The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc & Bibit Global Payment Services B.V. f/k/a Bi-bit Billing Services B.V. v. Carol Crow
Claim Number: FA0902001248919
Complainant is The
Royal Bank of
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The domain name at issue is <rbs-bibit.com>, registered with Melbourne It, Ltd. d/b/a Internet Names Worldwide.
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.
Louis E. Condon as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically on February 20, 2009; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on February 23, 2009.
On February 26, 2009, Melbourne It, Ltd. d/b/a Internet Names Worldwide confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <rbs-bibit.com> domain name is registered with Melbourne It, Ltd. d/b/a Internet Names Worldwide and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Melbourne It, Ltd. d/b/a Internet Names Worldwide has verified that Respondent is bound by the Melbourne It, Ltd. d/b/a Internet Names Worldwide 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 March 5, 2009, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of March 25, 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@rbs-bibit.com by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On April 3, 2009, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed Louis E. Condon as Panelist.
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 <rbs-bibit.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s RBS and BIBIT marks.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <rbs-bibit.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <rbs-bibit.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, is engaged in the financial services industry and in 2004 acquired Bibit Global Payment Services B.V. f/k/a Bi-bit Billing Services B.V. in conjunction with the provision of financial services to its customers. These entities will be collectively referred to as Complainant. Complainant has registered its RBS mark with multiple governmental agencies including the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (“UKIPO”) (Reg. No. 2,004,617; issued November 23, 1994). Furthermore, Complainant has registered its BIBIT mark with the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (“UKIPO”) on March 22, 2000 (Reg. No.733,782).
Respondent registered the disputed domain name on October 28, 2008. Respondent’s disputed domain name is being used to circulate fraudulent e-mails purportedly from Complainant regarding payment for the purchase of a car. These e-mails attempt to mimic Complainant’s logos and stylization.
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 provided evidence of the registration if the
RBS and BIBIT marks with the UKIPO. Therefore, the Panel finds Complainant has
established rights in these marks under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Royal Bank of Scot. Group plc, Direct Line
Ins. plc, & Privilege Ins. Co. Ltd. v. Demand Domains, FA 714952 (Nat. Arb. Forum August 2, 2006)
(holding that registration of the PRIVILEGE mark with the
Respondent’s disputed domain name combines Complainant’s RBS and BIBIT marks with a hyphen and the addition of the generic top-level domain “.com.” The Panel finds these alterations do not distinguish the disputed domain name from Complainant’s marks and thus finds they are confusingly similar under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Nintendo of Am. Inc. v. Pokemon, D2000-1230 (WIPO Nov. 23, 2000) (finding confusing similarity where respondent combined the complainant’s POKEMON and PIKACHU marks to form the <pokemonpikachu.com> domain name); see also Eastman Chem. Co. v. Patel, FA 524752 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 7, 2005) (“Therefore, the Panel concludes that the addition of a term descriptive of Complainant’s business, the addition of a hyphen, and the addition of the gTLD ‘.com’ are insufficient to distinguish Respondent’s domain name from Complainant’s mark.”).
The Panel finds Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant has alleged Respondent does not have rights or
legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. Complainant is required to produce a prima facie case in support of its
allegations and then the burden shifts to Respondent to prove it possesses
rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. The Panel finds Complainant has adequately
established a prima facie case. Due to Respondent’s failure to respond to
these proceedings, the Panel may assume Respondent does not possess rights or
legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. The Panel, however, will examine the record
to determine whether Respondent possesses rights or legitimate interests in the
disputed domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c).
See G.D. Searle v. Martin
Mktg., FA 118277 (Nat. Arb. Forum Oct. 1, 2002) (“Because Complainant’s
Submission constitutes a prima facie case under the Policy, the burden
effectively shifts to Respondent. Respondent’s failure to respond means that
Respondent has not presented any circumstances that would promote its rights or
legitimate interests in the subject domain name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).”); see also 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.”).
Respondent is listed in the WHOIS
information as “Carol Crow.” There is no
other evidence in the record indicating Respondent is known by the disputed
domain name or authorized to use Complainant’s marks in any manner. Therefore, the Panel finds Respondent is not
commonly known by the disputed domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See St. Lawrence Univ. v. Nextnet Tech, FA 881234 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 21, 2007) (concluding a respondent
has no rights or legitimate interests in a disputed domain name where there was
no evidence in the record indicating that the respondent was commonly known by
the disputed domain name); see also Ian Schrager Hotels, L.L.C. v. Taylor, FA 173369
(Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 25, 2003) (finding that without demonstrable evidence to
support the assertion that a respondent is commonly known by a domain name, the
assertion must be rejected).
Respondent is using the disputed domain name to circulate fraudulent e-mails purportedly from Complainant requesting payment. Furthermore, Respondent is using decorative schematics and logos which mimic Complainant’s marketing materials. The Panel finds this is an attempt by Respondent to pass itself off as Complainant. The Panel finds this use of the disputed domain name is not 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 Toronto-Dominion Bank v. Karpachev, 188 F.Supp.2d 110, 114 (D. Mass. 2002) (finding that, because the respondent's sole purpose in selecting the domain names was to cause confusion with the complainant's website and marks, its use of the names was not in connection with the offering of goods or services or any other fair use); see also Vapor Blast Mfg. Co. v. R & S Tech., Inc., FA 96577 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 27, 2001) (finding that the respondent’s commercial use of a confusingly similar domain name suggests that the respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name); see also Am. Int’l Group, Inc. v. Busby, FA 156251 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 30, 2003) (finding that the respondent attempts to pass itself off as the complainant online, which is blatant unauthorized use of the complainant’s mark and is evidence that the respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name); see also Dream Horse Classifieds v. Mosley, FA 381256 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 8, 2005) (finding the respondent’s attempt to pass itself off as the complainant by implementing a color scheme identical to the complainant’s was evidence that respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii)).
The Panel finds Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.
Respondent is using the disputed domain name to distribute fraudulent e-mails requesting payments from Internet users. Respondent purports in these e-mails to be Complainant. Respondent is using color and logo schematics that appear to mimic Complainant’s. The Panel finds this is an attempt by Respondent to pass itself off as Complainant. The Panel finds this use of the disputed domain name is a clear attempt by Respondent to profit from Complainant’s goodwill it has developed in its RBS and BIBIT marks. The Panel finds these actions equate bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See Perot Sys. Corp. v. Perot.net, FA 95312 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 29, 2000) (finding bad faith where the domain name in question is obviously connected with the complainant’s well-known marks, thus creating a likelihood of confusion strictly for commercial gain); see also Entrepreneur Media, Inc. v. Smith, 279 F.3d 1135, 1148 (9th Cir. 2002) ("While an intent to confuse consumers is not required for a finding of trademark infringement, intent to deceive is strong evidence of a likelihood of confusion."); see also Target Brands, Inc. v. JK Internet Servs., FA 349108 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 14, 2004) (finding bad faith because the respondent not only registered Complainant’s famous TARGET mark, but “reproduced . . . Complainant’s TARGET mark . . . [and] added Complainant’s distinctive red bull’s eye [at the domain name] . . . to a point of being indistinguishable from the original.”); see also Monsanto Co. v. Decepticons, FA 101536 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 18, 2001) (finding that the respondent's use of <monsantos.com> to misrepresent itself as the complainant and to provide misleading information to the public supported a finding of bad faith).
The Panel finds Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) has been satisfied.
Complainant having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief should be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <rbs-bibit.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Louis E. Condon, Panelist
Dated: April 17, 2009
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