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WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center

ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL DECISION

"Dr. Martens" International Trading GmbH and "Dr. Maertens" Marketing GmbH v. Lv Fang

Case No. D2012-1396

1. The Parties

The Complainants are "Dr. Martens" International Trading GmbH of Gräfelfing, Germany and "Dr. Maertens" Marketing GmbH of Seeshaupt, Germany, represented by Beetz & Partner, Germany.

The Respondent is Lv Fang of Hubei, China.

2. The Domain Name and Registrar

The disputed domain name <lamodedrmartens.com> is registered with Web Commerce Communications Limited dba WebNic.cc (the “Registrar”).

3. Procedural History

The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on July 9, 2012. On July 10, 2012, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the disputed domain name. On July 10, 2012, the Registrar transmitted by email to the Center its verification response confirming that the Respondent is listed as the registrant and providing the contact details.

The Center verified that the Complaint satisfied the formal requirements of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the “Policy” or “UDRP”), 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 July 16, 2012. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5(a), the due date for Response was August 5, 2012. The Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified the Respondent’s default on August 6, 2012.

The Center appointed Jonas Gulliksson as the sole panelist in this matter on August 14, 2012. 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.

4. Factual Background

The Complainants are the holders of inter alia the following registered trademarks (filing dates):

- CTM 59147 DR. MARTENS in class 25 and 35, April 1, 1996.

- Canadian trademark No. 420485 DR. MARTENS in class 25, December 17, 1990.

- Canadian trademark No. 625884 DR. MARTENS in class 35, June 25, 2002.

- USTPO No. 1454323 DR. MARTENS in class 25, June 9, 1983.

- USTPO No. 1798791 DR. MARTENS in class 25, March 14, 1990.

- Canadian trademark No. 625884 DR. MARTENS in class 35, June 25, 2002.

- USTPO No. 2838397 DR. MARTENS in class 35, June 26, 2002.

The disputed domain name was registered on January 11, 2012.

5. Parties’ Contentions

A. Complainants

“Dr. Martens”s is a famous international brand for footwear, clothing and accessories, particularly renowned for its distinctive shoes and boots, first sold in the late 1950’s. The products are available for sale at retailers throughout the world as well as online at the official website linked to the domain name <docmartens.com>.

The disputed domain name is a combination of the descriptive element "la mode" (fashion) and the characterizing name "Drmartens". The consumer will pay their major attention to the characterizing element of the disputed domain name. The minor differences between "Dr. Martens" and "drmartens" are not sufficient to avoid likelihood of confusion.

The Respondent is using the disputed domain name to host a parked website featuring links to advertisement for the sale of footwear and of "Dr. Martens" footwear on websites which are not authorized or approved by trademark owners as well as on websites which refer to competitors of the Complainants.

By using the disputed domain name the Respondent is likely to mislead and deceive consumers into believing that it has a sponsorship, affiliation or approval with the original DR. MARTENS trademark owners/licensees/customers when this is not the case. The Respondent is passing off the trademarks owners' goodwill and reputation in the DR. MARTENS trademarks and name. The Respondent's use of the disputed domain name is commercial, illegitimate and unfair with the clear intention for commercial gain by diverting consumers and to tarnish the DR. MARTENS marks. There are no indications of the Respondent having rights or any legitimate interests in the disputed domain name.

The Respondent is using the disputed domain name to link unauthorized websites to it which are selling competitors and unauthorized "Dr. Martens" footwear without the Complainants permission. Due to the Complainants' widely and well known trademarks, the Respondent must have had knowledge of the Complainants' rights at the time of the registration of the disputed domain name. The knowledge of the DR. MARTENS trademarks together with the Respondent's lack of legitimate interests in the disputed domain name proves bad faith registration.

B. Respondent

The Respondent did not reply to the Complainant’s contentions.

6. Discussion and Findings

In accordance with paragraph 4(a) of the Policy, each of the three following elements must be satisfied:

(i) the disputed domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights; and

(ii) the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name; and

(iii) the disputed domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.

Paragraph 4(a) of the Policy further states that the burden of proving that all three elements are present lies with the Complainants.

A. Identical or Confusingly Similar

The Panel finds that the Complainants have established rights in the DR. MARTENS trademarks in this case and in a large number of prior UDRP cases. See for example “Dr. Martens” International Trading GmbH and “Dr. Maertens” Marketing Gmbh v. Shanbei Fu a.k.a. fushanbei, WIPO Case No. D2012-0910.

The disputed domain name was registered nearly thirty years after the oldest of the registrations submitted by the Complainants and consists of "drmartens" which the Panel, with the exception of the dot and the space in the Complainants' trademarks, finds to be identical to the Complainants' trademarks and the words "la" and "mode". The Panel notes that "la mode" is French for "fashion". According to well-established consensus, the gTLD ".com" is not distinguishing. The Panel finds that "drmartens" is the distinctive part of the disputed domain name, and that the addition of "la mode" is not sufficient to avoid but rather increases the risk or Internet user confusion in relation to the Complainants' trademarks.

Consequently, the Panel finds the disputed domain name confusingly similar to the trademark in which the Complainant has established rights. The first element of the paragraph 4(a) of the Policy is thus fulfilled.

B. Rights or Legitimate Interests

In cases when a respondent fails to present a response the complainant is still required to make a prima facie case that the Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name, see WIPO Overview of WIPO Panel Views on Selected UDRP Questions Second Edition (“WIPO Overview, 2.0”), paragraph 2.1., and The Vanguard Group, Inc. v. Lorna Kang, WIPO Case No. D2002-1064, and Berlitz Investment Corp. v. Stefan Tinculescu, WIPO Case No. D2003-0465. Further, paragraph 14(b) of the Rules provides that, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, a panel shall draw such inferences as it considers appropriate from a failure of a party to comply with a provision or requirement of the Rules.

The Complainants have asserted that no permission to register the disputed domain name has been granted to the Respondent. Moreover, the Complainants have stated that the Respondent has no rights of its own or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name which entirely incorporates the Complainants’ trademark. Also, the Complainants have asserted that the disputed domain name is linked to a website used by the Respondent to link to a website presenting links to the Complainants' competitors selling inter alia footwear of other brands and "Dr. Martens" without the authorization of the Complainants.

Having considered the submissions of the Complainants, and the lack of response from the Respondent, the Panel finds that the Respondent is not connected with the Complainants and is not commonly known by the disputed domain name. Further the Panel finds that "drmartens" is used in the disputed domain name with an intention to derive commercial advantage of the Complainants’ trademark. Such use by the Respondent is not a legitimate noncommercial or fair use and does not confer any rights in favour of the Respondent.

In the light of what is stated above, the Panel finds that the Complainants have made a prima facie case that the Respondents lack rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. The Respondent has not proved otherwise. Therefore, the Panel finds that the second element of the paragraph 4(a) of the Policy is fulfilled.

C. Registered and Used in Bad Faith

Having regarded the fact that the Complainants’ DR. MARTENS trademarks were registered and used years before the Respondent’s domain name registration, it is in this Panel’s view apparent that the disputed domain name must have been registered with knowledge of the Complainants’ trademark rights and with the intention of attracting customers for commercial gain by creating a likelihood of confusion with that same mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of the Respondent’s web site or location or of a product or service on the Respondent’s web site or location.

Also, the Complainants have asserted that the website linked to the disputed domain name contains sales offers of different products, among others some presented as “Dr. Martens”, and that this constitutes bad faith use of the disputed domain name. The Complainant has filed evidence of the fact that the Respondent has advertised identical and similar products under the disputed domain name. Therefore, the Panel also finds that the website contains sale offers of identical and similar products. No evidence of actual commercial gain of the Respondent has been submitted but nor has this allegation by the Complainant been denied by the Respondent. This Panel shares the findings of previous UDRP panels that a respondent may be found using a disputed domain name in bad faith, even if evidence of actual commercial gain of the Respondent has not been proven by the complainant, when nothing indicates a non-commercial use. See “Dr. Martens” International Trading GmbH and “Dr. Maertens” Marketing Gmbh v. Shanbei Fu a.k.a. fushanbei, WIPO Case No. D2012-0910 ("In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, it appears that the Respondent was not using the domain name for a purpose other than commercial gain". This is a clear indication of bad faith use.). In the case at hand, nothing indicates that the Respondent has had any other purpose than commercial gain. Accordingly, this Panel finds that the disputed domain name has been used in bad faith.

The Panel finds that the third element of the paragraph 4(a) of the Policy is fulfilled.

7. Decision

For the foregoing reasons, in accordance with paragraphs 4(i) of the Policy and 15 of the Rules, the Panel orders that the disputed domain name, <lamodedrmartens.com> be transferred to the Complainants.

Jonas Gulliksson
Sole Panelist
Dated: August 28, 2012

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