Source: https://www.legi-internet.ro/jurisprudenta-it-romania/decizii-ompi/igooglero-jurisprudenta-nume-de-domeniu-ro.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 08:27:07+00:00

Document:
The Complainant is Google Inc., California, of United States of America, represented by Rominvent S.A., Romania.
The Respondent is Edmunds Gaidis, Rezekne, of Latvia.
The disputed domain name <igoogle.ro> is registered with RNC.ro.
The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on September 22, 2008. On September 23, 2008, the Center transmitted by email to RNC.ro a request for registrar verification in connection with the domain name at issue. On September 24, 2008, RNC.ro 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”), 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 September 30, 2008. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5(a), the due date for Response was October 20, 2008. The Respondent did not submit any Response. Accordingly, the Center notified the Respondent’s default on October 28, 2008.
The Center appointed Mihaela Maravela as the sole panelist in this matter on November 6, 2008. 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.
The Panel examined all notifications of the Center, and finds that they comply with the formal requirements of the Rules and Supplemental Rules, and that the Administrative Panel was properly constituted. The Panel also examined the Complaint, and finds that Complainant has erroneously indicated the first name of the Respondent. As such, the Complainant indicated the Respondent as being Mr. Edmund Gaidis, while the correct name appears to be Edmunds Gaidis (i.e. this results from the communication delivered by e-mail by the Registrar to the representative of the Complainant on August 18, 2008 and from the communication transmitted by the registrar to the Center by e-mail on September 24, 2008). It appears, however, that this is only a scrivener’s error since the Respondent has the same address, e-mail address and telephone with Mr. Edmunds Gaidis, the domain name holder according to the Registrar. For these reasons, the Panel considers Mr. Edmunds Gaidis as the Respondent, and finds that the Complaint complies with the formal requirements of the Rules and Supplemental Rules.
Also, the consensus view of the WIPO panelists is that the language of the proceedings is the language of the registration agreement, unless both parties agree otherwise (see WIPO Overview of WIPO Panel Views on Selected UDRP Questions, Section 4.3).
In this case, there is no evidence of agreement between the parties with respect to the language of the proceedings and, according to the information received from the Registrar, the language of the registration agreement is English.
The Complainant is an American corporation founded and established in California in 1998. The Complainant runs today one of the world’s most popular search engines on the Internet.
The Complainant launched the personalized homepage product in May 2005, and then re-branded the product under the IGOOGLE name in May 2007. This product is currently launched in 42 languages (including Romanian) and 70 countries, and the product has tens of millions of users. The Complainant registered the trademark IGOOGLE as a communitarian trademark on August 30, 2007 for the classes of goods 9, 38, 42.
The Complainant contends that the domain name is identical to its IGOOGLE trademark.
The Complainant contends that the Respondent has no prior rights or legitimate interest in or to its trade name or trademark. It contends that the Respondent is not a licensee of the Complainant, nor is the Respondent otherwise authorized to use its trademarks; that the IGOOGLE trademark is well known, internationally registered and distinctive and that the Respondent could have chosen any numerous other domain names while it has chosen one identical to its trademarks which implies a lack of any valid right or interest in the domain name.
The Complainant contends that the Respondent has registered the domain name in bad faith. It contends that there was no evidence of the Respondent’s use, or demonstrable preparations to use the domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods and services. It contends also that because of the wide spread use and reputation of the trademark IGOOGLE Internet users would immediately believe that the disputed domain name is in some way associated with the Complainant. Finally, the Complainant affirms that the domain name does not resolve to a website or another on-line presence, and the passive holding of a domain name is indicative of bad faith registration and use.
answered the e-mails sent to this email address by the Center when it acknowledged receipt of the Complaint, the Panel concludes that this email address is active and that Respondent uses this address.
“A Panel shall decide a complaint on the basis of the statements and documents submitted in accordance with the Policy, these Rules and any rules and principles of law that it deems applicable.”, Paragraph 15(a) of the Rules.
The domain name is identical to the Complainant’s prior trademark IGOOGLE. It is well accepted that a top-level domain, in this case “.ro”, is to be ignored when assessing identity or confusing similarity of a trademark and a domain name (See, e.g. VAT Holding AG v. Vat.com, WIPO Case No. D2000-0607; Billa Aktiengesellschaft v. Ganea Nicolae, WIPO Case No. DRO2002-0001; Inter-IKEA Systems B.V. v. SC Agis International Sport S.R.L., WIPO Case No. DRO2006-0001; Auchan v. Web4comm Srl Romania, WIPO Case No. DRO2005-0001).
In the present case the Complainant has established a prima facie case that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name and Respondent has failed to assert any such rights. (See, e.g. Barbara Brennan Inc. v. Texas International Property Associates, WIPO Case No. D2008-0351; Sanford Winery Company v. Matt Geiser, WIPO Case No. D2008-0210).
By not submitting a Response, the Respondent has failed to invoke any circumstances, which could demonstrate any right or legitimate interest in the domain name. Furthermore, considering that Respondent has not contested that he currently does not use the domain name (it does not resolve to a website created by Respondent or some other on-line presence of the Respondent), there are no indications that the Respondent could demonstrate a right or legitimate interest in the domain name. (See, e.g. Pizza Hut International, LLC v. Kim Beom Sung, WIPO Case No. DRO2002-0003).
Accordingly, the Panel finds that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name at issue.
- Any use of the domain name would lead the public to the conclusion that it, and its connecting websites, were associated with the Complainant.
In light of these particular circumstances, the Panel concludes that the Respondent’s passive holding of the domain name in this particular case satisfies the requirement of paragraph 4(a)(iii) that the domain name “is being used in bad faith” by the Respondent.
For all the foregoing reasons, in accordance with paragraphs 4(i) of the Policy and 15 of the Rules, the Panel orders that the domain name, <igoogle.ro> be transferred to the Complainant.

References: v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v.