at‑issue domain name after Complainant acquired rights in its relevant trademarks.
Respondent uses the at-issue domain name to address a website designed to create the impression that such website is associated with Complainant in order to perpetrate a phishing scheme.
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."
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.
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.”).
The at-issue domain name is confusingly similar to a trademark in which Complainant has rights.
Complainant’s ownership of USPTO trademark registrations for the METROPCS trademark demonstrates its rights in such mark for the purposes of Policy ¶4(a)(i). See Microsoft Corp. v. Burkes, FA 652743 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 17, 2006) (“Complainant has established rights in the MICROSOFT mark through registration of the mark with the USPTO.”). Complainant’s rights exist notwithstanding that Respondent may operate outside the jurisdiction of the trademark’s registrar. See 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).
The at-issue domain name contains a dominant part of Complainant’s trademark, adds a hyphen, the generic term “franchise,” and appends a required top-level domain name, here “.com,” to the resulting string. Nevertheless, the differences between the <metro-franchise.com> domain name and Complainant’s METROPCS trademark are insufficient to distinguish one from the other for the purposes of Policy ¶4 (a)(i). Therefore, the Panel finds that the <metro-franchise.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s METROPCS trademark. See Skype v. Caruso, FA1431445 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 4, 2012) (“[a]dding a generic/descriptive term or terms and a generic top-level domain (‘gTLD’) to Complainant’s trademark does not sufficiently distinguish the at-issue domain name from Complainant’s mark pursuant to Policy ¶4(a)(i)”); see also, Innomed Techs., Inc. v. DRP Servs., FA 221171 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 18, 2004) (finding that hyphens and top-level domains are irrelevant for purposes of the Policy).
Rights or Legitimate Interests
Under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), Complainant must first make out a prima facie case showing that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in respect of an at-issue domain name and then the burden, in effect, shifts to Respondent to come forward with evidence of its rights or legitimate interests. See Hanna-Barbera Prods., Inc. v. Entm’t Commentaries, FA 741828 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 18, 2006). Since Respondent failed to respond, absent evidence of Policy ¶4(c) circumstances Complainant’s prima facie showing acts conclusively.
Respondent lacks both rights and legitimate interests in respect of the at-issue domain name. Respondent is not authorized to use Complainant’s trademark in any capacity and as discussed below there are no Policy ¶4(c) circumstances from which the Panel might find that Respondent has rights or interests in respect of the at-issue domain name.
WHOIS information for the at-issue domain name lists “amit patel” as the domain name’s registrant and there is nothing in the record that otherwise suggests Respondent is commonly known by the <metro-franchise.com> domain name. Therefore, the Panel finds that Respondent is not commonly known by the at-issue domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See Compagnie de Saint Gobain v. Com-Union Corp., D2000-0020 (WIPO Mar. 14, 2000) (finding no rights or legitimate interest where the respondent was not commonly known by the mark and never applied for a license or permission from the complainant to use the trademarked name); see also, Braun Corp. v. Loney, FA 699652 (Nat. Arb. Forum July 7, 2006) (concluding that the respondent was not commonly known by the disputed domain names where the WHOIS information, as well as all other information in the record, gave no indication that the respondent was commonly known by the domain names, and the complainant had not authorized the respondent to register a domain name containing its registered mark).
Respondent’s uses the confusingly similar <metro-franchise.com> domain name to help create a false impression that the website addressed by such domain name is sponsored by Complainant. Respondent’s capitalizes on the ensuing confusion to implement a phishing scheme to defraud Internet users into giving-up sensitive personal information such as social security numbers. Using the at-issue domain name to pass itself off as Complainant in connection with a phishing scheme in this manner 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). See Mortgage Research Center LLC v. Miranda, FA 993017 (Nat. Arb. Forum July 9, 2007) (“Because [the] respondent in this case is also attempting to pass itself off as [the] complainant, presumably for financial gain, the Panel finds the respondent is not using the <mortgageresearchcenter.org> domain name for a bona fide offering of goods or services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i), or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii).”); see also, Allianz of Am. Corp. v. Bond, FA 690796 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 12, 2006) (holding that the respondent’s use of the <allianzcorp.biz> domain name to fraudulently acquire the personal and financial information of Internet users seeking Complainant’s financial services was not a bona fide offering of goods or services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the disputed domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii)).
Given the forgoing, Complainant satisfies its initial burden under Policy ¶4(a)(ii) and conclusively demonstrates Respondent’s lack of rights and lack of interests in respect of the at-issue domain name.
The domain name was registered and used in bad faith. As discussed below, Policy ¶4(b) specific bad faith circumstances as well as other circumstance are present which compel the Panel to conclude that Respondent acted in bad faith pursuant to paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the Policy.
As mentioned above Respondent uses the confusingly similar domain name to enable a phishing scheme, ostensibly for commercial gain, aimed at fooling Internet users into giving up sensitive personal information. Simply creating a false impression of Respondent’s association with Complainant, as Respondent’s does here, demonstrates Respondent’s bad faith registration and use of the domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See G.D. Searle & Co. v. Celebrex Drugstore, FA 123933 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 21, 2002) (finding that the respondent registered and used the domain name in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶4(b)(iv) where the respondent was using the confusingly similar domain name to attract Internet users to its commercial website). Moreover, Respondent’s use of the <metro-franchise.com> domain in a phishing scheme likewise shows Respondent’s bad faith. See Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. v. Hines, FA 1632754 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 18, 2015) (“Respondent’s use of the <kaiserpermanentegroup.com> domain name to engage in a phishing scheme is in itself evidence of Respondent’s bad faith”); see also Morgan Stanley v. Zhang Sheng Xu / Zhang Sheng Xu, FA 1600534 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb 16, 2015) (“Respondent’s use of the disputed domain name in furtherance of a phishing scheme constitutes bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii)”)
Finally, Respondent registered the <metro-franchise.com> domain name knowing that Complainant had trademark rights in the METROPCS mark. Respondent’s prior knowledge is evident from the notoriety of Complainant’s trademark and from Respondent’s overt attempt to impersonate Complainant via the domain name and associated website. Indeed, in pursuit of visitor confusion Respondent branded its bogus website by displaying “MetroPCS National Dealer Program,” Complainant’s authentic metroPCS logo, the T-Mobile National Dealer Program logo and further stated that it offers the “MetroPCS Exclusive Agent Program” and the “MetroPCS Exclusive Dealer Program.” As if not enough, Respondent’s phony website shamelessly referenced additional programs proprietary to Complainant. Therefore, it is clear that Respondent intentionally registered the at-issue domain name precisely to improperly exploit its trademark value, rather than for some benign reason. Respondent’s prior knowledge of Complainant's trademark further indicates that Respondent registered and used the <metro-franchise.com> domain name in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii). See Minicards Vennootschap Onder FIrma Amsterdam v. Moscow Studios, FA 1031703 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 5, 2007) (holding that respondent registered a domain name in bad faith under Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) after concluding that respondent had "actual knowledge of Complainant's mark when registering the disputed domain name").
Having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <metro-franchise.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Paul M. DeCicco, Panelist
Dated: November 19, 2015
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