v.
Genick Bar-Meir
[Indexed as: North American Die Casting
Association v. Genrick Bar-Meir]
[Indexed as: NADCA.org]
WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center
Administrative Panel Decision
Case No. D2000-0295
Commenced: April 27, 2000
Judgment: July 6, 2000
Presiding Panelist: Jeffrey
P. Kushan
Domain name Domain name dispute resolution policy U.S. Service mark Identical Bad faith registration - Bad faith use Alleged Reverse Domain Name Hijacking.
Complainant was registrant of
two United States service marks related to the acronym NADCA. Respondent
registered the domain name, nadca.org.
Held, Name Transferred to
Complainant.
It is clear that the domain name
is identical to the registered service mark of Complainant with the exception
of the .org.
Respondent has no rights or legitimate
interests in the domain name. Whether other organizations have an
independent legitimate interest in a domain name is irrelevant to whether
Respondent has a legitimate interest in it. Respondent cannot show
legitimate interest simply by showing that the domain name used has generated
a discernable volume of traffic on their website, particularly when the
domain name incorporates the registered service mark at issue.
Respondent tried to establish
legitimate interest by stating the operation is non-profit and is not designed
to deliver a commercial benefit to him. The tax status or motivation of
an entity in registering and operating a web site linked to a domain name
is not relevant to the determination of the question of whether a party
has a legitimate interest in the domain name.
There is bad faith use and registration
by Respondent, who used the domain name intentionally to attract Internet
users for commercial gain. Respondent marketed its web site and its course
offerings in a manner that is very likely to lead to confusion in the average
member of the die casting community.
Reverse domain name hijacking,
alleged by Respondent in this case, was not found.
Policies referred to
Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution
Policy, adopted August 26, 1999.
Registration Agreements referred
to
--
Cases referred to
Jews for Jesus v. Brodsky, 159 F.3d
1351 (3rd Cir. 1998)
Planned Parenthood Federation of
America, Inc. v. Bucci, 42 U.S.P.Q.2d 1430 (S.D.N.Y. 1997)
Panel Decision referred to
--
Kushan, Panelist
1. The Parties
Complainant: North American Die
Casting Association, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation with a principal
place of business at 9701 West Higgins Road, Suite 880, Rosemont, Illinois.
Respondent: Genick Bar-Meir, having
an address of 1107 16th Avenue, S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55414-2411.
2. The Domain Name(s) and Registrar(s)
Domain Name: nadca.org
Registrar: Domain Bank, Inc.
3. Procedural History
The procedural history of this proceeding
can be summarized as follows:
-On April 14, 2000, Complainant
initiated the proceeding by filing via e-mail a complaint against Respondent.
-The complaint was reviewed by the
WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the "Center") and found to have
been filed in compliance with the requirements of the ICANN Uniform Domain
Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the Policy), the Rules for Uniform Domain
Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the Rules), and the Supplemental Rules
for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the Supplemental Rules).
-The Complainant paid the requisite
fee, and requested a single panelist.
-The panel agrees with the Centers
conclusions regarding compliance of the complaint with the requirements
of the UDRP, the Rules and the Supplemental Rules.
-Also on April 14, 2000, the Complainant
sent a copy of the complaint by electronic mail to Domain Bank, Inc., on
the assumption that this entity was the registrar of the domain name. Subsequent
to that communication, Complainant was advised by counsel to Domain Bank,
Inc., that the registrar of the domain name was CORE-Internet Council of
Registrars. The Center, by an electronic communication, confirmed that
Core-Internet Council of Registrars was in fact the registrar of the domain
name. On April 27, 2000, the CORE Internet Council of Registrars confirmed
that it was the registrar of the domain name, and provided information
concerning the registrant of the domain name.
-On April 27, 2000, notice was sent
by email and by certified mail to the Respondent by the Center. The notice
indicated that the present administrative proceeding had been commenced,
and that Respondent would have twenty days from the date of commencement
of the proceeding to file a response to the administrative complaint (i.e.,
until May 17, 2000).
-On May 2, 2000, the Respondent
indicated by means of e-mail that he could not read the document(s) sent
by the Center. In that communication, the Respondent requested that the
Center send the notification again in one of a number of specific file
formats (i.e., "Lyx, LaTeX, HTML, SHTML, XML, agr and epsi). On May 3,
2000, the Center communicated to the Respondent and provided to him electronic
copies of the notification of the complaint and the complaint in HTML and
ASCII formats. On May 5, 2000, the Respondent communicated again to the
Center that he was still not able to read the email sent by the Center
due to the fact that the attachments were encoded in "microsoft format"
rather than "plain text" and requested that the Center re-send the attachments
in plain text format. On May 10, 2000, the Center communicated the two
documents again, in plain text format as attachments to the e-mail communication
and embedded in the body of two email communications. The Center also indicated
that it had previously sent by fax and by post the attachments to the email
communication.
-The Center set May 23, 2000 as
the deadline for response by the Respondent after the initial response
by the Respondent indicating the Respondents inability to read the electronic
communications. On this date, the Respondent filed its Response to the
Complaint. Hard copies of the response were received by the Center on May
25, 2000.
-The panel concludes that the complaint
was properly notified in accordance with Rules, paragraph 2(a).
-On June 14, 2000, the present administrative
panel was notified to the parties, and a projected decision date of June
28, 2000 set for the panel to produce its decision. The sole panelist subsequently
provided a Statement of Acceptance and Declaration of Impartiality and
Independence to the Center. On June 15, the Respondent sent a communication
inquiring whether the document contained in the email notification of the
panel was a Microsoft Word document, and had contents identical to the
body of the email communication sent by the Center. On this date, the Center
replied to the Respondent in the affirmative.
-No further submissions were made
by either of the parties.
4. Factual Background
The Complainant is a trade association
for engineers working in the field of die-casting and operates under the
name North American Die Casting Association as well as the acronym NADCA.
The association owns two service marks related to the term NADCA, one in
the term standing alone (Reg. No. 1,793,121), and one as used with a specified
design (Reg. No. 1,793,122). Both marks relate to association services
(Class 42), and in particular the promotion of interests of die casting
engineers. Copies of the records of the United States Patent and Trademark
Office trademark text and image database for Complainants registrations
related to "NADCA" were provided as evidence in support of the Complainants
service mark registrations.
The acronym that is the basis of
the Federal Registration number 1,793,121 is identical to the domain name
being contested save for the identification of the top level domain ".org".
The Respondent is the registrant
of the domain name "nadca.org." Respondent operates a web site linked to
the nadca.org domain name. The web site provides access to and allows users
to purchase copies of documents concerning die casting, provides access
to courses offered by the Respondent, and provides other information referring
to the Complainant organization (see exhibit E of the complaint). The Respondent
has also sent email communications advertising the availability of die
casting educational materials and courses, and advertising opportunities
on the "Die Casting Bulletin Board". The Respondent has provided an email
address in these communications incorporating the contested domain name
(i.e., "[email protected]").
5. Parties Contentions
A.Complainant
The Complainant asserts that:
(i)the Domain Name is identical
to a service mark in which the Complainant has rights;
(ii)the Respondent has no rights
or legitimate interests in the respect of the domain name; and
(iii)the domain name was registered
and is being used in bad faith.
With respect the first point, the
Complainant asserts that the Domain Name is identical to the registered
service mark "NADCA" with the exception of the incorporation of the top
level domain ".org".
With respect to the second point,
the Complainant asserts that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate
interests in the domain name. It first asserts that the Respondent can
have no legitimate trademark or intellectual property interest in a domain
name incorporating the term "nadca" as a consequence of the Complainants
two registered service marks. It then asserts that the Respondent is an
individual named Genic Bar-Meir and that this individual has no business
identity that utilizes the acronym NADCA. The Complainant further asserts
that the name "Network Advance Die Casting Assistance" is a sham name that
has never been used by the Respondent in connection with any bona fide
business or activity. In relation to this point, the Complainant provides
evidence of searches performed in a number of databases and data sources
that would record legitimate business activities, state trademarks and
trade names. The Complainant finally asserts that the Respondent can have
no legitimate interest in the use of the term "nadca" in connection with
the die-casting community.
With respect to the third element
(bad faith), the Complainant argues that the Respondents registration
and subsequent use of the domain name "nadca.org" meet the bad faith element
set forth in Section 4(b)(iv) of the UDRP. First, the Complainant alleges
that Respondent was well aware of the Complainants rights when he registered
and began using the nadca.org domain name, noting in particular that the
Respondent uses the term "nadca" to refer to the Complainant. The Complainant
also cites the fact that the Respondent has been a member of the Complainants
association for several years. Second, the Complainant asserts that the
Respondent has used industry recognition and the fame of the NADCA trademarks
in the field of die casting to pass himself off as the Complainant in order
to attract traffic and attention to his website and course offerings. The
Complainant cites as evidence email solicitations aimed at die casting
professionals as evidence of this latter point. The Complainant also points
to evidence showing that in relation to courses offered by the Respondent,
the Respondent identifies himself exclusively through use of the service
marks of the Complainant. In particular, the Complainant refers to an email
solicitation for the Respondents course offering that (a) notes that other
applicants for Respondents courses include those from companies that have
a representative on Complainants Board of Governors, (b) that the email
ends with the closing of "Cheers, NADCA" and (c) that there is nothing
in the email that would distinguish and identify the Respondent in a way
that would lead a reasonable person to appreciate that the message is not
from the Complainant.
Further with respect to the third
element, the Complainant has cited the misuse of its registered service
marks in relation to the misleading and deceptive advertising of the Respondent
via the Respondents website and email correspondence. The Complainant
asserts that recipients of the Complainants advertising are likely to
believe among other things (1) that the Complainant is offering free advertising
on its website when it is not, (2) the Complainant is sending unsolicited
e-mail to its members and others to build traffic on its website, when
the Complainants policy is not to send any unsolicited email, (3) Complainants
courses are closed when they are not, (4) Complainant sponsors or is otherwise
affiliated with the "Die Casting Bulletin Board" on the nadca.org website
when it does not and (5) Complainant sponsors or is otherwise affiliated
with Respondents courses.
In light of these points, the Complainant
asserts that the registration and use of the Domain Name "nadca.org" by
the Respondent was done intentionally to attract Internet users to Respondents
site by creating a likelihood of confusion as to source, sponsorship and
affiliation of his website with the Respondent through use of the Respondents
registered service mark within Complainants domain name. The Complainant
asserts that the purpose for such actions by the Respondent were to divert
consumers to his website, which promotes commercial activities, and to
tarnish NADCAs name and reputation. IN respect of the latter point, the
Complainant notes that while the Respondent has the right to criticize
the Complainant, he does not have the right to do so by trading on Complainants
name and reputation to gain a forum for his views (citing Jews for Jesus
v. Brodsky, 159 F.3d 1351 (3rd Cir. 1998) and Planned Parenthood Federation
of America, Inc. v. Bucci, 42 U.S.P.Q.2d 1430 (S.D.N.Y. 1997)).
B.Respondent
The Respondent challenges the assertions
of the Complainant, and raises numerous points regarding the relationship
between him and certain officers of the Complainant association.
The Respondent first asserts that
the Complainants actions in initiating that proceeding is one of many
steps taken by the Complainant to intimidate the Respondent. The Respondent
claims that the steps taken by the Complainant are in retaliation for the
Respondent being a "whistle blower" and to conceal "the truth" about the
Complainants teachings and practices.
The Respondent next asserts that
the Complainant has no rights in the name NADCA. The Respondent appears
to base this assertion on five points. First, the Complainant argues that
other entities exist use the acronym NADCA (e.g., the National Air Duct
Cleaner Association). The Respondent provides evidence of at least seven
active websites that use the nadca acronym within the domain name of the
website. In respect of this list, it should be noted that only three names
incorporate the nadca acronym as a segregated term within the domain name
(e.g., www.nadca.com.au) while the remaining domains seem to incorporate
the letters nadca within larger words in the domain name (e.g., sunadca.com).
Second, the Respondent argues that because other organizations and associations
utilize an acronym that is identical to the Complainants registered service
marks. In light of this and the Respondents assertion that the North American
Die Casting Association is not famous, the Respondent concludes that the
Complainant has no legitimate interest in the global domain name "nadca.org."
Third, the Respondent argues that the "first come first served" principle
should be applied. Fourth, the Respondent asserts that the Complainant
never contested the "nadca.com" domain name that has been registered to
the National Air Duct Cleaner Association, and as a result, the Complainant
"waived" their right in the term "nadca" in the context of the web. Fifth,
the Complainant has not attached any fame or secondary meaning to "nadca"
because the website of the Complainant uses the domain name "diecasting.org"
rather than a domain name incorporating the acronym "nadca."
The Respondent then challenges the
Complainants assertion of confusion associated with the Respondents use
of the Domain Name. The Respondent asserts that there is no possibility
of confusion when an Internet visits the websites of the Complainant and
the Respondent. The Respondent provides a copy of the home page of his
website which incorporates a number of textual indications that the website
is not run by the NADCA. The Respondent also refers to negotiations with
the Complainant that resulted in changes to the content of the Respondents
website to incorporate such indications. The Respondent also asserts that
because other entities have used the "nadca" acronym in their domain names,
and that those entities are not in the field of die casting, that there
can be no confusion associated with a domain name that incorporates the
acronym "nadca."
The Respondent then addresses the
issue of his legitimate interests in the Domain Name. He asserts that he
satisfies each of the criteria in the ICANN rules for demonstrating a legitimate
interest in the Domain Name. First, he asserts that he offers a free book
and free classes in a bona fide manner. Second, he asserts that his website
is well known throughout the die casting community as nadca.org or nadca.
Third, he provided a legitimate non-commercial and fair use of the domain
name without any intention for commercial gain. To support these assertions,
he refers to the active distribution of his book on die casting issues
in electronic and physical form through the website. He also asserts that
he is a "real" non-profit operation, and that the actual conflict with
the Complainant is in relation to the validity of teaching and science
and the saving of the die casting industry.
The Respondent then turns to the
issue of "bad faith." The Respondent first asserts that his registration
and use of the Domain Name was not done in bad faith because he has not
and will not attempt to sell or rent the domain name. The Respondent then
asserts that there can be no possibility of confusion of him or his website
with the North American Die Casting Association. For example, he cites
the email address [email protected] as a "well known name" that would be
recognized by anyone on the mailing list to be the Respondent. The Respondent
also notes that because of his prior emails criticizing the North American
Die Casting Association and its President, the recipients of his emails
would not have any possibility of believing that the emails originated
from or were associated with the North American Die Casting Association.
The Respondent then asserts that the Domain Name in this case is similar
to the situation in a case involving the domain name "noamazon.com." In
this respect, the Respondent appears to be alleging that the use of the
Domain Name "nadca.org" is done to legitimately criticize the North American
Die Casting Association and not to disrupt the operations of the association.
The Respondent then challenges certain
points raised by the Complainant in its Complaint. The Respondent charges
the Complainant with mischaracterizing the facts associated with the Respondents
book. It asserts, for example, that Complainant mischaracterizes the nature
of access to the book through a second website (i.e., www.dieperfect.com)
linked to the Respondents web site. Apparently, the book is the same,
and the argument of the Respondent is that the Complainant knew that it
was the same book. The Respondent also challenges the relevance of the
cases cited by the Complainant. The Respondent also attacks the Complainant
for asserting that the book can be purchased when it "in fact" is available
for free, whether by download or physical delivery.
Finally, the Respondent asserts
that the present action in reality is an attempt at reverse hijacking of
a domain name (i.e., under rule 15(e), a use of the policy in bad faith
to attempt to deprive a registered domain-name holder of a domain name).
The Respondent cites a number of points to support this assertion. First,
the Respondent asserts that the Complainant has harassed him and that the
present action is another attempt at doing so. Second, to discount the
trademark assertion of rights, he notes that the Complainant never sent
a cease and desist letter in relation to use of the registered service
mark "NADCA". Third, the Respondent asserts that the Complainant has never
had or sought rights in a domain name with the acronym "nadca" within the
name, citing the existence of domain names in the .org, .com and .net top
level domains. Fourth, the Respondent asserts that the Complainant never
considered obtaining a domain name registration based on the nadca acronym
until they began their present "legal maneuvering."
6.Discussion and Findings
To prevail on the merits of this
proceeding, the Complainant must establish, with respect to the Domain
Name in question, that:
(i)the Domain Name is identical
or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant
has rights; and
(ii)the Respondent and registrant
of the Domain Name has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of
the Domain Name; and
(iii)the Domain Name has been registered
and is being used in bad faith.
Each of these elements will be taken
up in sequence.
A.The Domain Name is Identical to
the Registered Service Mark of the Complainant
The Domain Name "nadca.org" is identical
to the registered service mark of the Complainant except for the inclusion
of the top level domain ".org." This conclusion is obvious on its face.
B.The Respondent has no rights or
legitimate interests in the Domain Name
The Complainant has asserted that
the Respondent has no rights and no legitimate interests in the Domain
Name "nadca.org." The panel finds the arguments presented by the Complainant
persuasive, notwithstanding the numerous assertions of the Respondent to
the contrary.
The three principle arguments that
Respondent raises to contest the assertions of the Complainant in respect
of legitimate interests in the Domain Name can be summarized as follows:
-the Respondent has been operating
a web site, through which he has provided goods and services in a bona
fide manner;
-the web site operated by the Respondent
and linked to the Domain Name "nadca.org" is well known in the die casting
industry community; and
-the web site is being run by the
Respondent as a non-commercial enterprise, for which there is no intent
for commercial gain.
In addition to these specifically
articulated arguments, the Respondent makes numerous assertions throughout
his response that seem to address the issue of entitlement of the Respondent
to the Domain Name 1. These additional assertions do not alter the conclusions
of the panel in relation to the three main assertions of the Respondent.
The first and second assertions
of the Respondent ultimately are linked to the question of entitlement
to use the acronym "nadca" in relation to marketing or other activities
aimed at the die casting industry or die casting professionals. To address
both assertions, one must evaluate the trademark rights of the Complainant
in the mark "nadca".
The Complainant has set forth a
clear factual basis for its assertion that it enjoys strong trademark rights
in the term "nadca" as that term is used in among die-casting professionals
and within the die-casting industry. The Complainant is an association
that represents the interests of die-casting professionals, and carries
on an extensive range of educational and other activities relating to the
die-casting industry. The Complainants assertion of its trademark interest
in the term "nadca" has not been directly challenged by the Respondent.
The Respondent has instead asserted
that a number of other entities aside from the Complainant have a legitimate
interest in use of the acronym "nadca" and, presumably as a consequence
of this fact, such entities are entitled to use this term as part of their
domain name. The Respondent cites other organizations that use domain names
that incorporate the "nadca" acronym. None of these organizations uses
the acronym "nadca" in relation to the die-casting industry. Whether any
of these organizations enjoy trademark rights in the term "nadca" as it
pertains to their field of activities is unclear. Moreover, the question
of whether other organizations may have an independent legitimate interest
in a domain name that incorporates the "nadca" acronym is irrelevant to
the question of whether the Respondent has a legitimate interest in the
domain name "nadca.org."
The Respondent has also asserted
that he independently has established a right to use the acronym as a consequence
of the name of his enterprise, namely, "Network Advance Die Casting Assistance."
The Complainant has asserted that the selection of this name is a sham
designed to create an excuse to use the acronym "nadca". The Complainant
notes that there is no listing in Minneapolis or the surrounding region
for an entity with this name, that there is no Minnesota corporation that
uses this name, and that there is no trademark registration at the State
or Federal level for an organization having this name. The panel also notes
that evidence supplied by the Complainant shows that the registration of
the domain name "nadca.org" was made in the personal name of the Respondent,
and includes no information regarding an entity labeled "Network Advance
Die Casting Assistance." The panel further notes that in a number of instances
(e.g., email solicitations cited by the Complainant) that there is no effort
by the Respondent to use this name in conjunction with the acronym "nadca"
(i.e., only the acronym was used to identify the source of the email).
The panel thus concludes that the name "Network Advance Die Casting Assistance"
has no bearing on the question of whether the Respondent has a legitimate
interest in the Domain Name that incorporates the acronym "nadca".
The Respondent further asserts that
he has developed an identity within the die-casting community through operation
of his web site, and that this shows another legitimate grounds of entitlement
to the Domain Name. The Respondent cites as evidence the fact that a book
authored by him that is accessible through his website has been downloaded
over 5000 times, while only two "hard copies" of that book have been delivered.
The Respondent also cites as evidence of his legitimate interest the fact
that third parties have made links to his web site.
The panel finds unpersuasive the
assertions of a legitimate interest in the domain name that are based on
the Respondents use of the domain name or on the volume of traffic to
or activity on the Respondents web site. The Respondent cannot support
a claim of legitimate interest simply by showing that he used the domain
name to generate a discernable volume of traffic to or activity on his
web site, particularly when this is done in a manner that incorporates
a previously registered trademark and targets the community that is most
likely to associate the trademark with the Complainant. If a party could
establish a legitimate interest in a domain name by doing so, it would
render meaningless the concept of bad faith articulated in section (4)(b)(iv)
of the UDRP.
In this respect, the panel notes
that the evidence shows that the Respondent has operated his web site and
used the Domain Name to specifically attract individuals from the die-casting
community. The materials on the Respondents web site and the email-based
marketing efforts of the Respondent using the domain name also are tailored
to this audience. The Respondent makes references in his web site and in
the marketing email sent by him to the Complainants organization, which
suggests that there is a clear intention to focus on the same community
that would associate the acronym "nadca" with the Complainant. All of these
activities directly or indirectly use the fame of the Complainants registered
trademark within the die casting community to generate traffic for the
Respondents web site. From this evidence, the panel can ascertain no independent
claim in favor of the Respondent to use of the acronym "nadca" or to a
Domain Name that incorporates that acronym. Moreover, all of the actions
described in the Complain took place several years after the Complainant
registered the mark "nadca" in relation to provision of services in the
die casting community. Thus, there is no evidence to suggest that the Respondent
has an earlier claim to use of the term "nadca" in relation to services
offered to the die casting community.
The third reason offered up by the
Respondent for establishing a legitimate interest in the domain name is
that he is a non-profit operation and is not designed to deliver a commercial
benefit to him. The tax status or motivation of an entity in registering
and operating a web site linked to a domain name is not relevant to the
determination of the question of whether a party has a legitimate interest
in the domain name.
In view of these points, the panel
finds that the Respondent has no legitimate interest in the Domain Name
"nadca.org."
C.The Domain Name has been registered
and is being used in bad faith by the Respondent
Complainant asserts that there is
evidence of bad faith as defined in paragraph (4)(b)(iv) of the UDRP, namely,
that the Respondent, in using the Domain Name, has intentionally attempted
to attract for commercial gain, Internet users to his web site by creating
a likelihood of confusion with the Complainants mark as tot he source,
sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of the Respondents web site or
location or of a product or service on his web site or location.
The evidence provided by the Complainant
supports its assertion that the standard in paragraph (4))(b)(iv) of the
UDRP has been satisfied. In this regard, the panel notes that the Complainant
has shown that the Respondent has targeted the same community of individuals
that would associate the acronym "nadca" with the Complainant (i.e., professionals
in the die-casting community). Moreover, the Complainant has shown that
the Respondent has used the Domain Name to market a book, courses and free
advertising services to this same community of individuals and in doing
so has used the fame of the Complainants mark within the die-casting community
to attract visitors to his web site for this purpose. The fact that the
Respondent makes his book available for free via his web site does not
in any way render that act "non-commercial" within the meaning of paragraph
(4))(b)(iv) of the UDRP.
The Respondent attempts to rebut
the assertions of the Complainant in sections 4 and 6 of his response.
Many of the points raised in paragraph 6 of the response address grounds
not at issue in the present proceeding (i.e., grounds noted in paragraphs
(I), (ii) and (iii) of paragraph (4)(b) of the UDRP). In respect to the
assertion of the Complainant that the Domain Name has been used in a manner
likely to result in confusion, the Respondent asserts that there is no
possibility for confusion due to the small size of the die casting community,
their familiarity with both the Complainant and the Respondent and the
manner in which the two entities are described in the materials on the
Respondents web site.
The panel finds these arguments
unpersuasive. The identity of the mark with the Domain Name, and the evidence
of how the Respondent has used the Domain Name clearly fit within the definition
of "bad faith" defined by paragraph (4))(b)(iv) of the UDRP. Moreover,
the Respondent has marketed its web site and its course offerings in a
manner that is very likely to lead to confusion in the average member of
the die casting community. The email advertisements sent by the Respondent
do not carry any of the information contained on the Respondents web site.
The nature of these communication also reveals no independent identity
of the Respondent from the Complainant from the form of the communication
(e.g., it is "signed" simply "NADCA"). The suggestion that a person in
the die casting community would be able to discern that the communication
did not originate from NADCA from an inspection of the identity of the
sender of the email is not persuasive.
Thus, the panel finds that the Complainant
has met its burden of establishing that the registration and use of the
Domain Name by the Respondent has been in bad faith as that term is defined
in the UDRP.
D.Reverse Domain Name Hijacking
The Respondent has asserted that
the present action by the Complainant amounts to an attempt to hijack the
Domain Name registration. To support such a claim, the Respondent must
demonstrate that the present proceeding was commenced in bad faith (e.g.,
in an attempt at Reverse Domain Name Hijacking or was brought primarily
to harass the domain-name holder).
The Complainant has adequately presented
a case that meets the standard for relief under this proceeding. Accordingly,
the Respondents assertion that the present proceeding amounts to an attempted
reverse domain name hijacking is not persuasive to the panel.
7.Decision
Pursuant to the authority of Article
4(i) of the UDRP, the Panel requires that the registration of the Domain
Name ("nadca.org") be transferred to the Complainant.
Footnotes:
1. See, e.g., page
3 of Response, where the Respondent asserts that the "first come first
served" principle suggests that he is more entitled to the domain name
registration than the Complainant.
Domain Name Transferred