Source: https://internet-law.ru/intlaw/udrp/2000/d2000-0174.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 19:06:32+00:00

Document:
An Objection to Complainant’s Reply was filed on May 10, 2000.
4.2 Respondent’s predecessor in interest, InterCard, Inc. registered the domain name "eradio.com" on May 3, 1996. On August 5, 1997, InterCard, Inc. changed its name to Internet Domain Names, Inc.
5.1 Respondent’s <eradio.com> domain name is identical or confusingly similar to Interep’s E-RADIO service mark, because the second-level domain name differs from the service mark only by the absence of a hyphenFor purposes of assessing the identity or confusing similarity between domain names and trademarks, top-level domain extensions (the .com, in this instance), spaces, hyphens, and punctuation are ignoredSee, e.g. Talk City, Inc. v. Michael Robertson, WIPO Domain Name Dispute Case D2000-0009 (finding the <talk-city.com> domain name to be identical or confusingly similar to the trademark TALK CITY).
5.2 Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the <eradio.com> domain nameOn information and belief, Respondent holds the <eradio.com> domain name solely for the purpose of selling the domain name to Interep or to one of Interep’s competitors for consideration in excess of Respondent’s out-of-pocket costsRespondent does not use the <eradio.com> domain name on the InternetAs of the date of this Complaint, Respondent does not maintain a single page on the world wide web that is linked through the URL http://www.eradio.comAdditionally, Respondent holds the registrations for scores of domain names, far in excess of the number of domains that Respondent could conceivably utilize for bona fide business purposes in association with the provision of goods and servicesRespondent’s sole use of the <eradio.com> domain name is to make it available for sale.
5.4 Respondent notes that Complainant’s E-RADIO mark is not arbitrary or fanciful; rather it is, at least, merely descriptiveThe prefix "e" in combination with a generic term is in widespread use by third parties to describe "electronic" and online activities or services in a shorthand manner, e.g., email/e-mail, e-commerce, ebusiness/e-business, and e-ticketTerms such as e-purchase, e-realty, erealty, emattress, e-pricing, edebit, e-pulp and equiz are all terms registered on the Supplemental Register in the United States, reflecting their descriptive natureThe word "radio" is undeniably genericThe combination of the prefix "e" and the generic term "radio," used for advertising services on an electronic site accessed through the Internet, does not create a unique composite mark such that Complainant should be given any special protection, since numerous companies use such "e" terms to promote their goods and servicesSee Continental Airlines Inc. v. United Air Lines Inc., 53 U.S.P.Q.2d 1385, 1393, 1396-97 (T.T.A.B. 2000) (discussing common use of "e" prefix in combination with a generic or descriptive term to denote goods or services delivered electronically or conducted online)Furthermore, the E-RADIO mark can not be considered famous or as having secondary meaning, and Complainant has not provided evidence as suchIn identical situations, panels have routinely favored the domain name holderCar Toys, Inc. v. Informa Unlimited, Inc., National Arbitration Forum Domain Name Dispute Case FA0093682; General Machine Products Co., Inc. v. Prime Domains, National Arbitration Forum Domain Name Dispute Case FA0092531; Shirmax Retail Ltd. v. CES Marketing Group, Inc., eResolution Domain Name Dispute Case AF-0104; Storage Technology Corp. v. Network Systems GA, Inc., National Arbitration Forum Domain Name Dispute Case FA0094188.
5.5 Respondent has rights and a legitimate interest with respect to the domain nameBefore any notice to Respondent of the dispute, Respondent used the domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of servicesSpecifically, Respondent registered the descriptive domain name as part of its domain name website development enterpriseRespondent is in the business of registering domain names that comprise generic or descriptive terms, and developing business-oriented websites using these domain namesRespondent did not plan to sell the <eradio.com> domain name, but rather planned to develop a radio splash website referring people to online radio stations, since it had successfully developed other websitesSeveral ICANN-approved panels have held that exactly such an enterprise creates a legitimate bona fide business interest in the generic or descriptive domain name in the domain name owner. Allocation Network GmbH v. Steve Gregory, WIPO Domain Name Dispute Case D2000-0016, Car Toys, Inc. v. Informa Unlimited, Inc., National Arbitration Forum Domain Name Dispute Case FA0093682, see Annex E; General Machine Products Co., Inc. v. Prime Domains, National Arbitration Forum Domain Name Dispute Case FA0092531, Shirmax Retail Ltd. v. CES Marketing Group, Inc., eResolution Domain Name Dispute Case AF-0104, It has been held that a legitimate interest in a domain name does not become illegitimate once another party offers to purchase the domain nameCar Toys, Inc. v. Informa Unlimited, Inc., National Arbitration Forum Domain Name Dispute Case FA0093682; General Machine Products Co., Inc. v. Prime Domains, National Arbitration Forum Domain Name Dispute Case FA0092531Thus, Respondent’s right and interest in the domain name remained legitimate even after Complainant approached Respondent with its offer to purchase the domain name from RespondentFurthermore, even after being approached by Complainant to sell the domain name, Respondent did not attempt to capitalize on whatever alleged trademark rights Complainant established in the term E-RADIO or to profit from Complainant’s business, and Complainant can provide no evidence of such.
5.6 Respondent has not registered or used the domain name in bad faithThe Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy established by ICANN clearly requires a domain name to be (1) registered and (2) used by the respondent in bad faithSee Policy 4(a)(iii)Complainant fails to provide evidence of eitherBad faith registration is negated by a finding that the domain name owner registered the domain name prior to the development of trademark rights by another party, and/or that the domain name owner did not know of or could not have known of the complainant and/or the complainant’s trademark rights at the time of registrationAllocation Network GmbH v. Steve Gregory, WIPO Domain Name Dispute Case D2000-0016; General Machine Products Co., Inc. v. Prime Domains, National Arbitration Forum Domain Name Dispute Case FA0092531; Phone-N-Phone Services (Bermuda) Ltd. v. Shlomi (Salomon) Levi, WIPO Domain Name Dispute Case D2000-0040, see Annex G; Telaxis Communications Corp. v. William E. Minkle, WIPO Domain Name Dispute Case D2000-0005, see Annex J; Unitil Resources, Inc. v. Robert Ampe, National Arbitration Forum Domain Name Dispute Case FA0093553, see Annex K; Shirmax Retail Ltd. v. CES Marketing Group, Inc., eResolution Domain Name Dispute Case AF-0104.
5.7 Respondent is not using the <eradio.com> domain name as yet for an active website and therefore there is no use of it in an intentional attempt to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to its website or other online location, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainant’s mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of its web site or location or of a product or service on its web site or locationAs stated previously, Respondent has in no way attempted to capitalize on whatever trademark rights Complainant owns, or to profit from Complainant’s business, and Complainant can provide no evidence of such.
5.11 Respondent did not register the domain name <eradio.com> in order to prevent Complainant from reflecting the E-RADIO mark in a corresponding domain name, and has not engaged, as Complainant asserts, in a pattern of such conductAs stated previously, Respondent was not aware of Complainant’s existence at the time it registered the domain name, Complainant was not using the alleged E-RADIO mark at the time Respondent registered the domain name, and Complainant did not commence using the mark for more than three years after Respondent registered the domain nameFurthermore, Respondent registers descriptive or generic terms as domain names for planned use in a legitimate commercial enterprise, and does not engage in a pattern of cybersquatting conduct.
5.12 Respondent did not register the <eradio.com> domain name primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of ComplainantComplainant’s activities associated with the mark did not begin until more than three years after Respondent registered the domain name in good faithFurthermore, as stated previously, Respondent was not aware of Complainant’s existence at the time it registered the domain nameThus, Respondent could not have registered the mark to disrupt Complainant’s business.
5.13 Complainant is guilty of reverse domain name hijackingThe fact that Respondent registered the descriptive <eradio.com> domain name more than three years before Complainant began use of the E-RADIO mark should have indicated to Complainant that Respondent was not a cybersquatter of the markFurthermore, Complainant has provided no credible arguments that Respondent registered the domain name in bad faithThe complaint is a blatant bad faith attempt to hijack Respondent’s domain name for Complainant’s benefitComplainant merely wants the descriptive domain name that Respondent happened to register years before the Complainant even thought to adopt the term "E-RADIO." The complaint was brought in bad faith and primarily to harass Respondent, and as such constitutes an abuse of the administrative process.

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