Source: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=D2013-0643
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 18:17:56+00:00

Document:
Respondent is skouta sekio, Austin, Littoral, Cameroon and PrivacyProtect.org, Queensland, Australia.
The disputed domain name <myswarovskisale.com> is registered with PDR Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com (the “Registrar”).
The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on April 9, 2013. On April 9, 2013, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the disputed domain name. On April 10, 2013, the Registrar transmitted by email to the Center its verification response disclosing registrant and contact information for the disputed domain name which differed from the named Respondent and contact information in the Complaint. The Center sent an email communication to Complainant on April 12, 2013 providing the registrant and contact information disclosed by the Registrar, and inviting the Complainant to submit an amendment to the Complaint. Complainant filed an amendment to the Complaint on April 16, 2013.
In accordance with the Rules, paragraphs 2(a) and 4(a), the Center formally notified Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on April 18, 2013. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5(a), the due date for Response was May 8, 2013. Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified Respondent’s default on May 13, 2013.
The Center appointed Gary J. Nelson as the sole panelist in this matter on June 12, 2013. 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 disputed domain name appears to have been registered on February 16, 2013. The operational website at “www.myswarovskisale.com” resolves to an active website promoting the sale of jewelry. The website appears to feature trademarks owned by Complainant.
Complainant owns numerous trademark registrations for SWAROVSKI, including at least six trademark registrations in Australia. These registrations were issued prior to the date Respondent registered the disputed domain name.
The disputed domain name <myswarovskisale.com> is confusingly similar to Complainant's SWAROVSKI trademark.
Complainant owns at least six SWAROVSKI trademark registrations in Australia. The relevant priority date for all of these registrations precedes the date upon which the disputed domain name was registered (i.e., February 17, 2013).
The disputed domain name, <myswarovskisale.com>, is confusingly similar to Complainant’s SWAROVSKI trademark because the disputed domain name incorporates the entirety of Complainant’s SWAROVSKI trademark and merely adds a generic descriptive term immediately in front of the SWAROVSKI mark (i.e., "my"), a generic descriptive term immediately after the SWAROVSKI mark (i.e., "sale"), and the top-level “.com” domain suffix.
Neither the addition of purely descriptive terms to a well-known mark nor the addition of a generic top-level domain suffix is sufficient to create a distinct domain name capable of overcoming a proper claim of confusing similarity. See Arthur Guinness Son & Co. (Dublin) Limited v. Tim Healy/BOSTH, WIPO Case No. D2001-0026 (finding confusing similarity where the domain name contains the identical mark of the complainant combined with a generic word or term); see also, Montage Hotels & Resorts, LLC v. Daniel Kirchhof/Unister GmbH, WIPO Case No. D2011-1042 (finding the addition of the geographic term “Beverly Hills” to Complainant’s MONTAGE trademark created a domain name <montage-beverly-hills.com> that was confusingly similar to Complainant’s trademark); see also, Sony Kabushiki Kaisha (also trading as Sony Corporation) v. Inja, Kil, WIPO Case No. D2000-1409 (finding that “[n]either the addition of an ordinary descriptive word […] nor the suffix “.com” detract from the overall impression of the dominant part of the name in each case, namely the trademark SONY” and thus Policy, paragraph 4(a)(i) is satisfied).
Confusing similarity is especially acute in this case where the generic or merely descriptive term (i.e., “sale") simply suggests that products associated with Complainant's SWAROVSKI mark are being offered at a discount. See ACCOR, Société Anonyme à Directoire et Conseil de surveillance v. Tigertail Partners, WIPO Case No. D2002-0625 (“confusion is only heightened when the generic word added by Respondent is descriptive of the Complainant’s goods or services marketed in relation to the trademark”).
Accordingly, the addition of the term “my” directly in front of Complainant’s SWAROVSKI, and the addition of the term "sale" directly behind Complainant's SWAROVSKI mark is insufficient to avoid a finding of confusing similarity.
By not filing a formal Response, Respondent has not provided any evidence that it is commonly known by the disputed domain name, or that it is commonly known by any name consisting of, or incorporating the words “swarovski,” “my ”, "sale,” or any combination of these words. In Charles Jourdan Holding AG v. AAIM, WIPO Case No. D2000-0403, the panel held that a lack of rights or legitimate interests could be found where (1) the respondent is not a licensee of the complainant; (2) the complainant’s rights in its related trademarks precede the respondent’s registration of the domain name; and (3) the respondent is not commonly known by the domain name in question. The Panel notes that by not submitting a formal Response, Respondent also failed to provide any evidence that it may be a licensee of Complainant or that its registration of the disputed domain name predates the establishment of Complainant’s rights in its SWAROVSKI mark.
Complainant has provided unrebutted evidence showing that Respondent is operating a website at “www.myswarovskisale.com” featuring the sale of jewelry consisting of, among other components, gemstones. Respondent’s decision to add common descriptive words (i.e., “my” and "sale”) to a well-known trademark for the purposes of attracting Internet users to Respondent’s own website does not instill Respondent with legitimate rights in the composite name or mark. See Chanel, Inc. v. Estco Technology Group, WIPO Case No. D2000-0413 (finding that use of a famous trademark to attract the public to a website is not a fair or legitimate use of the domain name, and ordering the transfer of <chanelstore.com> and <chanelfashion.com> to complainant).
Moreover, the corresponding website operating in association with the disputed domain name <myswarovskisale.com> is using Complainant’s SWAROVSKI mark to promote the goods purportedly offered by Respondent. Infringement of another’s trademark mark can never create rights or legitimate interests in a corresponding domain name.
Given that Complainant appears to operate over a 1,000 Swarovski branded stores and offers its Swarovski branded products in approximately 1,000 other stores in more than 120 countries, and appears to be one of the premiere gemstone distributors in the world, the Panel finds that Respondent likely chose the disputed domain name with full knowledge of Complainant’s rights in the SWAROVSKI trademark. Supporting this conclusion is the fact Respondent is directly targeting Complainant on its website as part of the products it offers. See Kraft Foods (Norway) v. Fredrik Wide and Japp Fredrik Wide, WIPO Case No. D2000-0911 (“the fact that Respondent chose [sic] to register a well-known mark to which he has no connections or rights indicates that he was in bad faith when registering the domain name [at issue]”).
The Panel also finds that Respondent’s use of the disputed domain name <myswarovskisale.com> is an attempt by Respondent to intentionally attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to Respondent’s website by creating a likelihood of confusion with Complainant’s SWAROVSKI mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of Respondent’s website. This ongoing activity is a direct violation of paragraph 4b(iv) of the Policy, and is evidence of bad faith registration and use.
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, <myswarovskisale.com> be transferred to Complainant.

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