Source: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2006/d2006-0095.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 10:29:57+00:00

Document:
The Complainant is Burberry Limited, Wanchai, Hong Kong, SAR of China, represented by Cho & Partners, Republic of Korea.
The Respondent is Conco, Con Murphy, Ballybrown Clarina, Limerick, Alabama, United States of America.
The disputed domain name <dcburberry.com> is registered with eNom.
The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on January�23,�2006. On January�24,�2006, the Center transmitted by email to eNom a request for registrar verification in connection with the domain name at issue. On February�1,�2006, eNom transmitted by email to the Center its verification response confirming that the Respondent is listed as the registrant and providing the contact details for the administrative, billing, and technical contact. 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 February�3,�2006. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5(a), the due date for Response was February�23,�2006. The Response was filed with the Center on February�8,�2006.
The Center appointed Ashwinie Kumar Bansal as the sole panelist in this matter on March�1,�2006. 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 Complainant owns the registrations for the BURBERRY Trademark in many countries as per Annex E produced with the Complaint. The BURBERRY mark was first registered in 1929 in U.S.A. followed by registration in other countries. The products sold under the trademark include all types of apparel, bags, scarves, cosmetics, perfumes, glasses, watches, and other accessories. The Complainant operates a website based on the BURBERRY trademark, “www.burberry.com” and Annex C are the copies of the extracts of the website containing details of its history and corporate overview.
The Respondent has registered the domain name <dcburberry.com> on March�14,�2005.
The Complainant submits that the domain name <dcburberry.com> is identical and confusingly similar to the trademark BURBERRY in which the Complainant has rights.
The Complainant, Burberry Limited, was established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry and has become a world famous manufacturer and retailer of luxury products, operating retail and wholesale business as well as licensing network throughout the world. The Complainant operates over 230 retail locations worldwide including 42 retail centers in the U.S.A. BURBERRY is the registered trademark of the Complainant and it has spent money and efforts to promote the trademark.
The domain name <dcburberry.com> wholly incorporates the BURBERRY trademark.
The website “www.dcburberry.com” serves to provide links to other sites related to providing counterfeit Burberry goods for sale. The Respondent has intentionally attempted to attract for commercial gain, Internet users to the site by creating a likelihood of confusion with BURBERRY trademark as to the source, sponsorship, or endorsement of the Respondent’s site when in fact there is no relationship between Burberry and the Respondent.
The Complainant has never authorized or permitted the Respondent to use the trademark BURBERRY.
Furthermore, the Complainant also submits that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name in dispute.
Finally, the Complainant submits that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith by the Respondent.
The Complainant had not bought the few variations of the word Burberry. The domain name was freely available on eNom and for experimental purposes the Respondent had purchased the same, hence the domain name belongs to him.
Each of the four circumstances in paragraph 4(b) of the Policy, if found, is an instance of “registration and use of a domain name in bad faith” circumstances (i), (ii), and (iii) are concerned with the intention or purpose of the registration of the domain name, and circumstance (iv) is concerned with an act of use of the domain name.
At the outset, it is observed that the Complaint is well-prepared and comprehensive along with detailed documentary evidence in its support. The Response of the Respondent is brief and does not respond to all the allegations made in the Complaint.
The panel finds that the domain name <dcburberry.com> is confusingly similar to the Complainant’s trademark.
The Complainant has owned the trademark BURBERRY since 1929 and it has used the mark since in many countries. The Complainant has not authorized or permitted the Respondent to use the trademark. The Respondent has failed to demonstrate his rights to and legitimate interests in the domain name as per paragraph 4(c) of the Policy. The Respondent does not hold any trademark registration that is identical, similar or in any way related to the terms Burberry or dcburberry.
The Respondent’s use of the domain name cannot be considered to be in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services. The Respondent’s website provides links to other websites and online shopping site related to Burberry and other luxury brands. In order to be bona fide, the offering of goods or services must meet minimum requirements including: (i) the site must accurately disclose the registrant’s relationship with the trademark owner, and (ii) the Respondent must use the site to sell only the trademarked goods.3 The Panel has examined Annex H, i.e. contents of the website “dcburberry.com”, and found that the Respondent is not using the domain name in a manner that can be considered legitimate non-commercial or fair use. The Respondent is using the domain name for commercial gain to divert consumers and to tarnish the trademark Burberry. The website “dcburberry.com” does not disclose that it has no relationship with the Complainant, the owner of the trademark BURBERRY.
The Administrative Panel finds that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name <dcburberry.com>.
The Complainant is required to prove both that the domain name was registered in bad faith and that it is being used in bad faith because in paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the Policy, the provision contains the conjunction ‘and’ rather than ‘or’ and it refers to both the past tense (‘has been registered’) and the present tense (‘is being used’) hence circumstances at the time of registration and thereafter have to be considered by the Panel. The Complainant is required to prove that the registration was undertaken in bad faith and that the circumstances of the case are such that the Respondent is continuing to act in bad faith.
It is stated by the Complainant that on January�18,�2006, the website at the subject domain name opened on to a page describing itself as a portal site and containing links to sites related to Burberry and other designer brands. The site allowed individual website owners to add there URLs to this site through a registration process and provided online shopping links and information on Burberry products from Burberry bags to Burberry scarves. Annex H has depicted the contents of the said website in which “Burberry’ has been repeatedly used, and it gives an impression that this website is related with the Complainant Burberry.
The case is squarely covered by paragraph 4(b)(iv) of the Policy.
It has been alleged by the Complainant that the Respondent has not given notice or statements that there is no relationship between Burberry and the Respondent. The website of the Respondent provides links to other sites related to providing counterfeit Burberry goods for sale. There is no reply of the Respondent to rebut this serious allegation of the Complainant.
The domain name <dcburberry.com> is confusingly similar with the known Burberry trademark and products, and its use by the Respondent suggests opportunistic bad faith. The fame of the Complainant’s trademark is used to increase traffic at the site of the Respondent, providing links to websites offering products competing with Burberry and also to unrelated products.
The Panel finds that the domain name<dcburberry.com> has been registered and is being used by the Respondent in bad faith.
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 <dcburberry.com> be transferred to the Complainant.
1 See decisions in Oki Data Americas, Inc. v. ASD. Inc, WIPO Case No. D2001-0903; EAuto, L.L.C. v. EAuto Parts, WIPO Case No. D2000-0096, “parts” added to mark EAUTO in <eautoparts.com>; Caterpillar Inc. v. Off Road Equipment Parts, Case No. FA0095497, “parts” added to mark CAT in <catparts.com>; Komatsu Ltd. and Komatsu America International Company v. R K Web Ltd., WIPO Case No. D 2000-0995, “parts” added to mark KOMATSU in <komatsu-parts.com>.
2 See related decisions in <burberryplaza.com> in Burberry Limited v. Kim Kyoung-Soon, WIPO Case No. D2005-0768; <burberryshop.com> in Burberry Limited, Inc. v. S.H. Baek, WIPO Case No. D2005-0334; <myburberrys.com> in Burberry Limited v. Lee Eun Ju, WIPO Case No. D2005-0667; and <itsburberry.com> in Burberry Limited v. Byung-Choon Kim, WIPO Case No. D2005-0704.
3 See Oki Data Americas, Inc. v. ASD, Inc., WIPO Case No. D2001-0903.
4 See Telstra Corporation Limited v. Nuclear Marshmallows, WIPO Case No. D2000-0003.

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