Decision for dispute CAC-UDRP-100077

The Panel is not aware of any other legal proceedings

CREDIT INDUSTRIEL ET COMMERCIAL abbreviated to CIC is a French banking group tracing its origin back to 1859. The CIC has today about 3.9 million clients with a network of 2055 branches in France. This group comprises five regional banks. The CIC’ specialized network is organized around four (4) main areas of activity: private banking, private capital-development, financial banking and network’ support .

It has also an international presence and frame through branches displayed all over the world: Europe (15 branches), Africa (4 branches), Latin America (5 branches), North America (1 branch) and Asia (11 branches)

CREDIT INDUSTRIEL ET COMMERCIAL S.A. carries out this international presence and development in 37 countries.
The Complainant owns branches in countries such as United Kingdom, Greece, Lebanon, Chile, Brazil, China and USA for instance.

CIC is the acronym, the trade name and the trademark used by the Complainant since its origin.

CIC has a main portal available at http://www.cic.fr since 2000.

On April 7, 2008, the Complainant was informed that an entity named CHRONICLE apparently based in Australia had registered on March 16, 2008 the domain name <cic-fx.com>. Given that it held that its trademark rights were infringed, the Complainant sent a cease and desist letter to CHRONICLE (Annex F) in which the Complainant requested the transfer of ownership of the said domain name. Despite several reminders, CHRONICLE did not favourably reply to the Complainant’s requests.

CREDIT INDUSTRIEL ET COMMERCIAL provided evidence that it is the registered owner of a large number of trademarks consisting or including the wording

"CIC" in France and abroad. See for example:

- CIC French nominative trademark n° 1358524 of Jun e 10, 1986. This trademark constitutes the renewal of a trademark dated June 26, 1976,

registered under the No. 959 999. This trademark has been renewed on June 10, 1996, live. The last renewal of this trademark is currently pending. ;

- CIC Community nominative trademark No. 005891411 of May 10, 2007

- CIC Union Européenne de CIC International trademark No. 582446 of February 18, 1992).

CREDIT INDUSTRIEL ET COMMERCIAL is also the owner of these trademarks containing the wording CIC :
- - CIC BANQUES French nominative trademark No. 1682713 of July 24, 1991
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- - CIC BANQUES International registration No. 585098 of April 10, 1992
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- - CM-CIC French nominative trademark No. 3267901 of January 15, 2004
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- - CIC LEASE French nominative trademark No. 99809813 of August 30, 1999
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- - PAIEMENT CIC French nominative trademark No. 99808220 of August 17, 1999
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- - CIC CASH French nominative trademark n° 3037280 of June 26, 2000

The Complainant held that thanks to long-term and wide use, and to the CIC’s reputation, the trademark "CIC" acquired a great fame and is well and widely known throughout the world and easily recognizable as such.

When it opened proceedings through CAC, no response was received by CAC from Respondent.