Mattel, Inc. v. Unknown c/o Dora Marks
Claim Number: FA0506000490083
PARTIES
Complainant
is Mattel, Inc. (“Complainant”),
represented by William Dunnegan of Perkins & Dunnegan, 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111. Respondent is Unknown c/o Dora Marks (“Respondent”), P.O. Box
818, Florence, OR 97439.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The
domain name at issue is <barbie.us>,
registered with Go Daddy Software, Inc.
PANEL
The
undersigned certifies that he or she has acted independently and impartially
and to the best of his or her knowledge has no known conflict in serving as
Panelist in this proceeding.
Joel Grossman as
Panelist.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Complainant
submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum (the “Forum”) electronically
on June 2, 2005; the Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on June 7,
2005.
On
June 2, 2005, Go Daddy Software, Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the Forum that the
domain name <barbie.us> is
registered with Go Daddy Software, Inc. and that the Respondent is the current
registrant of the name. Go Daddy
Software, Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the Go Daddy Software,
Inc. registration agreement and has thereby agreed to resolve domain-name
disputes brought by third parties in accordance with the U. S. Department of
Commerce’s usTLD Dispute Resolution Policy (the “Policy”).
On
June 9, 2005, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative
Proceeding (the “Commencement Notification”), setting a deadline of June 29,
2005 by which Respondent could file a Response to the Complaint, was
transmitted to Respondent in compliance with Paragraph 2(a) of the Rules for
usTLD Dispute Resolution Policy (the “Rules”).
A
timely Response was received and determined to be complete on June 20, 2005.
On June 27, 2005, pursuant to Complainant’s request to
have the dispute decided by a single-member
Panel, the Forum appointed Joel Grossman as
Panelist.
RELIEF SOUGHT
Complainant
requests that the domain name be transferred from Respondent to Complainant.
PARTIES’ CONTENTIONS
A.
Complainant
Complainant,
a famous toy company, holds many trademarks in the name “Barbie,” a very
popular doll which is universally associated with Complainant’s company.
Complainant also maintains websites with a virtually identical name to the
disputed site, namely “barbie.com” and “barbie.net.” Complainant asserts that
the domain name at issue is confusingly similar and dilutive of its registered
Barbie trademark. Complainant further asserts that Respondent has no legitimate
right or interest in the domain name, as Respondent has not been known by the
name Barbie and does no business with the name; instead the website merely
refers visitors to a website that solicits offers to buy the domain name.
Finally, Complainant asserts that Respondent has registered and used the domain
name in bad faith, as (1) it prevents Complainant from using this name for its
own business, and (2) Respondent’s use of the domain name dilutes its trademark
in the name Barbie because it lessens the ability for this trademark to
identify Complainant’s products.
B.
Respondent
Respondent
admits the validity of Complainant’s trademark, and that it has no trademark in
the name “Barbie.” Respondent states that it purchased the domain name in an auction
as an investment, with the intent to sell the domain name for a profit.
Respondent contends that it did not purchase the domain name with the intent to
sell it to Complainant. Respondent asserts that the domain name does not create
confusion or dilution, since those interested in Complainant’s products would
first go to Complainant’s sites
“barbie.com” or “barbie.net.” Respondent asserts that there is nothing
wrong with acquiring a domain name for the sole purpose of reselling the name
for a profit.
FINDINGS
The panel finds that the domain name
“barbie.us” is identical to, or at least confusingly similar to Complainant’s
trademark “Barbie.” The panel also finds that Respondent has no legitimate
rights or interest in the name. Finally, the panel finds that the domain name
was registered and is being used in bad faith.
DISCUSSION
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 the 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 the Respondent is identical or confusingly
similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights;
(2)
the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain
name; and
(3)
the domain name has been registered or is being used in bad faith.
Given
the similarity between the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
(“UDRP”) and the usTLD Policy, the Panel will draw upon UDRP precedent as
applicable in rendering its decision.
Identical and/or Confusingly Similar
The domain name is identical to the
trademark “Barbie”, as it uses the trademark in its entirety. The only
difference is the addition of the country code “us” which for this purpose is
insufficient to distinguish the domain name from the trademark. See, Tropar
Mfg. Co. v. TSB, FA 127701 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 4, 2002). Even assuming
that the domain name is not identical to the trademark because of the country
code, the domain name is certainly confusingly to the trademark, and the general
public could easily believe that it is sponsored by the trademark owner.
Rights or Legitimate Interests
Because the domain name is identical to
Complainant’s trademark, Complainant has made a prima facie case that
Respondent has no legitimate interests in the domain name, and the burden
shifts to Respondent to establish it has rights or legitimate interests in the
name. See Do the Hustle, LLC v. Tropic Web, D2000-0624 (WIPO Aug. 21,
2000). In this case, Respondent has no evidence to meet its burden. Respondent
concedes that it is not known by the name, has no trademark in the name and
does not do business in any manner using the name. Rather, Respondent’s sole
use of the name is as “an investment,” namely hoping to resell the name to
another party for a profit. Respondent’s willingness to sell the name
demonstrates further that it has no legitimate rights or interest in the name.
See Mothers Against Drunk Driving v. Hyun-Jun Shin, FA 154098 (Nat. Arb.
Forum May 27, 2003).
Registration and Use in Bad Faith
The evidence shows that Respondent
initially acquired the domain name, and currently is using the domain name solely for the
purpose of soliciting offers to purchase the domain name so it may be resold
for a profit. Respondent notes in its response that at the time it purchased
the domain name it “wondered why Mattel themselves (sic) had not registered or
purchased the name.” This suggests to the panel that the Respondent’s original
motivation may have been to purchase and hold the name until selling it to
Complainant. Additionally, Respondent states that “the name can be used by
someone licensed by Mattel to sell Barbie,” thus suggesting that Respondent’s
intent when purchasing the name was to sell it either to Complainant or
Complainant’s licensee. The panel finds that this constitutes bad faith
registration and use under Policy 4(b). See Banca Popolare Friuladria S.p.A.
v. Zago, D2000-0793 (WIPO Sept. 3, 2000), explaining that the
introductory language in section 4 (b)
of the Policy notes that the following circumstances “in particular but without
limitation” constitute evidence of bad faith. Thus, when section 4(b)(i) refers
to registering a domain name with the intent of selling it to the trademark
owner (which may well be the case here) as an example of bad faith registration
and use, that is given as an example and is not a limitation. Complainant does
not have to show that Respondent intended to sell the domain name to
Complainant. Even if Respondent intended
to sell the name to Complainant’s licensee and not to Complainant, this case
still falls within 4(b). See Bank of America Corp. v. Northwest Free Cmty,
Access FA 180704 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 30, 2003) and Educ. Testing
Serv. v. TOEFL, D2000-0044 (WIPO Mar. 16, 2000) (offer of sale combined with
no legitimate use of the domain name constitutes registration and use in bad
faith). The panel notes that Respondent claims that it has recently attempted
to sell the domain name to Complainant for only out of pocket costs; but this
attempt came only recently, after the Complainant had notified Respondent of
its intent to file this action. The panel is sympathetic to Respondent’s claim
that Respondent did not know there was anything improper about acquiring the
domain name with the intent of reselling it for a profit. However, under
applicable law and precedent, given the Complainant’s identical trademark, and
given Respondent’s intention to sell the name either to Complainant or its
licensee, the panel determines that the registration and use was in bad faith,
as that term is used in the Policy.
DECISION
Complainant having established all three
elements required under the usTLD Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall
be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <barbie.us> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent
to Complainant.
Joel Grossman, Panelist
Dated: July 11, 2005
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