The Complainant is a global food company headquartered in Japan and founded in 1804 as a family-owned enterprise, that has grown into one of Japan’s leading producers of vinegars, sauces, condiments, and other food products, with annual consolidated sales exceeding ¥313 billion and operations spanning Asia, North America, and Europe.<\/p>\n
The Complainant is widely recognized for its long-standing AJIPON brand, a citrus-seasoned soy sauce first launched in 1964, which has become a staple in Japanese households for over half a century.<\/p>\n
On November 10, 2024, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its AJIPON brand, the Complainant organized a promotional campaign in Japan titled “Ponmatsuri”, meaning “Pon Festival.” The campaign featured limited-edition goods, contests, and giveaways celebrating AJIPON’s six decades of success. The campaign was conducted through a website published at the disputed domain name <ajipon60th-ponmatsuri.com>. Following the conclusion of the campaign, the disputed domain name was allowed to expire by Complainant, and then subsequently drop-caught by the Respondent.<\/p>\n
The disputed domain name <ajipon60th-ponmatsuri.com> was registered by the Respondent on January 31, 2025, and resolves to a website displaying pay-per-click links.<\/p>", "other_legal_proceedings": "
The Panel is not aware of any other legal proceedings which are pending or decided and which relate to the disputed domain name.<\/p>", "no_response_filed": "
COMPLAINANT<\/p>\n
The Complainant contends that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to the Complainant’s trademark AJIPON, as it reproduces the trademark in its entirety with the mere addition of the words “60th” and “ponmatsuri” and the generic Top Level Domain (“gTLD”) “.com”, which are not sufficient to escape the finding that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to the Complainant's trademark. <\/p>\n
The Complainant asserts that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name because: i) the Respondent has never been authorized by the Complainant to use the AJIPON mark in any manner; ii) the disputed domain name was registered long after the Complainant registered the AJIPON marks and established extensive goodwill; iii) the Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain name; and iv) the disputed domain name has not been used for a bona fide<\/em> offering of goods or services or for a legitimate non-commercial use, since it has been redirected to a parking page with pay-per click links partly targeting sushi products - highly related to those of the Complainant - as well as other unrelated categories and the Respondent has been monetizing the disputed domain name through clicks or referral advertising whilst causing consumer confusion to the detriment of the Complainant.<\/p>\n The Complainant submits that the Respondent registered and is using the disputed domain name in bad faith since: i) the Respondent was no doubt aware of the Complainant’s rights considering the disputed domain name is identical to the Complainant’s prior domain name and the Complainant’s rights in the AJIPON mark are long-established and widely recognized; ii) the incorporation of the AJIPON well-known mark together with the terms “60th” and “ponmatsuri” specifically adopted by Complainant for its campaign, heightens the false appearance of authenticity and affiliation with the Complainant; iii) the Respondent is using the disputed domain name to divert Internet users to a website that redirects them to unrelated third-party advertising and sales content, thereby disrupting the Complainant’s brand integrity and commercial goodwill; and iv) the Respondent is using the disputed domain name to intentionally attract Internet users, using Complainant’s mark and media campaign name, to a website displaying pay-per-click links redirecting to alternative and competitive product providers.<\/p>\n The Complainant further submits that the Respondent’s bad faith is highlighted by the fact that the Respondent purports to be a domain privacy service and has not provided any identifiable means to contact the actual domain holder, even to the concerned registrar.<\/p>\n RESPONDENT<\/p>\n No administratively compliant Response has been filed.<\/p>",
"rights": " 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).<\/p>",
"no_rights_or_legitimate_interests": " 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).<\/p>",
"bad_faith": " 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).<\/p>",
"procedural_factors": " 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.<\/p>",
"decision": "Accepted",
"panelists": [
"Luca Barbero (Presiding Panelist)"
],
"date_of_panel_decision": "2025-12-10 00:00:00",
"informal_english_translation": " The Complainant has demonstrated ownership of rights in the trademark AJIPON for the purposes of standing to file a UDRP complaint.<\/p>\n The Complainant is the owner of numerous trademark registrations, including the following:<\/p>\n - Japanese trademark registration No. 6601310 for AJIPON (word mark), filed on April 4, 2022, and registered on August 15, 2022, in class 30;<\/p>\n - Japanese trademark registration No. 1049656 for AJIPON (figurative mark), filed on October 12, 1967, and registered on January 10, 1974, in class 30;<\/p>\n - International trademark registration No. 1682172 for AJIPON (word mark), registered on July 7, 2022, in class 30.<\/p>",
"decision_domains": {
"ajipon60th-ponmatsuri.com": "TRANSFERRED"
}
}