v.
Ed Davidson
[Indexed as: City Utilities v. Ed Davidson]
[Indexed as: CITYUTILITIES.COM]
WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center
Administrative Panel Decision
Case No. D2000-0407
Commenced: 9 May 2000.
Judgement: 19 June 2000.
Sole Panelist: Jeffrey M. Samuels
Domain name - Domain name dispute resolution policy - U.S. Service mark - U.S. Trademark - Identical - Confusingly similar - Bad faith registration - Bad faith use Generic name Type of Service Source of service Commonly known as.
Complainant has been providing utility services under the name "City Utilities" since 1945. Complainant is known to its many customers as "City Utilities." Complainant has not registered the term "City Utilities" with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Respondent does not operate any utility business. Respondent has been using the domain name in dispute as a link to his web site ACMENEWS.COM. This site is a Web directory concerning sites located in the Ozarks. There is nothing on it related to utility services. On March 21, 2000, Complainant sent an e-mail to Respondent inquiring about the possibility of purchasing the domain name.
Held, Domain name not transferred to complainant.
The Panel rules that Complainant has failed to establish that "[Respondents]
domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service
mark in which the complainant has rights. In this case, while the evidence
establishes that the domain name in dispute is identical to the term "City
Utilities," it does not support a determination that Complainant has rights
in this term. The term is generic and does not function as a mark. It describes
the type of services offered by a utility company within a city, rather
than the source of such services. It is not protectable.
The evidence suggests that, prior to notice of the dispute, Respondent
began preparations for use of the domain name in connection with providing
a Web directory to the various city utilities across the U.S. Thus, the
evidence suggests that Respondent has rights or legitimate interests in
the domain name in dispute.
On the issue of "bad faith" registration and use, the evidence,
at best, is equivocal. As noted above, it was Complainant, not Respondent,
that first broached the subject of purchasing the domain name.
Policies referred to
Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
Supplemental Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
Samuels, Panelist: -
1. The Parties
The Complainant in this administrative proceeding is City Utilities
of Springfield, Missouri, a gas, water, electric, transportation, and telecommunications
utility owned by and a part of the City of Springfield, Missouri, a constitutional
charter city organized and existing in the State of Missouri, U.S.A. The
Respondent is Ed Davidson, who is a Webmaster by profession.
2. The Domain Name and Registrar
The domain name in dispute is as follows: "cityutilities.com". The
domain name was registered by Respondent with Network Solutions, Inc. on
January 4, 2000.
3. Procedural Background
On May 9, 2000, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center received
from Complainant a complaint for decision in accordance with the Uniform
Policy for Domain Name Dispute Resolution, adopted by the Internet Corporation
of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on August 26, 1999 ("Policy"), the
Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, approved by ICANN
on October 24, 1999, ("Rules"), and the WIPO Supplemental Rules for Uniform
Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (Supplemental Rules).
The complaint was filed in compliance with the requirements of the Rules
and the Supplemental Rules, payment was properly made, the administrative
panel was properly constituted, and the panelist submitted the required
Statement of Acceptance and Declaration of Impartiality and Independence.
Respondent filed a response, which was received by WIPO on May 10,
2000.
Complainant filed a "Supplement to the Complaint," which was received
by WIPO on May 15, 2000.
The instant Administrative Proceeding was commenced on May 17, 2000.
The decision of the Panel was due to WIPO on or before June 26, 2000.
4. Factual Background
Complainant has been providing utility services under the name "City
Utilities" since 1945. Complainant is known to its more than 86,000 electric
customers, 70,000 gas customers, 66,000 water customers, and 850,000 annual
bus customers as "City Utilities."
It does not appear that Complainant has registered the term "City Utilities"
with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Respondent is a customer of Complainant, residing just outside of Springfield,
Missouri.
Respondent does not operate any utility business. Respondent has been
using the domain name in dispute as a link to his web site "acmenews.com".
This site is a Web directory concerning sites located in the Ozarks. There
is nothing on it related to utility services.
On March 21, 2000, Complainant sent an e-mail to Respondent "inquir[ing]
about the possibility of purchasing the cityutilities.com domain name from
you. Please let me know if you are interested in such a proposal." See
Annex G to Response.
Attached as Annex E to the Complaint is a copy of an e-mail, dated
March 28, 2000, received by Complainant from Respondent regarding his use
of the domain name. In it, Respondent states as follows:
"The domain CITYUTILITIES.COM was registered on 04-Jan02000. Shortly
after, I had the DNS setup to point the domain to the same server as Acmenews.com.
Since then I have noticed home page access nearly double, while the entire
site has seen a 20% increase in activity. I attribute the home page access
increase primarily to people typing in www.cityutilities.com, as most of
my site is externally linked from other pages within the site.
"Also, I have a mail server servicing cityutilities right now, and
I have already received a few e-mails from people trying to e-mail you
by sending e-mail to cityutilities.com vs. cityutil.com.
"Based on the above information, I believe the domain has a value of
$75,000."
On May 9, 2000, within minutes after serving a copy of the Complaint
on Respondent by e-mail, Respondent sent the following e-mail to Complainants
counsel:
"This is not the correct way to obtain this domain. I made an offer,
and you are to make a counter offer as discussed. You never made a counter
offer.
"If you wish to make a counter offer, I am still willing to listen.
I believe we can come to a mutually agreeable amount and have this matter
settled quickly.
"If not, I will hire legal counsel and fight this."
5. Parties Contentions
Complainant contends that it should prevail because: (1) the domain
name is confusingly similar to Complainants service mark "City Utilities
of Springfield, Missouri" and identical to its service mark "City Utilities";
(2) Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the
domain name, given that Respondent does not operate a utility business
and has been using the name solely as a link to his web site "acmenews.com";
and (3) Respondents March 28, 2000 e-mail demonstrates that he is aware
of the likelihood of confusion arising from use of the domain name and
that he is willing to sell the domain name to Complainant for $75,000.
These facts, coupled with the lack of any bona fide offering of goods or
services demonstrate, according to Complainant, that the domain name was
registered and is being used in bad faith.
Respondent contends that he should prevail because: (1) the term "city
utilities" is generic; (2) he does have legitimate interests or rights
in the domain name; and (3) the evidence does not demonstrate "bad faith"
use and registration.
In support of his genericness argument, Respondent argues that the
term "city utilities" is used across the U.S. to specify utilities provided
at the city level and is used in the name of many utility providers.
Respondent further contends that he has rights to and a legitimate interest
in respect of the domain name. In his response, he argues that the domain
name was registered to provide a Web directory or portal to the various
city utilities across the country and that development of the domain began
on February 4, 2000.
Finally, with respect to the "bad faith" issue, Respondent contends
that less than 10 e-mails have been sent to the domain that should have
gone to Complainant at its "cityutil.com" Web site and that the history
of the contacts between the parties does not support a determination that
Respondent registered the domain name "primarily for the purpose of selling
the domain name registration to the complainant
for valuable consideration
in excess of [Respondents] out-of-pocket costs directly related to the
domain name," within the meaning of 4. b. (i) of the Policy.
6. Discussion and Findings
The Panel determines that Complainant has failed to establish all of
the elements required under 4 a. of the Policy. In particular, the Panel
rules that Complainant has failed to establish that "[Respondents] domain
name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark
in which the complainant has rights." See 4 a. (i) of the Policy.
At the outset, the Panel expresses the view that this element incorporates
two separate parts. First, that the domain name is identical or confusingly
similar to a trademark or service mark, and, second, that the complainant
has rights in the trademark or service mark. In this case, while the evidence
establishes that the domain name in dispute is identical to the term "City
Utilities," it does not support a determination that Complainant has rights
in this term. Rather, as Respondent argues in his response, and as Annexes
A and B to the Response corroborate, the term "city utilities" is used
by many municipalities across the U.S. as part of the name of the local
entity that provides electrical power, water, and other utilities. In other
words, the term "city utilities" describes the type of services offered
by a utility company within a city, rather than the source of such services.
As such, the term is generic and does not function as a mark. It is not
protectable. To the extent that residents of Springfield, Missouri may
associate the term "City Utilities" with Complainant, such de facto secondary
meaning does not vest Complainant with "rights" in such term.
While the Panels finding that Complainant has no rights in the term
"city utilities" compels a ruling in favor of Respondent, for the sake
of completeness, the Panel comments briefly on the other two issues presented
-- whether Respondent has rights or legitimate interests in respect of
the domain name and whether Respondent registered and uses the domain name
in bad faith.
The evidence suggests that, prior to notice of the dispute, Respondent
began preparations for use of the "cityutilities.com" domain name in connection
with providing a Web directory to the various city utilities across the
U.S. In his response, Respondent states that he noticed in December 1999
that City Utilities of Springfield was advertising a link to their web
site in
417 Magazine. The link was to www.bringingpowerhome.com. Knowing that
many people would probably try searching for their own local utility company
on the web by typing in www.cityutilities.com, Respondent decided to register
the domain name to provide a portal to these sites. Thus, the evidence
suggests that Respondent has rights or legitimate interests in the domain
name in dispute.
On the issue of "bad faith" registration and use, the evidence, at
best, is equivocal. As noted above, it was Complainant, not Respondent,
that first broached the subject of purchasing the domain name. The evidence
further suggests that following receipt of Complainants March 21 e-mail,
Respondent spoke with an employee of Complainant, Mark Viguet. During the
course of the conversation, Respondent indicated that he did not know the
value of the domain since he was not planning on selling it. After researching
the subject, Respondent offered to sell it for $75,000. These facts, in
the Panels view, do not support a determination of "bad faith" registration
and use.
7. Decision
In view of the above, the Panel denies Complainants request for transfer
to it of the domain name "cityutilities.com".
Jeffrey M. Samuels
Panelist
Dated: June 19, 2000
Domain Name Not Transferred