Decision for dispute CAC-UDRP-102817

The Panel is not aware of any other legal proceedings pending or decided which relate to the disputed domain name.

The Complainant is the holder of trademark rights for the following word marks:

- KIKO, registered in numerous jurisdictions, including in China where the Respondent is located (e.g. Chinese trademark No. 12234928 since August 14, 2014, and covering products in class 3);
- KIKOCOSMETICS, registered in numerous jurisdictions (e.g. EU trademark No. 8454126 since January 31, 2010, and covering products in classes 3 and 35).

The Complainant, Kiko S.p.A., was founded in 1997 and has been active in the cosmetics field for more than 20 years. The Complainant offers a wide range of products from make-up to skin care products. Today, the company has over 670 stores around the world, with presence in 34 countries.

The Complainant is the owner of the registered word marks KIKO and KIKOCOSMETICS in several classes in numerous countries all over the world, including in China where the Respondent is located.

The disputed domain name has been registered on November 18, 2018 by the Respondent. The disputed domain name currently does not resolve to an active website.

NO ADMINISTRATIVELY COMPLIANT RESPONSE HAS BEEN FILED.

PARTIES' CONTENTIONS:

COMPLAINANT:

The Complainant considers the disputed domain name to be confusingly similar to trademarks in which it has rights. The Complainant claims that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name. According to the Complainant, the Respondent does not use the disputed domain name in connection with any legitimate use. Also, according to the Complainant, the Respondent has not been authorized to register or use the disputed domain name. Finally, the Complainant considers that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith. The Complainant contends that the Respondent knew, or at least should have known, of the existence of the Complainant’s trademarks. The Complainant further contends that the incorporation of the Complainant’s well-known trademark in the disputed domain name by the Respondent coupled with an inactive website evidences bad faith registration and use.

RESPONDENT:

The Respondent did not reply to the Complainant’s contentions.

The Complainant has, to the satisfaction of the Panel, shown the disputed domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights (within the meaning of paragraph 4(a)(i) of the Policy).

The Complainant has, to the satisfaction of the Panel, shown the Respondent to have no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name (within the meaning of paragraph 4(a)(ii) of the Policy).

The Complainant has, to the satisfaction of the Panel, shown the disputed domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith (within the meaning of paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the Policy).

The Panel is satisfied that all procedural requirements under UDRP were met and there is no other reason why it would be inappropriate to provide a decision.

The Panel notes that the Complaint was filed in English and that the Case Administrator informed the Complainant on December 17, 2019 that the language of the Registration Agreement is Chinese. In the Amended Complaint, Complainant requested that the Complaint be accepted in English because
“- neither the Complainant, nor its representatives, understand Chinese. It would therefore, be quite burdensome and expensive for the Complainant to translate this Complaint with all its annexes. Moreover, requiring a Chinese translation of all documents would unnecessarily delay this procedure, while one of its main advantages is its short timeframe. The abusive use of the disputed domain name has already created substantial damages to the Complainant’s image and reputation and extending the deadlines of this UDRP procedure would unduly increase these damages;
- the disputed domain name is composed by English words (i.e. cosmetics and shop);
- English is the primary business and commercial language and is therefore widely spoken and understood in these fields.”

WIPO Overview of WIPO Panel Views on Selected UDRP Questions, Third Edition (“WIPO Overview 3.0”), section 4.5.1, states: “panels have found that certain scenarios may warrant proceeding in a language other than that of the registration agreement. Such scenarios include (i) evidence showing that the respondent can understand the language of the complaint, (ii) the language/script of the domain name particularly where the same as that of the complainant’s mark, (iii) any content on the webpage under the disputed domain name, (iv) prior cases involving the respondent in a particular language, (v) prior correspondence between the parties, (vi) potential unfairness or unwarranted delay in ordering the complainant to translate the complaint, (vii) evidence of other respondent-controlled domain names registered, used, or corresponding to a particular language, (viii) in cases involving multiple domain names, the use of a particular language agreement for some (but not all) of the disputed domain names, (ix) currencies accepted on the webpage under the disputed domain name, or (x) other indicia tending to show that it would not be unfair to proceed in a language other than that of the registration agreement.”

Here, the language/script of the disputed domain name is the same as that of the Complainant’s marks. Further, Respondent has not objected to English as the language of this proceeding. Accordingly, the Panel accepts the Complaint in English.

Paragraph 15 of the Rules provides that the Panel is to decide the complaint on the basis of the statements and documents submitted in accordance with the Policy, the Rules and any rules and principles of law that it deems applicable.

The onus is on the Complainant to make out its case and it is apparent, both from the terms of the Policy and the decisions of past UDRP panels, that the Complainant must show that all three elements set out in Paragraph 4 (a) of the Policy have been established before any order can be made to transfer a domain name. As the proceedings are civil, the standard of proof is the balance of probabilities.

Thus, for the Complainant to succeed it must prove, within the meaning of Paragraph 4(a) of the Policy and on the balance of probabilities that:

1. The domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights;

2. The Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name; and

3. The domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.

The Panel has therefore dealt with each of these requirements in turn.

1. Identity or confusing similarity

The Complainant must first establish that there is a trademark or service mark in which it has rights. Since the Complainant is the holder of the registered KIKO and KIKOCOSMETICS trademarks, which are used in connection with its business, it is established that there are trademarks in which the Complainant has rights.

The disputed domain name <kikocosmetic.shop> incorporates the Complainant’s KIKO trademark in its entirety. In addition, the disputed domain name is almost identical to the Complainant’s KIKOCOSMETICS trademark, merely leaving out the letter “s” at the end. In these circumstances, the Panel finds that the confusing similarity is obvious.

It is well established that the Top Level Domains (“TLDs”) such as “.shop” may be disregarded when considering whether the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to the trademark in which the Complainant has rights (see section 1.11 WIPO Overview 3.0).

Therefore, the Panel finds that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to the Complainant’s trademarks. Accordingly, the Complainant has made out the first of the three elements that it must establish.

2. No rights or legitimate interests

Under paragraph 4(a)(ii) of the Policy, the Complainant has the burden of establishing that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name.

It is established case law that it is sufficient for the Complainant to make a prima facie showing that the Respondent has no right or legitimate interest in the disputed domain name in order to shift the burden of proof to the Respondent (see section 2.1 WIPO Overview 3.0 and Champion Innovations, Ltd. V. Udo Dussling (45FHH), WIPO case No. D2005-1094; Croatia Airlines d.d. v. Modern Empire Internet Ltd., WIPO case No. D2003-0455; Belupo d.d. v. WACHEM d.o.o., WIPO case No. 2004-0110).

The Panel notes that the Respondent has not been commonly known by the disputed domain name and that the Respondent has not acquired trademark or service mark rights. The Respondent’s use and registration of the disputed domain name was not authorized by the Complainant. There are no indications that a connection between the Complainant and the Respondent existed.

Moreover, the Panel is of the opinion that the Respondent is not making a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the disputed domain name. In fact, the Respondent is not making any use of the disputed domain name. The passive holding or non-use of a domain name is, in appropriate circumstances, evidence of a lack of rights or legitimate interests in the domain name (see Red Bull GmbH v. Credit du Léman SA, Jean-Denis Deletraz, WIPO Case No. D2011-2209; American Home Products Corporation vs. Ben Malgioglio, WIPO Case No. D2000-1602; Vestel Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS v. Mehmet Kahveci, WIPO Case No. D2000-1244).

In the present case, the Panel finds that the disputed domain name itself and the TLD under which it was registered are particularly relevant. The disputed domain name is almost identical to the domain name linked to the Complainant’s official website kikocosmetics.com. The TLD “.shop” increases the confusion with the Complainant’s retail business, e.g. its online shop.

Based on the available record, the Panel finds that the Complainant has established a prima facie case, which was not refuted, and that the Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. Therefore, the Complainant has satisfied the second requirement that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name, under paragraph 4(a)(ii) of the Policy.

3. Bad faith

Complainant must prove on the balance of probabilities that the disputed domain name was registered in bad faith and that it is being used in bad faith (see section 4.2 WIPO Overview 3.0 and e.g. Telstra Corporation Limited v. Nuclear Marshmallow, WIPO Case No. D2000-0003; Control Techniques Limited v. Lektronix Ltd, WIPO Case No. D2006-1052).

According to the Panel, the awareness of a respondent of the complainant and/or the complainant’s trademark rights at the time of registration can evidence bad faith (see Red Bull GmbH v. Credit du Léman SA, Jean-Denis Deletraz, WIPO Case No. D2011-2209; Nintendo of America Inc v. Marco Beijen, Beijen Consulting, Pokemon Fan Clubs Org., and Pokemon Fans Unite, WIPO Case No. D2001-1070). In the instant case, the Panel finds that the Respondent must have had knowledge of the Complainant’s rights in the KIKO and KIKOCOSMETICS trademarks at the moment it registered the disputed domain name, since the Complainant’s KIKO trademark is distinctive and widely used and the disputed domain name is almost identical to the Complainant’s KIKOCOSMETICS trademark and to the Complainant’s official website.

The Respondent is not using the disputed domain name. According to the Panel, the passive holding of the disputed domain name may amount to bad faith when it is difficult to imagine any plausible future active use of the disputed domain name by the Respondent that would be legitimate and not infringing the Complainant’s distinctive mark or unfair competition and consumer protection legislation (see Inter-IKEA v Polanski, WIPO Case No. D2000 1614; Inter-IKEA Systems B.V. v. Hoon Huh, WIPO Case No. D2000 0438; Telstra Corporation Limited v. Nuclear Marshmallows, WIPO Case No. D2000-0003).

The fact that a complainant’s trademark has a strong reputation and is widely used and the absence of evidence whatsoever of any actual or contemplated good faith use are further circumstances that may evidence bad faith registration and use in the event of passive use of domain names (see section 3.3, WIPO Overview 3.0).

In the present case, the Panel is of the opinion that the Complainant’s KIKO trademark is distinctive and widely used, which makes it difficult to conceive any plausible legitimate future use of the disputed domain name by the Respondent.

Therefore, the Panel finds that, on the balance of probabilities, it is sufficiently shown that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith.