Source: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=D2010-1420
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 17:59:32+00:00

Document:
The Complainant is A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S of Copenhagen, Denmark, represented internally.
The Respondent is identified as being “maersk drilling uk” of London, Great Britain.
The disputed domain name <maerskdrillinguk.com> is registered with Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com.
The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on August 23, 2010. On August 24, 2010, the Center transmitted by email to Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com a request for registrar verification in connection with the disputed domain name. On August 30, 2010, Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com transmitted by email to the Center its verification response confirming that the Respondent is listed as the registrant and providing the contact details.
In accordance with paragraphs 2(a) and 4(a) of the Rules, the Center formally notified the Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on August 31, 2010. In accordance with paragraph 5(a) of the Rules, the due date for Response was September 20, 2010. On September 8, 2010, the Center received a Request for Suspension from the Complainant in order to attempt to settle the dispute with the Respondent. Therefore, on September 8, 2010, the Center notified the parties that the proceedings were suspended until October 8, 2010. On October 6, 2010, the Center received a request for resumption of the proceedings by the Complainant, stating that the parties were unable to reach a settlement. On October 11, 2010, the Center informed the parties that the proceedings had been re-installed and that the corresponding date for the response was October 23, 2010. The Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified the Respondent’s default on November 1, 2010.
The Center appointed Brigitte Joppich as the sole panelist in this matter on November 4, 2010. 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 paragraph 7 of the Rules.
The Complainant is active worldwide in a wide range of industries, primarily within the transportation and energy sectors. The Complainant is the world’s largest container ship and supply vessel operator, employing more than 120,000 people in 130 countries.
The Complainant is registered owner of numerous trademarks containing the term “maersk”, including Community registration no. 003483039 MAERSK, registered on June 27, 2006 (hereinafter referred to as the “MAERSK Mark”). Furthermore, the Complainant is registered owner of the domain names <maersk.com> and <maersk-drilling.com>.
The disputed domain name was registered on April 25, 2010 and is being used to forward emails with job offers to potential applicants for jobs in the Maersk Drilling organization, which contain false and non-existing job offers and require the candidates to pay a number of fees (in the region of USD 2,000 to USD 3,000.00) related to obtaining visas, work permits, etc. as a prerequisite for being hired by Maersk Drilling. The Complainant has been contacted by frustrated candidates who paid the fees but never heard from the fraudsters again.
(1) The Complainant states that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to the MAERSK Mark as it fully includes the MAERSK Mark. The Complainant contends that users of the disputed domain name will mistakenly believe that such name belongs to the Complainant despite the additional words “drilling” and “uk”.
(2) The Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name as it has not used or made demonstrable preparations to use the disputed domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services, as it is not making a legitimate non commercial or fair use of the domain name but uses the disputed domain name for illegitimate activities and as it is not commonly known by the name “Maersk” or “Maersk Drilling/Maersk Drilling UK”.
(3) The disputed domain name has been used for illegitimate purposes, namely attempts of fraud, and therefore in bad faith.
The disputed domain name fully incorporates the Complainant’s MAERSK Mark, in which the Complainant has exclusive rights.
The additional words “drilling” and “uk” following the term MAERSK in the disputed domain name are merely generic. It is well established that a domain name that wholly incorporates a trademark may be confusingly similar to such trademark for purposes of the Policy despite the addition of common or generic words, such as “drilling” or “uk” (cf. A.P. Møller-Mærsk A/S v. Walter Surhand, WIPO Case No. D2010-0447 (<maersk-driling.com>); Oceaneering International, Inc. v. None a/k/a olateju jide, NAF Claim No. 1333874 (<oceaneeringdrilling.com>); Roche Products Inc. v. Dion Rodriguez, WIPO Case No. D2010-1153 (<buyvalium-uk.net>); Morgan Stanley v. Adewale Sala, NAF Claim No. 869418 (<morganstanley-uk.com>); Dermalogica, Inc. and The International Dermal Institute, Inc. v. Express Beauty, NAF Claim No. 841179 (<dermalogica-uk.com>)).
Based on the evidence before the Panel, the Panel cannot find any rights or legitimate interests of the Respondent either. In particular, the Respondent’s fraudulent use of the disputed domain name cannot confer any rights or legitimate interests therein onto him.
The Panel is satisfied that the Respondent registered the disputed domain name with full knowledge of the Complainant and its rights in the MAERSK Mark. The disputed domain name is composed of the Complainant’s MAERSK Mark, the word “drilling”, which describes one of the Complainant’s business activities, and the acronym “uk” (for United Kingdom). Given the high distinctiveness of the Complainant’s MAERSK Mark and the actual use of the disputed domain name by the Respondent (i.e., to forward emails with false job offers to potential applicants for jobs in the Maersk Drilling organization), it is inconceivable that the Respondent registered the disputed domain name without knowledge of the Complainant and its rights in the MAERSK Mark.
The Panel is further satisfied that the disputed domain name has been used in bad faith. It is well established that the use of a disputed domain name in connection with the distribution of fraudulent email spam is to be considered as bad faith under the Policy (cf. B & H Foto & Electronics Corp. v. Whois Privacy Protection Service, Inc. / Jackie Upton, WIPO Case No. D2010-0841; The Prudential Assurance Company Limited v. Domain Place, domainplace, WIPO Case No. D2009-1014; Bernardo M. Cremades Sanz-Pastor, B. Cremades & Asociados, S.L. v. Patrick Lucas, WIPO Case No. D2009-0566; Capstone Mortgage Co. v. Joshua Shook or J. Shook, Inc., WIPO Case No. D2004-0395; XO Communications Inc. v. XO Network Operations Center Inc., NAF Claim No. 150786; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. v. Albert Daniel Carter, WIPO Case No. D2010-1367).
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 <maerskdrillinguk.com> be cancelled.

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