Magellan v Whois Agent, Domain Protection Services, Inc. / Wcnje Unw

WIPO Case No. D2022-3260

ARBITRATION
AND
MEDIATION CENTER

ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL DECISION

Magellan v. Whois Agent, Domain Protection Services, Inc. / Wcnje Unw

Case No. D2022-3260

1. The Parties

Complainant is Magellan, France, represented by Inlex IP Expertise, France.

Respondent is Whois Agent, Domain Protection Services, Inc. / Wcnje Unw, China.

2. The Domain Name and Registrar

The disputed domain name <boutiquebonobo.com> (the “Domain Name”) is registered with Name.com, Inc.

(the “Registrar”).

3. Procedural History

The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on September 1,
2022. On September 1, 2022, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar
verification in connection with the Domain Name. On September 1, 2022, the Registrar transmitted by email
to the Center its verification response disclosing registrant and contact information for the Domain Name
which differed from the named Respondent and contact information in the Complaint. The Center sent an
email communication to Complainant on September 2, 2022 providing the registrant and contact information
disclosed by the Registrar, and inviting Complainant to submit an amendment to the Complaint.

Complainant filed an amended Complaint on September 6, 2022.

The Center verified that the Complaint together with the amended 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 Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on September 7, 2022. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5, the due date for Response was September 27, 2022. Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified Respondent’s default on September 28, 2022.

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The Center appointed Kimberley Chen Nobles as the sole panelist in this matter on October 7, 2022. 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

Complainant is a French company that sells men and women’s fashion items under the trademark BONOBO.
The BONOBO products are sold via Complainant’s stores in France, abroad and on as its website:

“bonoboplanet.com”.

Complainant owns multiple trademark registrations including:-

• French trademark registration number 3127913 for BONOBO (word and design mark), registered on

October 25, 2001 and specifying footwear and clothing in class 25;

• French trademark registration number 3437302 for BONOBO (word mark), registered on June 27,

2006, and specifying footwear, clothing and other goods in classes 3, 14, 16, 18, 24 and 25; and

• International trademark registration number 1051866 for BONOBO (word and design mark) (the

“Bonobo logo”), registered on July 20, 2010 and specifying footwear, clothing and other goods in classes 14,
18 and 25.

Complainant also operates and owns the domain name <bonoboplanet.com>, which is used in connection with an official online store where Complainant sells its clothing, footwear and accessories.

The Domain Name was registered on August 13, 2022 and resolves to a website that features Complainant’s various content and images of Complainant’s products at its official website <bonoboplanet.com>.

5. Parties’ Contentions

A. Complainant

Complainant contends that (i) the Domain Name is identical or confusingly similar to Complainant’s trademarks; (ii) Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name; and (iii) Respondent registered and is using the Domain Name in bad faith.

In particular, Complainant contends that it has trademark registrations for BONOBO and that Respondent registered and is using the Domain Name with the intention to confuse Internet users looking for bona fide and well-known BONOBO products and services.

Complainant notes that it has no affiliation with Respondent, nor authorized Respondent to register or use a domain name, which includes Complainant’s trademarks, and that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the registration and use of the Domain Name. Rather, Complainant contends that Respondent has acted in bad faith in acquiring and setting up the Domain Name, when Respondent clearly knew of Complainant’s rights.

B. Respondent

Respondent did not reply to Complainant’s contentions.

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6. Discussion and Findings

Under paragraph 4(a) of the Policy, to succeed Complainant must satisfy the Panel that:

(i) the Domain Name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which Complainant

has rights; and

(ii) Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the Domain Name; and

(iii) the Domain Name was registered and is being used in bad faith.

Section 4.3 of the WIPO Overview of WIPO Panel Views on Selected UDRP Questions, Third Edition
(“WIPO Overview 3.0”) states that failure to respond to the complainant’s contentions would not by itself
mean that the complainant is deemed to have prevailed; a respondent’s default is not necessarily an

admission that the complainant’s claims are true.

Thus, although in this case Respondent has failed to respond to the Complaint, the burden remains with evidence. See, e.g., The Knot, Inc. v. In Knot We Trust LTD, WIPO Case No. D2006-0340.

A. Identical or Confusingly Similar

Ownership of a trademark registration is generally sufficient evidence that a complainant has the requisite rights in a mark for purposes of paragraph 4(a)(i) of the Policy. See WIPO Overview 3.0, section 1.2.1. Complainant provided evidence of its rights in the BONOBO trademarks, as noted above. Complainant has also submitted evidence, which supports that the BONOBO trademarks are widely known and a distinctive identifier of Complainant’s products and services. Complainant has therefore proven that it has the requisite rights in the BONOBO trademarks.

With Complainant’s rights in the BONOBO trademarks established, the remaining question under the first element of the Policy is whether the Domain Name, typically disregarding the Top-Level Domain (“TLD”) in which it is registered (in this case, “.com”), is identical or confusingly similar to Complainant’s

trademark. See, e.g., B & H Foto & Electronics Corp. v. Domains by Proxy, Inc. / Joseph Gross, WIPO

Case No. D2010-0842.

Here, the Domain Name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s BONOBO trademarks. These trademarks, preceding the BONOBO mark in the Domain Name does not prevent a finding of confusing similarity between the Domain Name and the BONOBO trademarks. See WIPO Overview 3.0, section 1.8.

which are fanciful and inherently distinctive, are recognizable in the Domain Name. In particular, the Domain

Thus, the Panel finds that Complainant has satisfied the first element of the Policy.

B. Rights or Legitimate Interests

Under paragraph 4(a)(ii) of the Policy, a complainant must make a prima facie showing that a respondent possesses no rights or legitimate interests in a disputed domain name. See, e.g., Malayan Banking Berhad v. Beauty, Success & Truth International, WIPO Case No. D2008-1393. Once a complainant makes such a prima facie showing, the burden of production shifts to the respondent, though the burden of proof always remains on the complainant. If the respondent fails to come forward with relevant evidence showing rights or legitimate interests, the complainant will have sustained its burden under the second element of the UDRP.

From the record in this case, it is evident that Respondent was, and is, aware of Complainant and its
BONOBO trademarks, and does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name.
Complainant has confirmed that Respondent is not affiliated with Complainant, or otherwise authorized or

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licensed to use the BONOBO trademarks or to seek registration of any domain name incorporating the
trademarks. Respondent is also not known to be associated with the BONOBO trademarks and there is no

evidence showing that Respondent has been commonly known by the Domain Name.

In addition, Respondent has not used the Domain Name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or
services or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use. Rather, Complainant asserts that the Domain Name
resolves to a website that appears to imitate Complainant’s website, including prominently displaying
Complainant’s trademark BONOBO and featuring products such as fashion products that are also offered on
Complainant’s website, in a display format that appeared to be an imitation of Complainant’s website, which
has not been rebutted by Respondent. Such use does not constitute a bona fide offering of goods or
services or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use and cannot under the circumstances confer on
Respondent any rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name. See, e.g., Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. v.
Charles Duke / Oneandone Private Registration, WIPO Case No. D2013-0875.

Accordingly, Complainant has provided evidence supporting its prima facie claim that Respondent lacks any rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name. Respondent has failed to produce countervailing evidence of any rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name. Thus, the Panel concludes that Respondent does

not have any rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name and Complainant has met its burden under

paragraph 4(a)(ii) of the Policy.

C. Registered and Used in Bad Faith

The Panel finds that Respondent’s actions indicate that Respondent registered and is using the Domain
Name in bad faith.

Paragraph 4(b) of the Policy provides a non-exhaustive list of circumstances indicating bad faith registration and use on the part of a domain name registrant, namely:

“(i) circumstances indicating that you have registered or you have acquired the domain name primarily
for the purpose of selling, renting, or otherwise transferring the domain name registration to the
complainant who is the owner of the trademark or service mark or to a competitor of that complainant,
for valuable consideration in excess of your documented out-of-pocket costs directly related to the

domain name; or

(ii) you have registered the domain name in order to prevent the owner of the trademark or service
mark from reflecting the mark in a corresponding domain name, provided that you have engaged in a

pattern of such conduct; or

(iii) you have registered the domain name primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a

competitor; or

(iv) by using the domain name, you have intentionally attempted to attract, for commercial gain, complainant’s mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of your website or location or of a product or service on your website or location.”

The Panel finds that Complainant provided ample evidence to show that registration and use of the BONOBO trademarks long predate the registration of the Domain Name. Complainant is also well established and known. Indeed, the record shows that Complainant’s BONOBO trademarks and related

products and services are widely known and recognized. Therefore, Respondent was likely aware of the also TTT Moneycorp Limited v. Privacy Gods / Privacy Gods Limited, WIPO Case No. D2016-1973.

BONOBO trademarks when it registered the Domain Name, or knew or should have known that the Domain

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The Panel therefore finds that Respondent’s awareness of Complainant’s trademark rights at the time of registration suggests bad faith. See Red Bull GmbH v. Credit du Léman SA, Jean-Denis Deletraz, WIPO Case No. D2011-2209; Nintendo of America Inc v. Marco Beijen, Beijen Consulting, Pokemon Fan Clubs Org., and Pokemon Fans Unite, WIPO Case No. D2001-1070; BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation v.

Serena, Axel, WIPO Case No. D2006-0007.

Further, the registration of the Domain Name incorporating Complainant’s BONOBO trademark in its entirety suggests Respondent’s actual knowledge of Complainant’s rights in the BONOBO trademarks at the time of registration of the Domain Name and its effort to opportunistically capitalize on the registration and use of the Domain Name. In addition, the Domain Name includes Complainant’s trademark BONOBO in its entirety,

directly associated with Complainant’s BONOBO trademarks and business activities, and directly evokes knowledge of Complainant and its trademarks, and that Respondent’s registration of the Domain Name was in bad faith.

Moreover, Respondent registered and is using the Domain Name to confuse and mislead consumers looking for bona fide and well-known BONOBO products and services of Complainant or authorized partners of Complainant. The use of the BONOBO mark as the dominant part of the Domain Name is intended to capture Internet traffic from Internet users who are looking for Complainant’s products and services. Such use and association of the Domain Name to divert users to a webpage that appears to imitate Complainant’s website, could result in causing confusion with Complainant’s business activities. It may confuse Internet users who are looking for Complainant’s legitimate website and deceive Internet users into thinking that Respondent is somehow connected to Complainant, which is not the case. In addition, Respondent’s website also provides the opportunity for Internet users to provide personal data, which may result in use of such data for malicious or fraudulent purposes.

Moreover, the Panel also notes the distinctiveness and reputation of the BONOBO trademarks,
Respondent’s use of a privacy service, the failure of Respondent to submit a response or to provide any
evidence of actual or contemplated good faith use, and the implausibility of any good faith use to which the

Domain Name may be put.

Accordingly, the Panel finds that Respondent has registered and is using the Domain Name in bad faith and

Complainant succeeds under the third element of paragraph 4(a) of the Policy.

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 <boutiquebonobo.com> be transferred to Complainant.

/Kimberley Chen Nobles/
Kimberley Chen Nobles
Sole Panelist
Date: October 21, 2022