Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba d/b/a Toshiba
Corporation v. Pro Life Domains
Claim
Number: FA0401000223039
Complainant is Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba d/b/a Toshiba Corporation (“Complainant”), represented by David Kelly, of Finnegan Henderson
Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.,
1300 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20005.
Respondent is Pro Life Domains
(“Respondent”), 5444 Arlington Avenue #g14, Bronx, New York 10471.
REGISTRAR
AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME
The
domain name at issue is <wwwtoshiba.com>, registered with Intercosmos
Media Group, Inc. d/b/a Directnic.com (hereinafter “Directnic.com”).
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.
Honorable
Paul A. Dorf (Ret.) as Panelist.
Complainant
submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum (the "Forum")
electronically on January 5, 2004; the Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint
on January 6, 2004.
On
January 7, 2004, Directnic.com confirmed by e-mail to the Forum that the domain
name <wwwtoshiba.com> is registered with Directnic.com and that
Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Directnic.com has verified
that Respondent is bound by the Directnic.com 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
January 13, 2004, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of
Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting
a deadline of February 2, 2004 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@wwwtoshiba.com by
e-mail.
Having
received no Response from Respondent, using the same contact details and
methods as were used for the Commencement Notification, the Forum transmitted
to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default.
On
February 10, 2004, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute
decided by a single-member Panel, the Forum appointed Honorable Paul A. Dorf
(Ret.) 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 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 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 <wwwtoshiba.com>
domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s TOSHIBA mark.
2. Respondent does not have any rights or
legitimate interests in the <wwwtoshiba.com> domain name.
3. Respondent registered and used the <wwwtoshiba.com>
domain name in bad faith.
B. Respondent failed to submit a Response in
this proceeding.
Complainant,
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba d/b/a Toshiba Corporation, designs, manufactures,
markets and sells products such as consumer electronics, telecommunications
equipment, medical electronics equipment and domestic appliances under the
TOSHIBA mark, which it has used in commerce for more than 60 years. Complainant
spends millions of dollars annually advertising and promoting its TOSHIBA mark
worldwide, and has more than $40 billion in annual sales under the mark.
Complainant has registered the TOSHIBA mark in over 150 countries worldwide,
including the United States (e.g. U.S. Reg. No. 666,556, registered on
December 5, 1957), and operates a website, through its subsidiary, Toshiba
America, Inc., at the <toshiba.com> domain name.
Respondent, Pro
Life Domains, registered the <wwwtoshiba.com> domain name on May
5, 2002, without license or authorization to use Complainant’s TOSHIBA mark for
any purpose. Respondent uses the disputed domain name to redirect Internet
users to the <abortionismurder.org> domain name, which hosts an
ant-abortion website featuring graphic pictures and information promoting an
anti-abortion platform. An additional “pop-up” browser window is also opened,
for the <abortionismurder.org/notconvincedsmall.shtml> webpage.
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.
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
established rights in the TOSHIBA mark through registration of the mark
worldwide, as well as through widespread use of the mark in commerce for more
than 60 years.
Respondent’s <wwwtoshiba.com>
domain name is confusingly similar to
Complainant’s TOSHIBA mark. Respondent’s addition of the “www” prefix to
Complainant’s TOSHIBA mark does not disguise the fact that the dominant feature
of the domain name is the TOSHIBA mark. See Dana Corp. v. $$$ This
Domain Name Is For Sale $$$, FA 117328 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 19, 2002)
(finding Respondent's <wwwdana.com> domain name confusingly similar to
Complainant's registered DANA mark because Complainant's mark remains the
dominant feature); see also Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. v. S1A, FA 128683
(Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 6, 2002) (holding confusing similarity has been established
because the prefix "www" does not sufficiently differentiate the
<wwwneimanmarcus.com> domain name from Complainant's NEIMAN-MARCUS mark).
Accordingly, the
Panel finds that the <wwwtoshiba.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s TOSHIBA mark under
Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).
Respondent
registered the disputed domain name with the sole intention of capitalizing on
the goodwill Complainant has accrued in the TOSHIBA mark to promote the
anti-abortion platform. Internet users who mistype Complainant’s
<toshiba.com> domain name will be subjected to politically charged
content that is not endorsed or supported by Complainant. Respondent’s use of a
typosquatted domain name for this purpose is prima facie evidence that Respondent
lacks rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. See Diners
Club Int’l Ltd. v. Domain Admin******It's all in the name******, FA 156839
(Nat. Arb. Forum June 23, 2003) (holding that Respondent’s <wwwdinersclub.com> domain name, a typosquatted version of
Complainant’s DINERS CLUB mark, was evidence in and of itself that Respondent
lacks rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name vis á vis
Complainant); see also Bay Inc. v. Hong, D2000-1633 (WIPO Jan. 18, 2001)
(stating that the "use of complainant’s entire mark in infringing domain
names makes it difficult to infer a legitimate use"); see also Am. Online, Inc. v. Tencent Comm. Corp.,
FA 93668 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 21, 2000) (finding that use of Complainant’s
mark “as a portal to suck surfers into a site sponsored by Respondent hardly
seems legitimate”).
Accordingly, the
Panel finds that Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the
<wwwtoshiba.com> domain
name under Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).
By simply adding
the “www” prefix to Complainant’s TOSHIBA mark, Respondent is attempting to
ensnare Internet users seeking Complainant’s <toshiba.com> domain name.
Those Internet users who, through inadvertence, end up at the <abortionismurder.org>
domain name will be subjected to graphic images and anti-abortion information
that is in no way sanctioned by Complainant. Both Respondent’s registration and
use of a typosquatted domain name name and its use of that domain name to
create the impression that Complainant supports Respondent’s anti-abortion
platform are evidence of Respondent’s bad faith. See Canadian Tire Corp.,
Ltd. v. domain adm’r no.valid.email@worldnic.net 1111111111, D2003-0232
(WIPO May 22, 2003) (holding that the absence of a dot between the “www”and
“canadiantire.com” in the <wwwcanadiantire.com> domain name was likely to
confuse Internet users and evidences bad faith registration and use of the
domain name); see also See McClatchy Management Servs. Inc. v. Please DON'T
Kill Your Baby, FA 153541 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 28, 2003) (“By intentionally
taking advantage of the goodwill surrounding Complainant’s mark to further its
own political agenda, Respondent registered the disputed domain names in bad
faith.”).
The Panel thus
finds that Respondent registered and used the <wwwtoshiba.com> domain name in bad faith, and that Policy ¶
4(a)(iii) is 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 <wwwtoshiba.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED
from Respondent to Complainant.
Honorable Paul A. Dorf (Ret.), Panelist
Dated:
February 24, 2004
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