The Complainant is a fashion model, entrepreneur and business executive. She began her modelling career around 2010 and has worked with internationally recognised fashion and luxury brands, including Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana and Vera Wang. Since 2020, the Complainant has also held a senior leadership role at Aman Essentials, where she currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Creative Director and is involved in the development and promotion of luxury consumer products in the fashion, beauty and lifestyle sectors.<\/p>\n
The Respondent had researched the Aman brand and the Complainant before registering the disputed domain name. After the Respondent contacted the Complainant, stating that he had created the website as a birthday gift and tribute to the Complainant.<\/p>\n
The disputed domain name was registered on June 7, 2026. The disputed domain name initially resolved to a website displaying the Complainant’s name, photographs, biographical information and links to the Complainant’s social media accounts. The Respondent offered to transfer the disputed domain name to the Complainant in exchange for fair and reasonable consideration. The Complainant requested that the Respondent deactivate the website and transfer the disputed domain name to the Complainant. The Respondent deactivated the website. The Parties thereafter waited for the expiry of the registrar transfer lock. Following its expiry in August 2026, the Respondent did not transfer the disputed domain name and reiterated his request for fair and reasonable consideration, without specifying any particular amount. The disputed domain name was subsequently listed for sale on the GoDaddy Marketplace for USD 4,100. Thereafter, the disputed domain name resolved to a webpage entitled “Kristina Romanova – Name, Meaning, History & Notable People”, which referred to the Complainant’s modelling career. At the time of this Decision, the disputed domain name no longer resolves to an active website.<\/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": "
The Complainant<\/strong><\/p>\n The Complainant asserts that each of the elements enumerated in paragraph 4(a) of the Policy and the corresponding provisions in the Rules have been satisfied. In particular, the Complainant asserts that:<\/p>\n (1) the disputed domain name is identical to the Complainant’s unregistered KRISTINA ROMANOVA trademark. The Complainant submits that her personal name has acquired secondary meaning through more than fifteen years of continuous commercial use in the fashion, beauty and luxury sectors. The Complainant has worked as an international model and in advertising and endorsement campaigns for numerous well-known fashion and luxury brands, and currently serves as CEO and Creative Director of Aman Essentials. The Complainant further relies on extensive international media coverage and social media recognition as evidence that the name KRISTINA ROMANOVA functions as a source identifier for her commercial activities. The addition of the “.com” extension does not prevent confusion;<\/p>\n (2) the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name. The Respondent is not commonly known by the name “Kristina Romanova” and has not been licensed, authorized or otherwise permitted by the Complainant to use her name or to register the disputed domain name. The Respondent initially used the disputed domain name, displaying the Complainant’s name, photographs, biographical information and links to the Complainant’s social media accounts. The Respondent’s characterization of the website as a “fan” or “gift” website does not establish a legitimate noncommercial or fair use, particularly because the disputed domain name consists exclusively of the Complainant’s personal name and therefore creates a risk of implied affiliation. The Respondent’s request for compensation and the listing of the disputed domain name for sale for USD 4,100 are inconsistent with a legitimate noncommercial purpose;<\/p>\n (3) the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith. By registering the disputed domain name after having researched the Aman brand, the Complainant and her family, and by incorporating the KRISTINA ROMANOVA mark in its entirety, the Respondent deliberately targeted the Complainant. The Respondent’s request for fair and reasonable consideration, references to the value of the disputed domain name and third-party inquiries, and the subsequent listing of the disputed domain name for sale for USD 4,100, refutes the Respondent’s assertion that the disputed domain name was registered and used as a gift and instead demonstrates an intention to commercially monetize its association with the Complainant. The subsequent use of the disputed domain name for a webpage entitled “Kristina Romanova – Name, Meaning, History & Notable People” constitutes further evidence of ongoing bad-faith use. Such use of the disputed domain name creates the false impression that the website is an official or authorized website of the Complainant and is intended to attract Internet users for commercial gain by creating a likelihood of confusion as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of the website, within the meaning of paragraphs 4(b)(i) and 4(b)(iv) of the Policy.<\/p>\n The Complainant requests transfer of the disputed domain name.<\/p>\n The Respondent<\/strong> <\/p>\n The Respondent has filed the response to the Complaint.<\/p>\n The Respondent submits that the disputed domain name was registered with the intention that it would ultimately be transferred to the Complainant. The initial website was created as a fan-made birthday gift and included a disclaimer indicating its unofficial nature. After expiry of the registrar transfer lock, the Respondent’s request for compensation was intended only to cover the costs, time and effort invested in registering the disputed domain name and developing the website, without specifying any particular amount. The Respondent also refers to having received several third-party inquiries but states that none was accepted. The Respondent acknowledges that the disputed domain name was later listed for sale on GoDaddy for USD 4,100, but maintains that the listing was made out of frustration and was removed shortly thereafter. The Respondent denies that the disputed domain name was registered or used in bad faith and requests that the Panel take these circumstances into account.<\/p>\n The Respondent does not seek to retain or continue using the disputed domain name.<\/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": "Rejected",
"panelists": [
"Ganna Prokhorova"
],
"date_of_panel_decision": "2026-09-29 00:00:00",
"informal_english_translation": " The Complainant does not own any registered trademark rights in KRISTINA ROMANOVA. The Complainant relies on unregistered trademark rights in her personal name, KRISTINA ROMANOVA.<\/p>",
"decision_domains": {
"kristinaromanova.com": "REJECTED"
},
"panelist": null,
"panellists_text": null
}