DECISION

America Online, Inc. v. Cai Zhejiong

Claim Number:  FA0404000263621

PARTIES

Complainant is America Online, Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by James R. Davis, II, of Arent Fox PLLC, 1050 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036.  Respondent is Cai Zhejiong (“Respondent”), 501 26, Lane 400, Pudong, Shanghai, China 200135.

REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME

The domain name at issue is <bookicq.com>, registered with Bulkregister, Llc.

PANEL

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.

Hon. Ralph Yachnin as Panelist.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Complainant submitted a Complaint to the National Arbitration Forum (the "Forum") electronically on April 29, 2004; the Forum received a hard copy of the Complaint on May 3, 2004.

On May 4, 2004, Bulkregister, Llc. confirmed by e-mail to the Forum that the domain name <bookicq.com> is registered with Bulkregister, Llc. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Bulkregister, Llc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the Bulkregister, 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 May 5, 2004, a Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the "Commencement Notification"), setting a deadline of May 25, 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@bookicq.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 May 28, 2004, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, the Forum appointed Hon. Ralph Yachnin 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.

RELIEF SOUGHT

Complainant requests that the domain name be transferred from Respondent to Complainant.

PARTIES' CONTENTIONS

A.  Complainant makes the following assertions:

1. Respondent’s <bookicq.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s ICQ mark.

2. Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the <bookicq.com> domain name.

3. Respondent registered and used the <bookicq.com> domain name in bad faith.

B.  Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding.

FINDINGS

In 1998, Complainant America Online, Inc. acquired ICQ, Inc., which provides the international community with instant messaging and community products.   

Complainant holds trademark registrations for the ICQ mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Reg. No. 2,411,657, issued December 12, 2000) and the Trademark Office of the State of Administration for Industry and Commerce for the People’s Republic of China (Reg. No. 1,379,784, issued March 28, 2000, and Reg. No. 2,024,236, issued April 7, 2003).  Complainant also holds trademark registrations for the ICQ mark in numerous other countries including Chile, Italy, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand and Sweden. 

Complainant, through acquisition, has used the ICQ mark since November 1996 in connection with telecommunications services, computer operating programs and computer services.  Complainant uses several trade names to promote the ICQ service that include ICQmail, ICQphone, ICQgames, ICQcommunity and ICQphone book.  From 1996 to 2001, <icq.com> registered users went from zero to 100 million.  The ICQ service has been downloaded over 200,000,000 times around the world. 

Complainant’s main website is operated at the <icq.com> domain name.

Respondent registered the disputed domain name on November 25, 2000.  Respondent is using the domain name to provide Internet users with search engine services that allow users to review and purchase books and movies online.  The website also includes floating advertisements showing women in various stages of removing their clothing. 

DISCUSSION

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.

Identical and/or Confusingly Similar

Complainant has established with extrinsic proof in this proceeding that it has rights in the ICQ mark through registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and by continuous use of its mark in commerce for the last eight years.  See Men’s Wearhouse, Inc. v. Wick, FA 117861 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 16, 2002) (“Under U.S. trademark law, registered marks hold a presumption that they are inherently distinctive and have acquired secondary meaning.”); see also Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. MacLeod, D2000-0662 (WIPO Sept. 19, 2000) (finding that the failure of Complainant to register all possible domain names that surround its substantive mark does not hinder Complainant’s rights in the mark. “Trademark owners are not required to create ‘libraries’ of domain names in order to protect themselves”). 

The domain name registered by Respondent is confusingly similar to Complainant’s ICQ mark because the domain name incorporates Complainant’s mark in its entirety and merely adds the generic or descriptive term, “book.”  The mere addition of a generic or descriptive word to a registered mark does not negate the confusing similarity of Respondent’s domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(i).  See Elder Mfg. Co., Inc. v. Recker, FA 98414 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sep. 10, 2001) (“In the matter at bar it is beyond refute that Respondent’s domain names are virtually identical, and thus confusingly similar to Elder’s trademarks. Any superficial differences between the domain names and the Elder trademarks are de minimis and of no legal consequence”); see also Arthur Guinness Son & Co. (Dublin) Ltd.  v. Healy/BOSTH, D2001-0026 (WIPO Mar. 23, 2001) (finding confusing similarity where the domain name in dispute contains the identical mark of Complainant combined with a generic word or term); see also AXA China Region Ltd. v. KANNET Ltd., D2000-1377 (WIPO Nov. 29, 2000) (finding that common geographic qualifiers or generic nouns can rarely be relied upon to differentiate the mark if the other elements of the domain name comprise a mark or marks in which another party has rights).

The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(i) has been satisfied.

Rights or Legitimate Interests

Complainant has alleged that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the domain name that contains in its entirety Complainant’s mark.  Due to Respondent’s failure to respond to the Complaint, it is assumed that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name.  The burden shifts to Respondent to show that it does have rights or legitimate interests once Complainant establishes a prima facie case pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).  See G.D. Searle v. Martin Mktg., FA 118277 (Nat. Arb. Forum Oct. 1, 2002) (holding that where Complainant has asserted that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests with respect to the domain name it is incumbent on Respondent to come forward with concrete evidence rebutting this assertion because this information is “uniquely within the knowledge and control of the respondent”); see also Compagnie Generale des Matieres Nucleaires v. Greenpeace Int’l, D2001-0376 (WIPO May 14, 2001) (stating that “[p]roving that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the Domain Name requires the Complainant to prove a negative. For the purposes of this sub paragraph, however, it is sufficient for the Complainant to show a prima facie case and the burden of proof is then shifted on to the shoulders of Respondent. In those circumstances, the common approach is for [R]espondents to seek to bring themselves within one of the examples of paragraph 4(c) or put forward some other reason why they can fairly be said to have a relevant right or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name in question”).

Respondent is using the <bookicq.com> domain name to provide search engine services that allow Internet users to review and purchase books and movies online.  The website also contains floating advertisements showing women in various stages of removing their clothes.  Respondent’s use of a domain name that is confusingly similar to Complainant’s ICQ mark to redirect Internet users interested in Complainant’s products to a commercial website that offers a search engine unrelated to Complainant’s products and services is not a use in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i) and it is not a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(iii).  See eBay Inc. v. Sunho 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 Wells Fargo & Co. v. Party Night Inc., FA 144647 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 18, 2003) (holding that Respondent’s use of confusingly similar derivatives of Complainant’s WELLS FARGO mark to divert Internet users to websites featuring pop-up advertisements was not a bona fide offering of goods or services); see also Disney Enterss, Inc. v. Dot Stop, FA 145227 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 17, 2003) (finding that Respondent’s diversionary use of Complainant’s mark to attract Internet users to its own website, which contained a series of hyperlinks to unrelated websites, was neither a bona fide offering of goods or services nor a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the disputed domain names).

Moreover, nothing in the record, including the WHOIS domain name registration information, suggests that Respondent is commonly known by the domain name or by Complainant’s mark pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(ii).  See Tercent Inc. v. 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); see also Gallup Inc. v. Amish Country Store, FA 96209 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 23, 2001) (finding that Respondent does not have rights in a domain name when Respondent is not known by the mark).

The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii) has been satisfied.

Registration and Use in Bad Faith

Respondent intentionally registered a domain name that contains Complainant’s well-known mark for Respondent’s commercial gain.  Respondent’s domain name diverts Internet users seeking Complainant’s services to Respondent’s commercial website through the use of a domain name that is confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark.  Furthermore, Respondent is unfairly and opportunistically benefiting from the goodwill associated with Complainant’s ICQ mark.  Respondent’s practice of diversion, motivated by commercial gain, constitutes bad faith registration and use pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv).  See Bank of America Corp. v. Out Island Props., Inc., FA 154531 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 3, 2003) (stating that “[s]ince the disputed domain names contain entire versions of Complainant’s marks and are used for something completely unrelated to their descriptive quality, a consumer searching for Complainant would become confused as to Complainant’s affiliation with the resulting search engine website” in holding that the domain names were registered and used in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv)); see also G.D. Searle & Co. v. Celebrex Drugstore, FA 123933 (Nat. Arb. Forum Nov. 21, 2002) (finding that Respondent registered and used the domain name in bad faith pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(b)(iv) because Respondent was using the confusingly similar domain name to attract Internet users to its commercial website); see also eBay, Inc v. Progressive Life Awareness Network, D2001-0068 (WIPO Mar. 16, 2001) (finding bad faith where Respondent is taking advantage of the recognition that eBay has created for its mark and therefore profiting by diverting users seeking the eBay website to Respondent’s site).

 

Furthermore, Respondent’s website at the disputed domain name contains floating advertisements showing women in various stages of removing their clothes.  Respondent’s registration and use of a domain name confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark to associate Complainant’s mark with unrelated adult-oriented content demonstrates bad faith registration and use under Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii).  See Am. Online, Inc. v. Fu, D2000-1374 (WIPO Dec. 11, 2000) (finding that the ICQ mark is so obviously connected with Complainant and its products that the use of the domain names by Respondent, who has no connection with Complainant, suggests opportunistic bad faith); see Wells Fargo & Co. v. Party Night Inc. & Peter Carrington, FA 144647 (Nat. Arb. Forum Mar. 18, 2003) (holding that Respondent’s use of confusingly similar derivatives of Complainant’s WELLS FARGO mark to divert Internet users to websites featuring pop-up advertisements was not a bona fide offering of goods or services); see also Ty, Inc. v. O.Z. Names, D2000-0370 (WIPO June 27, 2000) (finding that absent contrary evidence, linking the domain names in question to graphic, adult-oriented websites is evidence of bad faith).

The Panel finds that Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii) has been satisfied.

DECISION

Having established all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED.

Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <bookicq.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant.

Hon. Ralph Yachnin, Panelist

Justice, Supreme Court, NY (Ret.)

Dated:  June 11, 2004

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