Source: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=D2018-2846
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 10:47:51+00:00

Document:
Complainant is Bayerische Motoren Werke AG of Munich, Germany, represented by Kelly IP, LLP, United States of America (“United States”).
Respondent is DomainsByProxy.com of Scottsdale, Arizona, United States / Sharjeel Hussaini, MB Navigation Updates of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, self-represented.
The disputed domain name <bmwnavupdate.com> (the “Domain Name”) is registered with GoDaddy.com, LLC (the “Registrar”).
The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on December 12, 2018. On December 13, 2018, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the Domain Name. On December 13, 2019, the Registrar transmitted by email to the Center its verification response disclosing registrant and contact information for the Domain Name that differed from the named Respondent and contact information in the Complaint. The Center sent an email communication to Complainant on December 17, 2018, providing the registrant and contact information disclosed by the Registrar, and inviting Complainant to submit an amendment to the Complaint. Complainant filed an amended Complaint on December 17, 2018.
In accordance with the Rules, paragraphs 2 and 4, the Center formally notified Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on December 18, 2018. On December 19, 2018, the Center received an email communication from Respondent. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5, the due date for Response was January 7, 2019. On January 9, 2019, the Center sent an email communication inviting the Parties to explore settlement negotiations. On January 17, 2019, noting Complainant had not responded to the Center’s email communication of January 9, 2019, the Center informed the Parties it would proceed to panel appointment. Respondent submitted a request for suspension of the proceeding on January 17, 2019, to which the Center on January 18, 2019 invited Complainant to submit its comments. No further communication from Complainant was received by the Center. On January 23, 2019, the Center emailed the Parties indicating it would initiate the panel appointment process. That same day, the Center received an email communication from Respondent.
The Center appointed Marina Perraki as the sole panelist in this matter on January 25, 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 one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world. It manufactures, sells, and distributes automobiles and motorcycles under the BMW trademark and provides various services. Complainant’s products and components are manufactured at 30 sites in 14 countries. In each year from 2011 through 2017, Complainant produced and sold more than 1,300,000 automobiles and more than 100,000 motorcycles. In 2017, Complainant had worldwide sales and revenue in excess of EUR 98 billion. According to the Complaint, the BMW mark has been in use since 1917 and enjoys fame and recognition worldwide as a result of extensive use and advertising.
Complainant offers also navigation software and systems under the BMW mark. It also offers navigation software updates and activation codes for such updates, known as FSC codes, through its authorized dealers and on its “www.bmwusa.com” website, among other official channels.
- German Registration No. 221388 for BMW and Design, filed on October 5, 1917, registered on December 10, 1917, covering products in International Classes 12, 7, 8, 9, and 11, including automobiles and related parts and accessories.
- United States Registration No. 611,710 for BMW in block letters, first used in commerce February 1949, filed on March 10, 1954, registered on September 6, 1955, covering automobiles and motorcycles in International Class 12.
The Domain Name was registered on September 27, 2017 and resolves to a website (the “Website”), which, per the Complaint, advertises and offers unauthorized, counterfeit versions of Complainant’s navigation software and activation/FSC codes. The Website displays an altered version of Complainant’s BMW logo next to the words “BMW Nav Update”. It also displays unauthorized copies of Complainant’s copyright protected publicity image, which Complainant makes available only to the press and media for use in media coverage. Further, per the Complaint, the Website depicts Complainant’s BMW logo on an unauthorized, counterfeit USB stick on which the unauthorized software is provided. Lastly, it displays unauthorized copies of Complainant’s images from Complainant’s Configurator (or Build Your Own) tool found on Complainant’s “www.bmwusa.com” and “www.bmw.de” websites.
Complainant asserts that it has established all three elements required under paragraph 4(a) of the Policy for a transfer of the Domain Name.
Respondent did not submit a substantive reply to Complainant’s contentions. However, the Panel notes Respondent did contact the Center and Complainant on several occasions expressing a willingness to explore settlement negotiations.
Complainant has demonstrated rights through registration and use of the BMW mark.
The Panel finds that the Domain Name <bmwnavupdate.com> is confusingly similar with the BMW trademark of Complainant.
The Domain Name incorporates the said trademark of Complainant in its entirety. This is sufficient to establish confusing similarity (Magnum Piering, Inc. v. The Mudjackers and Garwood S. Wilson, Sr., WIPO Case No. D2000-1525).
The letters “nav”, which are also the first three letters of the word “navigation”, and the word “update” added in the Domain Name do not avoid a finding of confusing similarity (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG v. Domains by Proxy, LLC / Alfred Kolinz, bmwupdate, WIPO Case No. D2017-2450; 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”) “.com” is disregarded, as gTLDs typically do not form part of the comparison on the grounds that they are required for technical reasons only (Rexel Developpements SAS v. Zhan Yequn, WIPO Case No. D2017-0275; Hay & Robertson International Licensing AG v. C. J. Lovik, WIPO Case No. D2002-0122).
The Panel finds that the Domain Name <bmwnavupdate.com> is confusingly similar to the BMW trademark of Complainant.
The Panel concludes that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in respect of the Domain Name.
Respondent has not submitted a substantive response to Complainant’s contentions and has not claimed any such rights or legitimate interests with respect to the Domain Name. As per the Complaint, Respondent was not authorized to register the Domain Name.
Respondent did not demonstrate prior to the notice of the dispute any use of the Domain Name or a name corresponding to the Domain Name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services.
On the contrary, as Complainant demonstrates, the Domain Name resolves to a website containing text and content that suggests falsely that the Website is that of Complainant or of an affiliated entity or of an official dealer of Complainant.
Per the Complaint, Respondent is not an affiliated entity or an authorized distributor or reseller of Complainant and no agreement, express or otherwise, exists allowing the use of Complainant’s trademarks on the Website and the use of the Domain Name by Respondent.
However, the Domain Name falsely suggests that it is an official site of Complainant or of an entity affiliated to or endorsed by Complainant. The Website extensively reproduces, without authorization by Complainant, Complainant’s trademarks, official Complainant product images and marketing material. Lastly, per the Complaint, the Website was used for the offering of unauthorized or counterfeit products.
The use of a domain name for illegal activity (e.g., the sale of counterfeit goods or passing off) can never confer rights or legitimate interests on a respondent (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) v. Balog Sebastian, WIPO Case No. D2017-1407; Bayerische Motoren Werke AG v. MIKE LEE / WHOISGUARD PROTECTED, WHOISGUARD, INC., Yang Xiao, Xiao Yang, Ning Li, Li Ning, MIKE LEE, WIPO Case No. D2016-2268; Bayerische Motoren Werke AG v. Contact Privacy Inc. Customer 0126592991 / Damir Gasparlin, WIPO Case No. D2017-0643; Prada S.A. v. Domains For Life, WIPO Case No. D2004-1019; WIPO Overview 3.0, sections 2.8. and 2.13.1).
Furthermore, the use of a domain name that intentionally trades on the fame of another and suggests affiliation with the trademark owner cannot constitute a bona fide offering of goods or services (Madonna Ciccone, p/k/a Madonna v. Dan Parisi and “Madonna.com”, WIPO Case No. D2000-0847; Philip Morris Incorporated v. Alex Tsypkin, WIPO Case No. D2002-0946; AB Electrolux v. Handi Sofian, Service Electrolux Lampung, WIPO Case No. D2016-2416; WIPO Overview 3.0, section 2.8).
The Panel finds that these circumstances do not confer upon Respondent any rights or legitimate interests in respect of the Domain Name.
The Panel concludes that Respondent has registered and used the Domain Name in bad faith. As per the Complaint, Complainant’s BMW trademark is widely known for automobiles and related goods and services. Because the BMW mark had been widely used and registered at the time of the Domain Name registration by Respondent, the Panel finds it more likely than not 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).
As regards bad faith use of the Domain Name, Complainant has demonstrated that the Domain Name was used to create a website, which prominently displays the Complainant’s registered BMW trademark and logo and publicity images, thereby giving the false impression that it is operated by Complainant or a company affiliated with Complainant or an authorized dealer of Complainant. The Domain Name operates by intentionally creating a likelihood of confusion with Complainant’s trademark and business as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation or endorsement of the website to which it resolves. This is indicative of bad faith registration and use (Booking.com BV v. Chen Guo Long, WIPO Case No. D2017-0311; Ebel International Limited v. Alan Brashear, WIPO Case No. D2017-0001; Walgreen Co. v. Muhammad Azeem / Wang Zheng, Nicenic International Group Co., Limited, WIPO Case No. D2016-1607; Oculus VR, LLC v. Sean Lin, WIPO Case No. DCO2016-0034; WIPO Overview 3.0 , section 3.3 and 3.4 ). Furthermore, per the Complaint, unauthorized, counterfeit versions of Complainant’s navigation software and activation/FSC codes were offered on the Website (BMW v.Kolinz, WIPO Case No. D2017-2450, BMW v. Balog, WIPO Case No. D2017-1407).
Under these circumstances and on this record, the Panel finds that Respondent has registered and is using the Domain Name in bad faith.
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 <bmwnavupdate.com> be transferred to the Complainant.

References: v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v.