The Complainant is the fifth largest dairy company in the world and a cooperative owned by more than 12,500 dairy farmers. The Complainant was established in 2000, when the largest Danish dairy cooperative MD Foods merged with its Swedish counterpart Arla ekonomisk Förening. The Complainant employs a little less than 22,000 people and reached a global revenue of EUR 13,8 billion in 2024. The Complainant operates in 39 countries worldwide, including in the European Union, the United States of America (\"USA\"), and the UK. In the US, the Complainant operates through two local subsidiaries. In the UK, the Complainant operates from its headquarters in Leeds and maintains numerous production, packing, distribution and logistic facilities across the country. The Complainant has also an established online presence, through various dedicated websites and the most important social media platforms. <\/p>\n
The disputed domain names were all registered on 10 November 2025 by an individual allegedly located in Hong Kong. The disputed domain names resolve to websites featuring the Complainant's ARLA figurative mark, the Complainant's copyrighted photographs and other general information of the Complainant. The disputed domain name <arla-gt.cm> resolves to a webpage displaying the ARLA figurative trademark and the message: “Please use your mobile phone to open the download.”<\/p>\n
Before starting this UDRP proceeding, the Complainant sent a takedown notice and a follow-up reminder to the hosting provider of the disputed domain names, but received no answer.<\/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 names.<\/p>", "no_response_filed": "
The Complainant contends that the requirements of the Policy have been met and that the disputed domain names should be transferred to it.<\/p>\n
According to the Complainant, the disputed domain names are confusingly similar to its ARLA mark, as they incorporate the mark together with additional terms that do not prevent a finding of confusing similarity. In particular, in the disputed domain names, the ARLA mark is combined, depending on the case, with geographical abbreviations (\"uk\" for the United Kingdom and \"gt\" for Guatemala), the term \"green\" (which corresponds to the Complainant's corporate colour), the term \"vita\" (used by the Complainant in its ARLA VITAKIDS mark), and the term \"vip\" (a generic term denoting exclusivity or premium status).<\/p>\n
At the time of the filing of the Complaint, the disputed domain names resolved to websites in Spanish and English, displaying the ARLA figurative mark and reproducing photographs of the Complainant, along with extensive content referring to the Complainant, its global operations, management, farmers, and employees. The websites included numerous announcements and sections describing special events organized by the Complainant, corporate communications, projects and news regarding the Complainant's labor contracts and reward programs, together with various other information referring to the Complainant, its activities and use of the ARLA mark. All of the disputed domain names resolved to substantially identical websites, with the exception of <arla-gt.com>, which resolved to a page displaying the ARLA figurative trademark and the message: “Please use your mobile phone to open the download.” Accordingly, the Respondent is not using the disputed domain names in a legitimate noncommercial or fair manner, but to exploit the Complainant’s trademarks and their reputation for its own commercial gain.<\/p>\n
As far as registration in bad faith is concerned, the Complainant argues that the Respondent registered the disputed domain names many years after the Complainant's first registration of the ARLA trademark. Moreover, the ARLA trademark is well known. A simple Internet search on the ARLA mark would have enabled the Respondent to learn about the Complainant, its trademarks and business. The structure of the disputed domain names shows that the Respondent registered them having the Complainant and its ARLA mark in mind. This structure reflects the Respondent's intention to create an association with the Complainant's trademark. The Internet users could easily believe that the disputed domain names were directly connected with, or authorized by the Complainant. This conclusion is further reinforced by the fact that shortly after their registration the disputed domain names began resolving to websites referring to the Complainant, including by displaying the ARLA trademark, reproducing detailed corporate information and announcements relating to the Complainant, and presenting content in a manner consistent with official company communications.<\/p>\n
Finally, the Complainant notes that the disputed domain names resolve to websites that feature the Complainant's well-known ARLA mark, make unauthorized use of the Complainant's copyrighted materials, particularly the Complainant's photographs, and offer downloadable content to visitors. The Respondent is impersonating the Complainant, while attempting to elicit personal information from Internet users seeking the Complainant and its ARLA mark. Presumably, such users would not disclose this information unless they believed they were dealing with Complainant.<\/p>\n
Consequently, the Complainant maintains that by using the disputed domain names in this manner, the Respondent has intentionally attempted to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to its websites, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainant’s mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of its websites or locations or of a product or service on Respondent’s websites or locations.<\/p>\n
No administratively compliant Response has been filed.<\/p>", "rights": "
The Complainant has, to the satisfaction of the Panel, shown the disputed domain names are 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 names (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 names have been registered and are 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": [ "Angelica Lodigiani" ], "date_of_panel_decision": "2026-03-04 00:00:00", "informal_english_translation": "
The Complainant is the owner of a large portfolio of ARLA marks, registered in various jurisdictions worldwide, among which the following:<\/p>\n
- ARLA (word mark), US trademark registration No. 3325019, registered on 30 October 2007, for goods in classes 1 and 29;<\/p>\n
- ARLA (figurative mark), US trademark registration No. 3651489, registered on 7 July 2009, for goods in classes 1 and 29;<\/p>\n
- ARLA (figurative mark), Hong Kong trademark registration No. 301205838, registered on 6 October 2009, for goods in classes 1, 5, 29, 30, 31 and 32.<\/p>\n
The Complainant is also the owner of numerous domain names, consisting of, or containing, the ARLA mark, including <arla.com>, registered on 15 July 1996, <arlausa.com>, registered on 2 August 2006, <arlafoods.co.uk>, registered on 01 October 1999, <arla.eu>, registered 01 June 2006, <arla.vip>, registered 18 May 2016, and <arlafoodsvip.com>, registered 31 March 2024. These domain names resolve to the Complainant's official websites, through which it informs Internet users and potential consumers about its ARLA trademark and related products and services.
<\/p>",
"decision_domains": {
"arla-uk.com": "TRANSFERRED",
"arlavita.vip": "TRANSFERRED",
"arlavita.online": "TRANSFERRED",
"arlavita.com": "TRANSFERRED",
"arlavitavip.com": "TRANSFERRED",
"arlagreen.com": "TRANSFERRED",
"arla-gt.com": "TRANSFERRED"
},
"panelist": null,
"panellists_text": null
}