PARTIES' CONTENTIONS:
COMPLAINANT:
The Complainant contends that the disputed domain name <bouygues-construct.net> is confusingly similar to its trademark BOUYGUES. Indeed, the trademark BOUYGUES is included in its entirety. The Complainant contends that the addition of the term “CONSTRUCT” and the GTLD “.net” is not sufficient to change the overall impression of the designation as being connected to the Complainant’s trademark BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION. It does not prevent the likelihood of confusion between the disputed domain name and the Complainant, its trademark and the domain names associated. On the contrary, the addition of the term “CONSTRUCT” refers to the Complainant’s trademark BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION and the Complainant’s subsidiary BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION. It is well-established that “a domain name that wholly incorporates a Complainant’s registered trademark may be sufficient to establish confusing similarity for purposes of the UDRP”. See WIPO Case No. D2003-0888, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG v. Vasiliy Terkin. Thus, the disputed domain name <bouygues-construct.net> is confusingly similar to the Complainant’s trademark BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION.
Rights and/or Legitimate Interests
The Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interest in the disputed domain name
According to the WIPO Case No. D2003-0455, Croatia Airlines d.d. v. Modern Empire Internet Ltd., a Complainant is required to make out a prima facie case that the Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests. Once such prima facie case is made, the Respondent carries the burden of demonstrating rights or legitimate interests in the domain name. If the Respondent fails to do so, the Complainant is deemed to have satisfied paragraph 4(a)(ii) of the Policy.
The Complainant asserts that the Respondent is not identified in the Whois database as the disputed domain name. Past panels have held that a Respondent was not commonly known by a disputed domain name if the WHOIS information was not similar to the disputed domain name. See for instance Forum Case No. FA 1781783, Skechers U.S.A., Inc. and Skechers U.S.A., Inc. II v. Chad Moston / Elite Media Group <bobsfromsketchers.com> (“Here, the WHOIS information of record identifies Respondent as “Chad Moston / Elite Media Group.” The Panel therefore finds under Policy 4(c)(ii) that Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name under Policy 4(c)(ii).”) The Complainant contends that the Respondent is not affiliated with nor authorized by the Complainant in any way. The Complainant contends that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name. The Complainant does not carry out any activity for, nor has any business with the Respondent. Neither license nor authorization has been granted to the Respondent to make any use of the Complainant’s trademark BOUYGUES, or apply for registration of the disputed domain name by the Complainant.Furthermore, the disputed domain name resolves to a parking page with commercial links. Past panels have found it is not a bona fide offering of goods or services or legitimate non-commercial or fair use.
Complainant refers to:
- Forum Case No. FA 970871, Vance Int’l, Inc. v. Abend (concluding that the operation of a pay-per-click website at a confusingly similar domain name does not represent a bona fide offering of goods or services or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use, regardless of whether or not the links resolve to competing or unrelated websites or if the respondent is itself commercially profiting from the click-through fees);
- WIPO Case No. D2007-1695, Mayflower Transit LLC v. Domains by Proxy Inc./Yariv Moshe ("Respondent’s use of a domain name confusingly similar to Complainant’s trademark for the purpose of offering sponsored links does not of itself qualify as a bona fide use.").
Thus, in accordance with the foregoing, the Complainant contends that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name.
BAD FAITH
The Complainant says that the disputed domain name <bouygues-construct.net> is confusingly similar to its well-known and distinctive trademarks and the domain name associated. Past panels have confirmed the notoriety of the trademarks BOUYGUES® and BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION.
Complainant refers to:
- CAC Case No. 103800, BOUYGUES v. ERIC DENIS <bouyges-travaux.com> (“The Panel infers, due to the notoriety of the Complainant's mark that the Respondent registered the disputed domain name with actual knowledge of the Complainant’s rights in the BOUYGUES mark and finds that it registered the disputed domain name in bad faith per paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the Policy.”);
- CAC case No. 101387, BOUYGUES v. Laura Clare <bouygeus-construction.com> (“Here only two characters of the disputed domain name are different from the Complainant's well known registered mark BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION).
Besides, the Complainant and its subsidiary BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION are well-known, as BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION is a world player in the fields of building, public works, energy, and services (as evidenced by website at http://www.bouygues-construction.com/ Thus, the Respondent should have known about the Complainant at the time of the registration of the disputed domain name. The disputed domain name resolves to a parking page with commercial links. The Complainant contends the Respondent has attempt to attract Internet users for commercial gain to his own website thanks to the Complainant’s trademarks for its own commercial gain, which is an evidence of bad faith. Please see for instance WIPO Case No. D2018-0497, StudioCanal v. Registration Private, Domains By Proxy, LLC / Sudjam Admin, Sudjam LLC (“In that circumstance, whether the commercial gain from misled Internet users is gained by the Respondent or by the Registrar (or by another third party), it remains that the Respondent controls and cannot (absent some special circumstance) disclaim responsibility for, the content appearing on the website to which the disputed domain name resolve […] so the Panel presumes that the Respondent has allowed the disputed domain name to be used with the intent to attract Internet users for commercial gain, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainant's trademark as to the source, affiliation, or endorsement of the Respondent's website to which the disputed domain name resolves. Accordingly, the Panel finds that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith.”). Accordingly, the Respondent has registered and is using the disputed domain name in bad faith.
RESPONDENT:
NO ADMINISTRATIVELY COMPLIANT RESPONSE HAS BEEN FILED.
|