Source: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=D2018-2927
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 18:51:11+00:00

Document:
Respondent is Marius Graur of Brasov, Romania.
The disputed domain name <mysanofi.world> (the “Domain Name”) is registered with 1API GmbH (the “Registrar”).
The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on December 21, 2018. On December 24, 2018, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the Domain Name. On December 31, 2018, 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 January 2, 2019 providing the registrant and contact information disclosed by the Registrar, and inviting Complainant to submit an amendment to the Complaint. Complainant filed an amendment to the Complaint on January 2, 2019.
In accordance with the Rules, paragraphs 2 and 4, the Center formally notified Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on January 4, 2019. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5, the due date for Response was January 24, 2019. Respondent sent email communications on January 17, 2019. The Center notified the commencement of Panel Appointment Process on January 30, 2019.
The Center appointed Marina Perraki as the sole panelist in this matter on February 8, 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.
According to the Complaint, Complainant is a French multinational pharmaceutical company, with presence in over 100 countries. With R&D investment of 5.47 billion Euros in 2017 and consolidated net sales of 35.05 billion Euros in 2017, 33.82 billion Euros in 2016, 34.06 billion Euros in 2015, and 31.38 billion Euros in 2014, Complainant ranks as the 4th world’s largest multinational pharmaceutical company by prescription sales.
- International trademark No. 674936 for SANOFI, registered on June 11, 1997 in classes 3 and 5, designating, inter alia, Romania.
The Domain Name was registered on December 12, 2018 and resolves to an inactive page.
Complainant asserts that it has established all three elements required under paragraph 4(a) of the Policy for the transfer of the Domain Name.
Respondent’s two communications with the Center merely defer discussion of the issues. They cannot be construed as a Response, as they do not substantively address the issues or include the required certification of completeness, accuracy, and proper purpose (see Rules, paragraph 5(viii). They do not present evidence or arguments on any element of the Complaint although Respondent has established that he was available for discussions with Complainant and claimed that he would answer all the topics before the Response due date.
The Panel finds that the Domain Name <mysanofi.world> is confusingly similar with the SANOFI trademark of Complainant.
The word “my” added as a prefix in the Domain Name does not avoid a finding of confusing similarity (N. M. Rothschild & Sons Limited v. Super Privacy Services LTD c/o Dynadot / RothschildFintrade Co. Ltd, WIPO Case No. D2018-2036; KPMG International Cooperative v. Whois Privacy Services, Provided by Domain Protect LLC /Dmitriy Selivanov WIPO Case No. D2017-0988; Philip Morris Products S.A. v. Yang Jiang Nan, WIPO Case No. D2018-1869; Accenture Global Services Limited v. Jean Jacque / Luck Loic, WIPO Case No. D2016-1315; Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co LLP v. Registration Private, Domains by Proxy LLC / Ian Piggi, WIPO Case No. D2015-0135; WIPO Overview of WIPO Panel Views on Selected UDRP Questions, Third Edition (“WIPO Overview 3.0”), section 1.8).
The generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) “.world” is also disregarded, as TLDs typically do not form part of the comparison on the grounds that they are generally required for technical reasons (Trodat GmbH v. Fuat Akkus, Yonkinya, WIPO Case No. D2016-0226; Rexel Developpements SAS v. Zhan Yequn, WIPO Case No. D2017-0275).
Respondent has not submitted any substantive response and has not claimed any such rights or legitimate interests with respect to the Domain Name. As per Complainant, Respondent was not authorized to register the Domain Name.
The Panel concludes that Respondent has registered and used the Domain Name in bad faith. As per Complaint, Complainant’s SANOFI trademark is well-known worldwide (Sanofi v. Steven Shao, WIPO Case No. D2018-1747; Sanofi v. Dimitri Zarlov, WIPO Case No. D2018-1681, Sanofi v. Constantin Routing, Rocket Consult Ltd., WIPO Case No. D2018-1678; Sanofi v. Linpinfeng, WIPO Case No. D2018-1441).
Furthermore SANOFI is a fictitious word. Because the SANOFI mark had been widely used and registered at the time of the Domain Name registration by Respondent, the Panel finds likely that Respondent had Complainant’s mark in mind when registering the Domain Name (Tudor Games, Inc. v. Domain Hostmaster, Customer ID No. 09382953107339 dba Whois Privacy Services Pty Ltd / Domain Administrator, Vertical Axis Inc., WIPO Case No. D2014-1754; Parfums Christian Dior v. Javier Garcia Quintas and Christiandior.net, WIPO Case No. D2000-0226).
Respondent could have also searched the European Union trademark registry and would have found Complainant’s prior registration in respect of SANOFI (Citrix Online LLC v. Ramalinga Reddy Sanikommu Venkata, WIPO Case No. D2012-1338).
Furthermore, the Domain Name incorporates in whole Complainant’s mark with the addition of the term “my”.
As regards bad faith use, Complainant demonstrated that the Domain Name leads to an inactive website. The non-use of a domain name would not prevent a finding of bad faith (Telstra Corporation Limited v. Nuclear Marshmallows, WIPO Case No. D2000-0003;Trodat GmbH v. Fuat Akkus, Yonkinya, WIPO Case No. D2016-0226; WIPO Overview 3.0, section 3.3).
The Panel considers the following factors: (i) the reputation of Complainant’s mark, which has been repeatedly recognised, (ii) the failure of Respondent to submit a substantive response, and (iii) the implausibility of any good faith use to which the Domain Name may conceivably be put, given that as Complainant has demonstrated that the corresponding website is inactive.
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, <mysanofi.world> be transferred to the Complainant.

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