Microsoft Corporation v. Lei Guo
Claim Number: FA0906001267659
Complainant is Microsoft
Corporation (“Complainant”), represented by Molly Buck Richard, of Richard Law Group, Inc.,
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN
NAME
The domain name at issue is <pornoxbox.com>, registered with Name.com LLC.
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.
James A Crary as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum electronically on June 10, 2009; the National Arbitration Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on June 11, 2009.
On June 11, 2009, Name.com LLC confirmed by e-mail to the National Arbitration Forum that the <pornoxbox.com> domain name is registered with Name.com LLC and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Name.com LLC has verified that Respondent is bound by the Name.com 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 June 16, 2009, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of July 6, 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@pornoxbox.com by e-mail.
Having received no response from Respondent, the National Arbitration Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On July 13, 2009, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the National Arbitration Forum appointed James A Crary 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 <pornoxbox.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s XBOX mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <pornoxbox.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <pornoxbox.com> domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant, Microsoft Corporation, manufactures, markets, and sells computer software and related products and services. Complainant launched a video game entertainment system called XBOX in 2001. Complainant owns a variety of trademark registrations with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) for its XBOX mark (i.e., Reg. No. 2,775,859 issued October 21, 2003).
Respondent registered the <pornoxbox.com> domain name on August 10, 2008. The disputed domain name resolves to a website featuring inactive links.
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.
Previous panels have held that trademark registration with
the USPTO is sufficient to establish rights in a mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). Complainant has
registered its XBOX mark with the USPTO.
Therefore, the Panel finds Complainant has established rights in the
XBOX mark through its registration with the USPTO.
Respondent’s <pornoxbox.com> domain name is
confusingly similar to Complainant’s XBOX mark because Respondent simply adds
the generic term “porno” and adds the generic top-level domain “.com.” The Panel finds the addition of a generic
term and generic top-level domain fails to distinguish the disputed domain name
from Complainant’s mark. Therefore, the
Panel finds the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s
XBOX mark. See Arthur Guinness Son & Co. (
The Panel finds Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.
Complainant alleges that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the <pornoxbox.com> domain name. Previous panels have found that when a complainant makes a prima facie case in support of its allegations, the burden shifts to the respondent to prove that it does have rights or legitimate interests pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii). The Panel finds Complainant has made a prima facie case. Due to Respondent’s failure to respond to the Complaint, the Panel may assume that Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the <pornoxbox.com> domain name. However, the Panel will examine the record to determine whether Respondent has rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(c). See Intel Corp. v. Macare, FA 660685 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 26, 2006) (finding the “complainant must first make a prima facie case that [the] respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain names under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), and then the burden shifts to [the] respondent to show it does have rights or legitimate interests.”); see also Charles Jourdan Holding AG v. AAIM, D2000-0403 (WIPO June 27, 2000) (finding it appropriate for the panel to draw adverse inferences from the respondent’s failure to reply to the complaint).
Respondent’s <pornoxbox.com> domain name
resolves to a website featuring inactive links unrelated to Complainant. The Panel finds that this use is not a bona fide offering of goods or services
under Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) or legitimate noncommercial or
fair use of the disputed domain names under Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii). See
Constellation Wines
Complainant asserts that it has never authorized Respondent to use the XBOX mark. The WHOIS information identifies Respondent as “Lei Guo.” The Panel finds no evidence in the record, and no evidence submitted by Respondent, demonstrating that Respondent is commonly known by <pornoxbox.com> domain name. Therefore, the Panel finds that Respondent has not established rights or legitimate interests in the <pornoxbox.com> domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See 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 disputed domain names, and the complainant had not authorized the respondent to register a domain name containing its registered mark); see also Tercent Inc. v. Lee Yi, FA 139720 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 10, 2003) (stating “nothing in Respondent’s WHOIS information implies that Respondent is ‘commonly known by’ the disputed domain name” as one factor in determining that Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii) does not apply).
The Panel finds Complainant has satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).
The Panel presumes Respondent receives click-through fees
from the links. Respondent is using the confusingly similar disputed domain
name to profit from Internet users’ confusion as to Complainant’s affiliation
with the resolving website. Therefore,
the Panel finds Respondent’s use of the disputed domain name constitutes bad
faith registration and use under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See
T-Mobile USA, Inc. v. utahhealth, FA 697821 (Nat. Arb. Forum
June 7, 2006) (holding that the registration and use of a domain name
confusingly similar to a complainant’s mark to direct Internet traffic to a
commercial “links page” in order to profit from click-through fees or other
revenue sources constitutes bad faith under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv)); see also The Ass’n of Junior Leagues
Int’l Inc. v. This Domain Name My Be For
The Panel finds Policy 4(a)(ii) 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 <pornoxbox.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
James A Crary, Panelist
Dated: July 22, 2009
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