Danish-American Promotion ApS
v.
Robert Capps, THIS NAME IS FOR SALE
[Indexed as: Danish-American Promotion ApS v. Robert Capps]
[Indexed as: MISSDENMARK.COM]
National Arbitration Forum
Administrative Panel Decision
Forum File No.: FA 0006000094951
Commenced: 5 June 2000.
Judgement: 11 July 2000.
Sole Arbitrator: Judge James P. Buchele (Retired)
Domain name - Domain name dispute resolution policy Denmark - Denmark Trademark - Identical - Confusingly similar - Bad faith registration - Bad faith use - Pornography.
Complainant organizes and produces the Miss Danmark Show and the
Danish National Pageant annually in Denmark and sells Miss Danmark
merchandise on the Internet. Complainant has been in business for over
10 years. Complainant registered the trademark miss danmark in 1982 in
the Kingdom of Denmark. Complainant offered to purchase the domain name
missdenmark.com from Respondent
Respondent is an individual who states that he is an internet domain
name broker and does business under the name THIS NAME IS FOR SALE.
Respondents only use of the website is to link users to another website
which publishes pornographic materials.
Held, Domain name transferred to Complainant.
The domain name "missdenmark", registered by Respondent, is nearly
identical and confusingly similar to the trademark and business name in
which Complainant has established rights.
Respondent registered the domain name primarily for the purpose
of selling it to the Complainant or to a competitor of the complainant
for an amount in excess of the Respondents costs.
Respondents use of the domain name is to attract Internet users
to the web site by creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainants
established mark and furthers no legitimate business interest of the Respondent.
Policies referred to
Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
Rules to ICANN's Uniform Domain Resolution Policy
Judge Buchele (Retired), Arbitrator: -
MEMORANDUM OF DECISION
The above-entitled matter came on for an administrative hearing
on July 11, 2000, before the undersigned on the Complaint of Danish-American
Promotion ApS, hereafter "Complainant", against Robert Capps, hereafter
"Respondent".
Complainant appears by Niels Leegaard Rydder of Escondido, California.
The Respondent appears pro se.
PROCEDURAL FINDINGS
Domain Name: missdenmark.com
Domain Name Registrar: Network Solutions, Inc.
Domain Name Registrant: Robert Capps, THIS NAME IS FOR SALE
Date of Domain Name Registration: March 10, 1998
Date Complaint Filed: June 1, 2000
Date of Commencement of Administrative Proceeding in Accordance with
Rule
2(a)[1] and Rule 4(c): June 5, 2000.
Due date for a Response: June 26, 2000.
Prayer: Complainant requests that the disputed domain name registration
be transferred to the Complainant.
After reviewing the Complaint, and determining it to be in administrative
compliance, the National Arbitration Forum (The Forum) forwarded the Complaint
to the Respondent on June 5, 2000 in compliance with Rule 2(a), and the
administrative proceeding was commenced pursuant to Rule 4(c). In
compliance with Rule 4(d), The Forum immediately notified Network Solutions,
Inc. (Network Solutions), the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN), and the Complainant that the administrative proceeding
had commenced. The Respondent responded to The Forum by memorandum
dated June 26, 2000, pursuant to Rule 5(a).
On March 10, 1998, Respondent registered the domain name "missdenmark.com"
with Network Solutions, the entity that is the Registrar of the domain
name. On June 5, 2000, Network Solutions verified that Respondent
is the Registrant for the domain name "missdenmark.com", and that further
by registering its domain name with Network Solutions, Respondent agreed
to resolve any dispute regarding its domain name through ICANN's Rules
for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, and the Uniform Domain
Name Dispute Resolution Policy.
UNCONTROVERTED FACTS
1.
The Complainant organizes and produces the Miss Danmark Show and
the Danish National Pageant annually in Denmark and sells Miss Danmark
merchandise on the Internet. Complainant has been in business for over
10 years. Complainant registered the trademark miss danmark in 1982 in
the Kingdom of Denmark.
2.
The Respondent is an individual who states that he is an internet
domain name broker and does business under the name THIS NAME IS FOR
SALE.
3.
The Complainant offered to purchase the domain name missdenmark.com
from the Respondent for $1000.00. Respondent made a counteroffer
to sell the name to Complainant for $5,000.
4.
The Respondents only use of the website is to link users to another
website which publishes pornographic materials.
5.
The term Miss Danmark in Danish has the same meaning as Miss Denmark
in English.
CONCLUSIONS
1.
The domain name "missdenmark", registered by Respondent on March 10,
1998, with Network Solutions, Inc., is nearly identical and confusingly
similar to the trademark and business name in which Complainant has established
rights.
2.
Respondent registered the domain name primarily for the purpose of
selling it to the Complainant or to a competitor of the complainant for
an amount in excess of the Respondents costs.
3.
Respondents use of the nearly identical and confusingly similar domain
name to link pornography sites is particularly disruptive to the Complainants
business relationships as it attracts contestants, sponsors, parents and
other persons interested in the Danish National Pageant, the Miss Denmark
Show or Miss Danmark merchandise to a pornographic web site.
4.
Respondents use of the domain name is to attract Internet users to
the web site by creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainants
established mark and furthers no legitimate business interest of the Respondent.
DECISION
The undersigned certifies that he has acted independently and has no
known conflict of interest to serve as the Arbitrator in this proceeding.
Having been duly selected, and being neutral, the undersigned enters
the following
DECISION:
Pursuant to Rule 4 of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
I find that the domain name missdenmarkcom" should be transferred from
Respondent to the Complainant because; (a), the domain name was registered
and is being used in bad faith by the Respondent; (b) the domain name is
nearly identical or confusingly similar to the trademark and business name
of the Complainant and (c) Respondent has demonstrated no right or legitimate
interest in the domain name.
Dated: July 11, 2000
Judge James P. Buchele (Retired)
Arbitrator
[1] Any reference to "Rule" or "Rules"
are to ICANN's Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
and Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy as supplemented by the
National Arbitration Forum's supplemental Rules to ICANN's Uniform Domain
Resolution Policy.
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