The Complainant is Prada S.A. of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, represented by Studio Legale Jacobacci e Associati of Italy.
The Respondent is Redemption Ltd. of the Republic of Seychelles.
The disputed domain name <pradatubes.com> is registered with Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com.
The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on September 7, 2009. On September 8, 2009, the Center transmitted by email to Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com a request for registrar verification in connection with the disputed domain name. On September 9, 2009, Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com transmitted by email to the Center its verification response confirming that the Respondent is listed as the registrant and providing the contact details. The Center verified that the Complaint satisfied the formal requirements of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the “Policy” or “UDRP”), the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the “Rules”), and the WIPO Supplemental Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the “Supplemental Rules”).
In accordance with the Rules, paragraphs 2(a) and 4(a), the Center formally notified the Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on September 9, 2009. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5(a), the due date for Response was September 29, 2009. The Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified the Respondent's default on October 1, 2009.
The Center appointed Michael J. Spence as the sole panelist in this matter on October 15, 2009. The Panel finds that it was properly constituted. The Panel has submitted the Statement of Acceptance and Declaration of Impartiality and Independence, as required by the Center to ensure compliance with the Rules, paragraph 7.
The Complainant has for many years held a family of trade marks registered throughout the world including the word ‘Prada'. The Respondent registered the disputed domain name on July 9, 2009. The internet site that is operated under the disputed domain name at one time displayed pornographic material, some potentially involving minors.
The Complainant contends that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to its registered trade mark, that the Respondent has no right or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name, and that the Respondent's use of the disputed domain name constitutes the classic example of use in bad faith commonly known as ‘porno-squatting'.
The Respondent did not reply to the Complainant's contentions.
The disputed domain name consists of the Complainant's trade mark and the suffix ‘tubes'. As the Complainant's mark is well known, and as the suffix ‘tube' (of which ‘tubes' is merely either the plural or the potential product of a typographical error) is a common suffix for internet sites using video material, it is extremely likely that the disputed domain name would cause confusion in the minds of Internet users.
The Panel therefore finds that the Complainant has established the first element of Paragraph 4(a) of the UDRP Policy in relation to its trade marks.
It is for the Complainant to establish, at least prima facie that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed names (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. D2004-0110). The Panel finds that the Complainant has made such showing, which the Respondent has not rebutted. In this case, the only use that the Respondent has made of the disputed domain name is for the conduct of its pornographic website, a use that cannot, for reasons outlined in the following section, be regarded as use in good faith.
The Panel therefore finds that the Complainant has established the second element of paragraph 4(a) of the UDRP Policy.
The facts of this case constitute a classic example of ‘porno-squatting' in which confusion with a well known trade mark is used to divert customers to a pornographic website for commercial purposes. ‘Porno-squatting' constitutes a paradigm case of registration in bad faith as the decisions of many panels have established, not least in relation to the ‘PRADA' trade mark in Prada S.A. v. Ms. Loredana Salvatori, WIPO Case No. D2007-0064
The Panel therefore finds that the Complainant has established the third element of paragraph 4(a) of the UDRP Policy.
For all the foregoing reasons, in accordance with paragraphs 4(i) of the Policy and 15 of the Rules, the Panel orders that the domain name <pradatubes.com> be transferred to the Complainant.
Michael J. Spence
Sole Panelist
Dated: October 25, 2009