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WIPO Arbitration and
Mediation Center
ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL
DECISION
Microsoft Corporation v. domain for sale etvtelevision@hotmail.com 111.221.444
Case No. D2003-0938
1. The Parties
The Complainant is Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington, United States of America represented by Arnold & Porter of Washington DC, United States of America.
The Respondent is domain for sale etvtelevision@hotmail.com 111.221.444 of Nassau, Bahamas.
2. The Domain Name and Registrar
The disputed domain name <xboxtrucchi.com> is registered with OnlineNic, Inc. d/b/a China-Channel.com.
3. Procedural History
The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the "Center") on November 25, 2003. On November 27, 2003, the Center transmitted by email to OnlineNic, Inc. d/b/a China-Channel.com a request for registrar verification in connection with the domain name at issue. On November 28, 2003, OnlineNic, Inc. d/b/a China-Channel.com transmitted by email to the Center its verification response confirming that the Respondent is listed as the registrant and providing the contact details for the administrative, billing, and technical contact. In response to a notification by the Center that the Complaint was administratively deficient, the Complainant filed an amendment to the Complaint on December 5, 2003. The Center verified that the Complaint together with the amendment to the Complaint satisfied the formal requirements of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Policy"), the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Rules"), and the WIPO Supplemental Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Supplemental Rules").
In accordance with the Rules, paragraphs 2(a) and 4(a), the Center formally notified the Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on December 9, 2003. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5(a), the due date for Response was December 29, 2003. The Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified the Respondent’s default on January 9, 2004.
The Center appointed Daniel J. Gervais as the sole panelist in this matter on February 18, 2004. The Panel finds that it was properly constituted. The Panel has submitted the Statement of Acceptance and Declaration of Impartiality and Independence, as required by the Center to ensure compliance with the Rules, paragraph 7.
The Complainant submitted supplemental filing on December 23, 2003, in which the Complainant sought to introduce additional evidence concerning an offer to sell the domain name that arose after the initial filing of the Complaint, and requested to amend the Complaint accordingly.
4. Factual Background
The Complainant is Microsoft Corporation from Redmond, Washington, United States of America. Microsoft is a well-known manufacturer and distributor of computer software and related products and services, in business since 1975. The Complainant developed and has been marketing, worldwide, the "XBOX" video game console, XBOX gaming software and XBOX accessories. The Complainant registered "XBOX" as a trademark in the United States and Europe. The Complainant captured approximately 25% of the gaming console market worldwide with its XBOX gaming console and related products.
The Complainant also maintains an active presence on the Internet at the web site "www.xbox.com". The web site features product information as well as a forum for discussion for Xbox enthusiasts.
The Respondent registered the disputed domain name <xboxtrucchi.com> on February 27, 2003, and is using the domain name to provide ring tones for cellular telephones, and pornographic text messages for cellular telephones, as well as links to explicit pornographic web sites.
The Complainant became aware of the registration of the disputed domain name in August 2003. The Complainant sent a letter to the Respondent on October 3, 2003, requesting that the Respondent cease using the dispute domain name <xboxtrucchi.com> and either delete the domain name or transfer it to the Complainant. The Complainant has not received any response to this communication.
In an additional filing, the Complainant introduced evidence that on December 4, 2003, the Respondent contacted the Complainant by email offering to sell the disputed domain name to it.
5. Parties’ Contentions
A. Complainant
The Respondent registered and is using a domain name that is identical and confusingly similar to Complainant's mark. The Respondent is using the disputed domain name to provide ring tones for cellular telephones and pornographic text messages for cellular telephones, as well as links to explicit pornographic web sites.
The Complainant’s mark is well-known and has been widely used by the Complainant in connection its products and services. The Respondent could not have been unaware of the Complainant’s rights in the mark. The disputed domain name is identical and confusingly similar to the Complainant’s mark and was registered and used by the Respondent in bad faith.
B. Respondent
The Respondent did not reply to the Complainant’s contentions.
6. Discussion and Findings
A. Procedural Issue – Supplemental Evidence and Subsequent Amendment to the Complaint
The Panel must discuss first the procedural issue of supplemental evidence submitted by the Complainant and the Amendment to the Complaint based on such evidence.
The Complainant submitted a supplemental filing on December 23, 2003, in which
the Complainant sought to introduce additional evidence that arose after the
initial filing of the Complaint, and amend the Complaint accordingly. In its
submission, the Complainant asserted that "parties may file supplemental
submissions to introduce ‘new, pertinent facts that did not arise until after
the submission of the Complaint.’" The Complainant relied on an interpretation
of the Policy in The Vanguard Group, Inc. v. Emilio Sa, WIPO
Case No. D2001-1453.
There are two issues with respect to this supplemental filing. First, whether and under what circumstances the Rules permit such a filing and, second, if the Rules do allow the filing, whether the applicable conditions, if any, are met in this case.
With respect to the first issue, the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy provide for the submission of a Complaint by the Complainant (Paragraph 3 of the Rules) and a Response by the Respondent (Paragraph 5 of the Rules). Paragraph 12 of the Rules provides that "[i]n addition to the complaint and the response, the Panel may request, in its sole discretion, further statements or documents from either of the Parties." The Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy are, therefore, silent with respect to unsolicited supplemental and additional filing and evidence.
As the panel in Ravissant Limited. v. Vama Inc., Mehul Kotecha, WIPO
Case No. D2003-0747 noted: "no party has the right to insist upon the
admissibility of additional evidence." Based on the lack of explicit reference
to additional unsolicited filings in the Rules, numerous Panels in the past
refused to consider supplemental filings, additional evidence and amendments
to the Complaint. See, inter alia, Rollerblade, Inc. v. CBNO and Ray
Redican Jr., WIPO Case No. D2000-0427;
The E.W. Scripps Company v. Sinologic Industries, WIPO
Case No. D2003-0447; PepsiCo, Inc. v. "The Holy See," WIPO
Case No. D2003-0229; Deutsche Post AG v. MailMij LLC, WIPO
Case No. D2003-0128; Kirkbi AG v. Michele Dinoia, WIPO
Case No. D2003-0038; Helsingin yliopiston ylioppilaskunta and HYY Group
Ltd v. Paul Jones, WIPO Case No. D2002-1164;
Classmates Online, Inc. v. John Zuccarini, individually and dba RaveClub
Berlin, WIPO Case No. D2002-0635;
Victor Chandler Limited and International Sports Marketing Limited v. Thierry
Leray, WIPO Case No. D2002-0624; VISIVA
S.r.l. v. VISIVA di Rocca Sergio, WIPO
Case No. D2001-1130; AT&T Corp. v. Randy Thompson, WIPO
Case No. D2001-0830; Avanade Inc. v. Robert Tansey, WIPO
Case No. D2001-0824; Rolex Watch U.S.A., Inc. v. Spider Webs, Ltd.,
WIPO Case No. D2001-0398; Telstra Corporation
Limited v. Heaydon Enterprises, WIPO Case
No. D2000-1672; Goldline International, Inc. v. Gold Line, WIPO
Case D2000-1151; Parfums Christian Dior S.A. v. Jadore, WIPO
Case D2000-0938; Viz Communications, Inc. v. Redsun dba www.animerica.com
and David Penava, WIPO Case D2000-0905;
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Richard MacLeod d/b/a For Sale, WIPO
Case D2000-0662; AT&T Corp. v. WorldclassMedia.com, WIPO
case Case No. D2000-0553; Universal City Studios, Inc. v. G.A.B. Enterprises,
WIPO case D2000-0416; Plaza Operating
Partners, Ltd.; Document Technologies, Inc. v. International Electronic
Communications Inc., WIPO Case D2000-0270;
Easyjet Airline Company Ltd v. Andrew Steggles, WIPO
Case No. D2000-0024.)
Several Panels in the past accepted supplemental filings, but only as an exception
based on the particular circumstances of the case, as well as the quality and
importance of the supplemental filings and evidence. (See e.g., Wollongong
City Council v. Viva La Gong, WIPO Case No. D2003-0113;
SES Astra S.A. v. Design Technology Ltd. (t/a Transcom ISP), WIPO
Case No. D2002-1078; Nabor B.V. Stanhome S.P.A., v. Organization Francisco
Vicente, WIPO Case No. D2000-0757;
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN, in right of her Government in New Zealand, as Trustee
for the Citizens, Organizations and State of New Zealand, acting by and through
the Honourable Jim Sutton, the Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
v. Virtual Countries, Inc, WIPO Case No.
D2002-0754.)
In this Panel’s view, the circumstances of the current case do not reach the
required level and therefore do not call for an exception to permit supplemental
filings. The Panel is of the view that the Complainant’s due process (as per
paragraph 10 (b)) of the Rules: "In all cases, the Panel shall ensure that
the Parties are treated with equality and that each Party is given a fair opportunity
to present its case) is not prejudiced by declining the Complainant’s request
for supplemental evidence. Furthermore, the Panel adopts the view expressed
in AT&T Corp. v. WorldclassMedia.com, WIPO
Case No. D2000-0553 that "the points raised in the supplemental memorandum
are sufficiently articulated in the Complaint," and therefore rejects supplemental
evidence and amendment to the Complaint filed by the Complainant. As a matter
of policy, and with a view to ensuring that procedures under the Policy proceed
diligently, it seems preferable, absent exceptional circumstances, to consider
that the record is complete once the Complaint (and, if applicable, a response)
has been filed, unless the Center or panel requests additional filings. The
Panel will render its decision based solely on the evidence and arguments submitted
in the Complaint.
B. Substance of the Complaint
In accordance with paragraph 4(a) of the Policy, in order to succeed in this proceeding and obtain the transfer of the domain name, the Complainant must prove that each of the three following elements is satisfied:
1. The domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights (see below, section 6.B.1);
2. The Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name (see below, section 6.B.2); and
3. The domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith (see below, section 6.B.3.).
Paragraph 4(a) of the Policy clearly states that the burden of proving that all these elements are present lies with the Complainant.
Pursuant to paragraph 15(a) of the Rules, the Panel shall decide the Complaint on the basis of the statements and documents submitted and in accordance with the Policy, the Rules and any rules and principles of law that it deems applicable. Moreover, in accordance with paragraph 14(b) of the Rules, if a party, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, does not comply with any provision of, or requirement under, the Rules or any request from the Panel, the Panel shall draw such inferences therefrom, as it considers appropriate.
1. Identical or Confusingly Similar
This question raises two issues: (1) does the Complainant have rights in a trademark; and (2) is the domain name identical or confusingly similar to such trademark or service mark.
As to the first question, the wording of paragraph 4(a)(i) in regard to trademark or service mark has been interpreted by numerous Panels in the past to include both registered marks and common law marks. The record confirms that the Complainant’s mark XBOX is registered in the United States and the European Union. Therefore, the Panel finds that the Complainant has rights in the mark XBOX.
As to the second question, the Panel finds that the domain name is confusingly
similar to the Complainant’s mark. The disputed domain name <xboxtrucchi.com>
incorporates the Complainant’s mark XBOX with a generic word ‘trucchi’ (which
in Italian means ‘tricks’) and the generic top-level domain reference ‘.com’.
As a rule, when a domain name wholly incorporates a complainant’s mark and adds
a generic word, that is sufficient to establish confusing similarity for purposes
of the Policy. See PepsiCo, Inc. v. PEPSI, SRL (a/k/a P.E.P.S.I.) and EMS
COMPUTER INDUSTRY (a/k/a EMS), WIPO Case No. D2003-0696;
Experian Information Solutions, Inc. v. BPB Prumerica Travel (a/k/a SFXB
a/k/a H. Bousquet a/k/a Brian Evans), WIPO
Case No. D2002-0367; America Online, Inc. v. Chris Hoffman, WIPO
Case No. D2001-1184; PepsiCo, Inc. v. Diabetes Home Care, Inc. and DHC
Services, WIPO Case No. D2001-0174;
Sony Kabushiki Kaisha (also trading as Sony Corporation) v. Kil Inja,
WIPO Case No. D2000-1409; Nokia Corporation
v. Nokiagirls.com a.k.a IBCC, WIPO Case
No. D2000-0102.
2. Rights or Legitimate Interests
The Complainant submits that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the domain name based on Complainant's prior use of the XBOX mark. The Respondent, whom did not file a Response, did not dispute this contention nor provide information as to its interests in using the domain name.
According to paragraph 4(c) of the Policy, a Respondent may establish its rights or legitimate interests in the domain name, among other circumstances, by showing any of the following elements:
(i) before any notice to you [Respondent] of the dispute, your use of, or demonstrable preparations to use, the domain name or a name corresponding to the domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services; or
(ii) you [Respondent] (as an individual, business, or other organization) have been commonly known by the domain name, even if you have acquired no trademark or service mark rights; or
(iii) you [Respondent] are making a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the domain name, without intent for commercial gain to misleadingly divert consumers or to tarnish the trademark or service mark at issue.
There were no elements introduced in evidence to show that the Respondent is
or was commonly known by the domain name. There is no evidence that the Respondent
is making a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the domain name. Quite contrary,
the evidence suggests that the Respondent is using the disputed domain name
for commercial gain, and that such use of the domain name may tarnish the Complainant’s
mark. Users who visit the disputed domain name are offered links to explicit
pornographic web sites. It has been established by numerous Panels in the past
that providing links to pornographic web sites, at least without any additional
fact to support a finding of legitimate interest, does not constitute a bona
fide offering of goods or services. See Microsoft Corporation v. Phayze
Inc., WIPO Case No. D2003-0750; Microsoft
Corporation v. Party Night, Inc. d/b/a Peter Carrington, WIPO
Case No. D2003-0501; Ferrero S.p.A. v. Alexander Albert W. Gore,
WIPO Case No. D2003-0513; Goodrich Corporation
v. bfg-fus.com, WIPO Case No. D2003-0477;
Dell Computer Corporation v. Clinical Evaluations, WIPO
Case No. D2002-0423; Club Monaco Corporation v. Charles Gindi, WIPO
Case No. D2000-0936.
Consequently, the Panel finds that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the domain name.
3. Registered and Used in Bad Faith
Paragraph 4(b) of the Policy sets out four circumstances which, without limitation, shall be evidence of the registration and use of a domain name in bad faith, namely:
(i) circumstances indicating that Respondent has registered or acquired the domain name primarily for the purpose of selling, renting, or otherwise transferring the domain name registration to the Complainant who is the owner of the trademark or service mark or to a competitor of that Complainant, for valuable consideration in excess of the Respondent's documented out-of-pocket costs directly related to the domain name; or
(ii) Respondent has registered the domain name in order to prevent the owner of the trademark or service mark from reflecting the mark in a corresponding domain name, provided that Respondent has engaged in a pattern of such conduct; or
(iii) Respondent has registered the domain name primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor; or
(iv) by using the domain name, Respondent has 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.
There is evidence of the situation described in paragraphs 4(b)(i) and 4(b)(iv). The relevant facts are mentioned below.
The Respondent registered the domain name in bad faith. Apart from the famous
nature of the Complainant’s marks, the domain name is identical and confusingly
similar to the Complainant’s mark XBOX. It is reasonable to conclude that only
someone who was familiar with the Complainant’s mark would have registered the
identical domain name. A number of decisions under the Policy stand for the
proposition that in respect of famous marks, which have a higher level of protection
in international intellectual property agreements (see e.g., Article 16(2) and
(3) of the TRIPS Agreement), the person who registers a confusingly similar
domain name should be willing to show an intention to express himself or herself
by responding to communications and/or indicating a good faith use of the domain
name. See Pharmacia & Upjohn AB v. Dario H. Romero, WIPO
Case No. D2000-1273; Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. v. [No Name], WIPO
Case No. D2000-0515; Telstra Corporation, Limited v. Nuclear Marshmallows,
WIPO Case No. D2000-0003; Encyclopaedia
Britannica, Inc. v. John Zuccarini and the Cupcake Patrol a/k/a Country Walk
a/k/a Cupcake Party, WIPO Case No. D2000-0330;
eBay Inc. v. Sunho Hong, WIPO Case
No. D2000-1633 and Ellerman Investments Limited and The Ritz Hotel Casino
Limited v. Antonios Manessis (trading as .com and manessis.com), WIPO Case
No. D2001-1461. It is difficult to conceive that Respondent chose to register
the domain name <xboxtrucchi.com> by accident. In fact, based on the facts
submitted, it is difficult to conceive of any plausible actual or contemplated
active use of the domain name by the Respondent that would not be infringing
to the Complainant’s marks.
Several panels in the past accepted evidence that an offer to sell the domain
name may be established through the Whois database. See AT&T Corp. v.
Randy Thompson, WIPO Case No. D2001-0830;
CLT-UFA societe anonyme v. This Domain is for Sale / Sean Gajadhar, WIPO
Case No. D2000-0801; Systima Limited v. Willie Byrne, WIPO
Case No. D2001-0300; MatchNet plc. v. MAC Trading, WIPO
Case No. D2000-0205. In the present case, the Respondent’s contact information
in the Whois database (domain for sale etvtelevision@hotmail.com 111.221.444,
domain locations, p.o.box, Nassau Ns 110100, Bahamas, of Bahamas) is an indication
of the Respondent’s intent to sell the domain name. Furthermore, false contact
information in the Whois database has also been interpreted as a sign of a bad
faith. See the decision (with a similar factual pattern) in Dell Computer
Corporation v. Clinical Evaluations, WIPO
Case No D2002-0423. In addition, the Respondent is using the disputed domain
name for commercial purposes creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainant’s
marks.
The Panel finds for the Complainant on this third element of the test.
7. Decision
For all the foregoing reasons, in accordance with Paragraphs 4(i) of the Policy and 15 of the Rules, the Panel orders that the domain name,<xboxtrucchi.com> be transferred to the Complainant
Daniel J. Gervais
Sole Panelist
Dated: March 1, 2004