WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center

ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL DECISION

Dan Foam ApS and Tempur-Pedic International Inc. v. Super Privacy Service Ltd. c/o Dynadot

Case No. D2018-2796

1. The Parties

The Complainants are Dan Foam ApS of Aarup, Denmark and Tempur-Pedic International Inc. of Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America (“United States”), represented by Cahill IP, PLLC, United States.

The Respondent is Super Privacy Service Ltd. c/o Dynadot, of San Mateo, California, United States.

2. The Domain Name and Registrar

The disputed domain name <tempurcloud.com> (the “Domain Name”) is registered with Dynadot, LLC (the “Registrar”).

3. Procedural History

The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on December 6, 2018. On December 7, 2018, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the Domain Name. On December 10, 2018, 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 and 4, the Center formally notified the Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on December 12, 2018. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5, the due date for Response was January 1, 2019. The Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified the Respondent’s default on January 2, 2019.

The Center appointed Ian Lowe as the sole panelist in this matter on January 10, 2019. 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 have from 1992 developed, manufactured and marketed visco-elastic foam mattresses, cushions, pillows and other accessories under the TEMPUR-PEDIC, TEMPUR (from 1994) and TEMPUR-CLOUD (from January 2010) marks (the “Marks”). The Complainants have spent millions of United States dollars in advertising products in connection with the TEMPUR-CLOUD mark and generated millions of United States dollars revenue in sales of such products.

The Complainant Dan Foam ApS is the proprietor of a number of registered trademarks comprising TEMPUR including United States trademarks number 1,926,469 TEMPUR registered on October 10, 1995 and number 3,945,266 TEMPUR-CLOUD registered on April 12, 2011.

The Domain Name was registered on May 10, 2011 and has at least since May 4, 2018 been registered in the name of the Respondent which appears to be a domain name privacy service. There is no evidence as to the identity of any underlying registrant. The term “Respondent” is used in this decision to refer collectively to the domain privacy service and the underlying registrant. The Domain Name resolves to a website incorporating links to third party websites including those of competitors of the Complainants.

5. Parties’ Contentions

A. Complainants

The Complainants contend that the Domain Name is identical or confusingly similar to the Marks, that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the Domain Name, and that the Respondent registered and is using the Domain Name in bad faith within the meaning of paragraph 4(b)(iv) of the Policy.

B. Respondent

The Respondent did not reply to the Complainants’ contentions.

6. Discussion and Findings

For this Complaint to succeed in relation to the Domain Name the Complainants must prove that:

(i) the Domain Name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainants have rights; and

(ii) the Respondent 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.

A. Identical or Confusingly Similar

The Complainants have uncontested rights in the Marks, both by virtue of its trademark registrations and as a result of the goodwill and reputation acquired through its use of the Marks over many years. Ignoring the generic Top-Level Domain (“gTLD”) “.com”, the Domain Name comprises the entirety of the TEMPUR-CLOUD trademark save for the hyphen. The Domain Name further incorporates the TEMPUR trademark. In the Panel’s view the absence of a hyphen is immaterial. Accordingly, the Panel finds that the Domain Name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark in which the Complainants have rights.

B. Rights or Legitimate Interests

The Complainants have made out a strong prima facie case that the Respondent could have no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the Domain Name. The Respondent has not used the Domain Name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services, but for a webpage of links relating to pillows and mattresses comprising in turn click through links to websites including the websites of competitors of the Complainants as well as the Complainants’ own website. There is no suggestion that the Respondent has ever been known by the Domain Name. The Respondent has chosen not to respond to the Complaint or to take any steps to counter the prima facie case established by the Complainants. In these circumstances, the Panel finds that the Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in respect of the Domain Name.

C. Registered and Used in Bad Faith

In view of i) the nature of the Domain Name, identical save for the hyphen, to an unusual trademark; ii) the fact that the Domain Name was registered less than a month after registration of the TEMPUR-CLOUD trademark; and iii) the use to which the Domain Name has been put, the Panel is in no doubt that the Respondent had the Complainants and its rights in the Marks in mind when it registered the Domain Name. The Panel further considers that there is a legitimate presumption that the Respondent is deriving commercial gain from using the Domain Name for a website comprising pay-per-click links to third party websites. In the Panel’s view, this amounts to paradigm bad faith registration and use for the purposes of paragraph 4(a) of the Policy. The Panel accordingly finds that the Domain Name was registered and is being used in bad faith.

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 Domain Name, <tempurcloud.com> be transferred to the Complainants.

Ian Lowe
Sole Panelist
Date: January 23, 2019