ARCELORMITTAL (SA) v. Billy willy / ArcelorMittal BE Group SSC AB
Claim Number: FA2208002008561
Complainant is ARCELORMITTAL (SA) (“Complainant”), represented by Enora Millocheau of NAMESHIELD, France. Respondent is Billy willy / ArcelorMittal BE Group SSC AB (“Respondent”), Sweden.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The domain name at issue is <arcelormittal.com.de> (“Domain Name”), registered with NameCheap, Inc..
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.
Nicholas J.T. Smith as Panelist.
Complainant participated in the mandatory CentralNic Mediation, and the mediation process was terminated on August 15, 2022.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to the Forum electronically on August 16, 2022; the Forum received payment on August 17, 2022.
On August 21 2022, NameCheap, Inc. confirmed by e-mail to the Forum that the <arcelormittal.com.de> domain name is registered with NameCheap, Inc. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. NameCheap, Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the NameCheap, Inc. registration agreement and has thereby agreed to resolve domain disputes brought by third parties in accordance with the CentralNic Dispute Resolution Policy (the “CDRP Policy” or “Policy”).
On August 23, 2022, the Forum served the Complaint and all Annexes, including a Written Notice of the Complaint, setting a deadline of September 12, 2022 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@arcelormittal.com.de. Also on August 23, 2022, 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 September 21, 2022, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the Forum appointed Nicholas J.T. Smith 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 to the CDRP Dispute Resolution Policy (“Rules”). Therefore, the Panel may issue its decision based on the documents submitted and in accordance with the CDRP Policy, 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, ARCELORMITTAL (SA), is the largest steel-producing company in the world. Complainant has rights in the ARCELORMITTAL mark as it holds an International Registration for the ARCELORMITTAL mark (e.g., Reg. No. 947,686 registered August 3, 2007), designating jurisdictions including the United States, Japan and Korea. Respondent’s <arcelormittal.com.de> domain name is virtually identical and confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark because it incorporates the ARCELORMITTAL mark in its entirety and adds the “.com” generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) and the “.de” country code top-level domain (“ccTLD”).
Respondent has no legitimate interests in the <arcelormittal.com.de> domain name. Respondent is not commonly known by the Domain Name and Complainant has not authorized or licensed Respondent to use the ARCELORMITTAL mark in any way. Additionally, Respondent does not use the Domain Name for any bona fide offering of goods or services or legitimate noncommercial or fair use. Instead, the Domain Name resolves to a page containing pay-per-click links to third-party websites.
Respondent registered or uses the <arcelormittal.com.de> domain name in bad faith. Respondent has previously been involved in a UDRP proceeding against the Complainant. Respondent registered the Domain Name in order to disrupt Complainant’s business and divert customers for commercial gain. Finally, Respondent registered the Domain Name with actual knowledge of Complainant’s rights in the ARCELORMITTAL mark given the mark’s notoriety and use to which the Domain Name has been put.
B. Respondent
Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
Complainant holds trademark rights for the ARCELORMITTAL mark. The Domain Name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s ARCELORMITTAL mark. Complainant has established that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name and that Respondent registered and has used the Domain Name in bad faith.
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 or is being used in bad faith.
The CDRP also requires that Complainant have participated in a CentralNic Mediation, and that said mediation must have been terminated prior to the consideration of the Complaint.
Given the similarity between the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (“UDRP”) and the CDRP Policy, the Panel will draw upon UDRP precedent as applicable in rendering its decision.
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(f), 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 set forth in a complaint; however, the Panel may deny relief where a complaint contains mere conclusory or unsubstantiated arguments. See WIPO Jurisprudential Overview 3.0 at ¶ 4.3; see also eGalaxy Multimedia Inc. v. ON HOLD By Owner Ready To Expire, FA 157287 (Forum June 26, 2003) (“Because Complainant did not produce clear evidence to support its subjective allegations [. . .] the Panel finds it appropriate to dismiss the Complaint”).
Complainant has rights in the ARCELORMITTAL mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) through its registration of an International Registration for the ARCELORMITTAL mark (e.g., Reg. No. 947,686 registered August 3, 2007), designating jurisdictions including the United States, Japan and Korea. Registration with various national trademark authorities can sufficiently establish rights in a mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Thermo Electron Corp. v. Xu, FA 713851 (Forum July 12, 2006) (finding that the complainants had established rights in marks where the marks were registered with a national trademark authority).
The Panel finds that the <arcelormittal.com.de> domain name is identical to the ARCELORMITTAL mark as it consists of the ARCELORMITTAL mark and adds the “.com.de” TLD. Adding a TLD to a wholly incorporated trademark does not negate confusing similarity between a domain name and a mark under Policy ¶ 4(a)(i). See Dell Inc. v. Protection of Private Person / Privacy Protection, FA 1681432 (Forum Aug. 1, 2016) (“A TLD (whether a gTLD, sTLD or ccTLD) is disregarded under a Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) analysis because domain name syntax requires TLDs.”).
The Panel finds Complainant has satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).
Complainant alleges that Respondent holds no rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name. In order for Complainant to succeed under this element, it must first make a prima facie case that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the Domain Name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii), and then the burden shifts to Respondent to show it does have rights or legitimate interests. See Hanna-Barbera Prods., Inc. v. Entm’t Commentaries, FA 741828 (Forum Aug. 18, 2006) and AOL LLC v. Gerberg, FA 780200 (Forum Sept. 25, 2006) (“Complainant must first make a prima facie showing that Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interest in the subject domain names, which burden is light. If Complainant satisfies its burden, then the burden shifts to Respondent to show that it does have rights or legitimate interests in the subject domain names.”). The Panel holds that Complainant has made out a prima facie case.
Complainant asserts that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name as Respondent is not commonly known by the Domain Name, nor has Complainant authorized Respondent to use the ARCELORMITTAL mark. Respondent has no relationship, affiliation, connection, endorsement or association with Complainant. WHOIS information can help support a finding that a respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name, especially where a privacy service has been engaged. See State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company v. Dale Anderson, FA1504001613011 (Forum May 21, 2015) (concluding that because the WHOIS record lists “Dale Anderson” as the registrant of the disputed domain name, the respondent was not commonly known by the <statefarmforum.com> domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii)); see also Kohler Co. v. Privacy Service, FA1505001621573 (Forum July 2, 2015) (holding that the respondent was not commonly known by the disputed domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii) where “Privacy Service” was listed as the registrant of the disputed domain name).
The WHOIS lists “Billy willy / ArcelorMittal BE Group SSC AB” as registrant of record. However there is no affirmative evidence that the Respondent is actually commonly known under the ArcelorMittal BE Group SSC AB name as opposed to simply registering the Domain Name under a name for the purpose of asserting rights or legitimate interests. Even if a respondent appears from the WHOIS record to be known by the domain name, without additional affirmative evidence, it can be concluded that a respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name under Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii). See Google Inc. v. S S / Google International, FA1506001625742 (Forum Aug. 4, 2015) (“Respondent did identify itself as ‘Google International’ in connection with its registration of the Disputed Domain Name, and this is reflected in the WHOIS information. However, Respondent has not provided affirmative evidence from which the Panel can conclude that Respondent was commonly known by the Disputed Domain Name before Respondent’s registration thereof.”); see also Hewlett-Packard Co. v. HP Supplies, FA 282387 (Forum July 22, 2004) (“The Panel finds, because of the prominence of the HP mark, that Respondent’s registration under the ‘HP Supplies’ name does not establish that Respondent is commonly known by the <hpsupplies.com> domain name.”). Given the lack of evidence that the Respondent is actually known under a name corresponding to the Domain Name, and Complainant’s unrebutted assertions as to absence of any affiliation or authorization between the parties, the Panel finds that Respondent is not commonly known by the Domain Name in accordance with Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii).
The Domain Name resolves to a parking page featuring pay-per-click advertisements unconnected to any descriptive meaning of the Domain Name. This is not a bona fide offering or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use. See Danbyg Ejendomme A/S v. lb Hansen / guerciotti, FA1504001613867 (Forum June 2, 2015) (finding that the respondent had failed to provide a bona fide offering of goods or services, or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the disputed domain name where the disputed domain name resolved to a website that offered both competing hyperlinks and hyperlinks unrelated to the complainant’s business); see also Insomniac Holdings, LLC v. Mark Daniels, FA 1735969 (Forum July 15, 2017) (”Respondent’s use of <edcorlando.xyz> also does not qualify as a bona fide offering… the <edcorlando.xyz> domain name resolves to a site containing pay-per-click hyperlinks and advertisements… Since these kinds of advertisements generate revenue for the holder of a domain name, they cannot be noncommercial; further, they do not qualify as a bona fide offering.”).
The Panel finds Complainant has satisfied Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).
The Panel finds that, at the time Respondent registered the Domain Name (August 5, 2022), Respondent had actual knowledge of Complainant’s coined ARCELORMITTAL mark. It would be unlikely for a party to acquire a domain name that is confusingly similar to the coined and well-known ARCELORMITTAL mark, and redirect it to a pay-per-click website with links unconnected to any descriptive meaning of the Domain Name, absent any awareness of Complainant and its ARCELORMITTAL mark (and intention to capitalize on Complainant’s reputation in its ARCELORMITTAL mark). In the absence of rights or legitimate interests of its own this demonstrates registration in bad faith under Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii).
The Panel finds that Respondent registered and uses the Domain Name in bad faith to create confusion with Complainant’s ARCELORMITTAL Mark for commercial gain by using the Domain Name to resolve to a website containing advertisements and links to third party websites for commercial gain. Use of an identical or confusingly similar domain name to redirect Internet users to a website containing advertisements and links to third party websites for commercial gain is indicative of bad faith registration and use per Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv). See 3M Company v. Nguyen Hoang Son / Bussiness and Marketing, FA1408001575815 (Forum Sept. 18, 2014) (finding that the respondent’s use of the disputed domain name to host sponsored advertisements for Amazon, through which the respondent presumably profited, indicated that the respondent had used the disputed domain name in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv)); see also Staples, Inc. and Staples the Office Superstores, LLC v. HANNA EL HIN / DTAPLES.COM, FA1404001557007 (Forum June 6, 2014) (“Therefore, the Panel finds that Respondent registered and is using the <dtaples.com> domain name in bad faith under Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) because the Respondent is using the disputed domain name to host third-party links to Complainant’s competitors from which Respondent is presumed to obtain some commercial benefit.”).
The Panel while noting that the Policy only requires that a complainant show that a respondent registered or used a domain name at issue in bad faith, finds that the Respondent has registered and used the Domain Name in bad faith under Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii).
Having established all three elements required under the CDRP Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <arcelormittal.com.de> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
Nicholas J.T. Smith, Panelist
Dated: September 22, 2022
Click Here to return to the main Domain Decisions Page.
Click Here to return to our Home Page