Opportunity Financial, LLC v. Theodor Hansen
Claim Number: FA2302002031504
Complainant is Opportunity Financial, LLC ("Complainant"), United States, represented by Janet J. Lee of Banner & Witcoff, Ltd., United States. Respondent is Theodor Hansen ("Respondent"), United States.
REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The domain name at issue is <usaopploanslending.com>, registered with Internet Domain Service BS Corp.
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.
David E. Sorkin as Panelist.
Complainant submitted a Complaint to Forum electronically on February 12, 2023; Forum received payment on February 12, 2023.
On February 13, 2023, Internet Domain Service BS Corp confirmed by email to Forum that the <usaopploanslending.com> domain name is registered with Internet Domain Service BS Corp and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Internet Domain Service BS Corp has verified that Respondent is bound by the Internet Domain Service BS Corp 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 February 13, 2023, Forum served the Complaint and all Annexes, including a Written Notice of the Complaint, setting a deadline of March 6, 2023 by which Respondent could file a Response to the Complaint, via email to all entities and persons listed on Respondent's registration as technical, administrative, and billing contacts, and to postmaster@usaopploanslending.com. Also on February 13, 2023, the Written Notice of the Complaint, notifying Respondent of the email 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, Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On March 9, 2023, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, Forum appointed David E. Sorkin as Panelist.
Having reviewed the communications records, the Administrative Panel (the "Panel") finds that 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, 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 is a financial services company that provides personal short-term installment loans, including online personal loans and cash advances. Complainant has used the OPPLOANS mark in connection with its services since at least as early as 2010, and for most of that time has operated a website at the domain name <opploans.com>. Complainant owns a U.S. trademark registration for OPPLOANS in standard character form, issued in 2016, and also asserts common law rights in the mark.
The disputed domain name <usaopploanslending.com> was registered in January 2023. The name is registered in the name of a privacy registration service on behalf of Respondent. The domain name is being used for a website that offers or purports to offer personal loans that compete with those offered by Complainant. The website includes a disclaimer clarifying that its purpose is to collect information on potential customers and then transfer this information to third party lenders. Complainant states that it has not authorized Respondent to use its mark and that Respondent has never been commonly known by the disputed domain name.
Complainant contends on the above grounds that the disputed domain name <usaopploanslending.com> is confusingly similar to its OPPLOANS mark; that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name; and that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith.
B. Respondent
Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.
The Panel finds that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to a mark in which Complainant has rights; that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name; and that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used 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 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(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 Overview of WIPO Panel Views on Selected UDRP Questions, § 4.3 (3d ed. 2017), available at http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/overview3.0/; see also eGalaxy Multimedia Inc. v. ON HOLD By Owner Ready To Expire, FA 157287 (Forum June 26, 2003) (dismissing complaint where complainant failed to "produce clear evidence to support its subjective allegations").
The disputed domain name <usaopploanslending.com> incorporates Complainant's registered OPPLOANS trademark, adding the geographic term "USA," the generic term "lending," and the ".com" top-level domain. These additions do not substantially diminish the similarity between the domain name and Complainant's mark. See, e.g., Opportunity Financial, LLC v. Theodor Hansen, FA 2005412 (Forum Aug. 26, 2022) (finding <opploansusa.com> confusingly similar to OPPLOANS); Expedia, Inc. v. John Alvarez, FA 1947589 (Forum July 5, 2021) (finding <expediahomeslending.com> confusingly similar to EXPEDIA). The Panel considers the disputed domain name to be confusingly similar to a mark in which Complainant has rights.
Under the Policy, the Complainant must first make a prima facie case that the Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name, and then the burden shifts to the Respondent to come forward with concrete evidence of such rights or legitimate interests. See Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. v. Entertainment Commentaries, FA 741828 (Forum Aug. 18, 2006).
The disputed domain name incorporates Complainant's registered mark without authorization. It is being used for a misleading website promoting services that compete directly with those offered by Complainant. Such use does not give rise to rights or legitimate interests under the Policy. See, e.g., Opportunity Financial, LLC v. Theodor Hansen, FA 2002970 (Forum Aug. 8, 2022) (finding lack of rights or interests in similar circumstances).
Complainant has made a prima facie case that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the domain name, and Respondent has failed to come forward with any evidence of such rights or interests. Accordingly, the Panel finds that Complainant has sustained its burden of proving that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name.
Finally, Complainant must show that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith. Under paragraph 4(b)(iii) of the Policy, bad faith may be shown by evidence that Respondent registered the disputed domain name "primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor." Under paragraph 4(b)(iv), bad faith may be shown by evidence that "by using the domain name, [Respondent] intentionally attempted to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to [Respondent's] web site or other on-line location, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the complainant's mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of [Respondent's] web site or location or of a product or service on [Respondent's] web site or location."
Respondent used a privacy registration service to register a domain name incorporating and obviously intended to create confusion with Complainant's registered mark, and is using the domain name to create confusion with Complainant and promote directly competing services. Such conduct is indicative of registration and use in bad faith under the provisions of the Policy cited above. See, e.g., Opportunity Financial, LLC v. Theodor Hansen, FA 2002970, supra (finding bad faith registration and use in similar circumstances). The Panel so finds.
Having considered the three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.
Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <usaopploanslending.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.
David E. Sorkin, Panelist
Dated: March 13, 2023
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