The Complainant is LEGO Juris A/S, Billund, Denmark, represented by Melbourne IT Digital Brand Services, Sweden.
The Respondent is Multi-Medija Studio, Informacijske Storitve Milan Malek S.P., Maribor, Slovenia.
The disputed domain name <legokocke.com> is registered with eNom.
The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on November 25, 2010. On November 25, 2010, the Center transmitted by email to eNom a request for registrar verification in connection with the disputed domain name. On November 29, 2010, eNom 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 December 2, 2010. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5(a), the due date for Response was December 22, 2010. On December 10, 2010, the Complainant filed a request for the suspension of the proceedings. On the same day the Center issued the Notification of Suspension of administrative proceeding, suspending the proceeding until January 10, 2011. The Complainant subsequently requested, and was granted, two further extensions to the suspension period whereby the proceeding was suspended until February 14, 2011. On that day the Complainant requested the reinstitution of the Proceedings. The Center recalculated the time periods based on the reinstitution date and advised the Respondent that the new due date for the Response was February 25, 2011. The Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified the Respondent’s default on March 2, 2011.
The Center appointed Adam Taylor as the sole panelist in this matter on March 8, 2011. 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’s predecessors commenced use of the LEGO mark in 1953 in the United States of America in connection with the manufacture and sale of construction toys. The business has grown substantially such that the revenue of the Complainant’s group exceeded USD 2.8 billion in 2009. The Complainant’s products are sold in more than 130 countries.
The Complainant owns many registered trade marks worldwide including Community Trade Mark No. 000039800 for LEGO filed April 1, 1996, in classes 3, 9, 14, 16, 20, 24, 25, 28, 38, 41 and 42.
The disputed domain name was registered on April 22, 2008.
As of November 23, 2010, the disputed domain name was used for a website promoting the Complainant’s products as well as other child-related goods and services.
The trade mark LEGO is amongst the best-known trade marks in the world, due in part to decades of extensive advertising, which prominently depicts the mark on all products, packaging, displays, advertising, and promotional materials. The LEGO trade mark has been recognized as being famous.
The Complainant’s group has expanded its use of the LEGO trade mark to, inter alia, computer hardware and software, books, videos and computer controlled robotic construction sets.
The dominant part of the disputed domain name comprises the word “lego”.
The disputed domain name is confusingly similar to the Complainant’s world famous trade mark LEGO. The fame of the trade mark has been confirmed in numerous previous UDRP decisions.
The addition of the suffix “kocke” is not relevant and will not have any impact on the overall impression of the dominant part of the name, “Lego”, instantly recognizable as a world famous trade mark. As the word “kocke” means “bricks” in Slovenian, this suffix strengthens the impression that the domain name belongs to, or is affiliated with the Complainant. Also, the website is in the Slovenian language which makes it obvious that the website is directed to the Slovenian market.
Anyone who sees the disputed domain name is bound to mistake it for a name related to the Complainant. The likelihood of confusion includes an obvious association with the trade mark of the Complainant.
The Complainant has not discovered that the Respondent owns any registered trade marks or trade names corresponding to the disputed domain name. Nor has the Complainant discovered anything that would suggest that the Respondent has been using the name “Lego” in any other way that would give it any legitimate rights in the name. Consequently, the Respondent is not entitled to claim any rights established by common usage.
The Complainant has not authorized the Respondent to use its trade mark LEGO.
There is no disclaimer on the website connected to the disputed domain name but at the bottom there is a notice stating: “All rights reserved © Legokocke.com”. This could be considered as implying that the Respondent has rights in the disputed domain name.
It is highly unlikely that the Respondent was unaware of the Complainant’s trade mark at the time of the registration. Rather, it is obvious that it is the fame of the trade mark that has motivated the Respondent to register the disputed domain name.
The Respondent is not using the disputed domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services. Instead the Respondent has intentionally chosen a domain name based on a registered trade mark in order to generate traffic to an online store that sells not only the Complainant’s products but also products of other brands. By doing this, Respondent is using the Complainant’s trade mark to mislead Internet users and attract them to its commercial website.
One criterion for making a bona fide offering is that the Respondent shall use the website to sell only the trade marked goods. The website connected to the disputed domain name links to commercial websites unrelated to the Complainant.
The Complainant first tried to contact the Respondent on July 16, 2010, by means of a cease and desist letter and subsequent reminders but there has been no response to these letters. It has been mentioned in previous UDRP cases that the failure of a respondent to respond to a cease and desist letter is relevant to bad faith.
The Respondent is using the disputed domain name to intentionally attempt to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to a website, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainant’s mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation or endorsement of its website. Whether or not the Respondent has influenced what links should be included on the sites is irrelevant for the finding of bad faith in this case. It is also irrelevant whether or not the Respondent is actually receiving revenue from the website.
The Respondent did not reply to the Complainant’s contentions.
The Complainant has rights in the mark LEGO arising from its registered trade marks as well as common law rights derived from its extensive reputation in the name.
The disputed domain name consists of the Complainant’s trade mark combined with the descriptive term “kocke”. That term is insufficient to differentiate the disputed domain name from the trade mark; on the contrary it enhances the connection as the term means “bricks” / “cubes” in Slovenian, which have an obvious connection with the Complainant’s goods.
The Panel concludes that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to the Complainant’s trade mark.
The Panel therefore finds that the Complainant has established the first element of the Policy.
The Complainant must establish at least a prima facie case under this heading and, if that is made out, the evidential onus shifts to the Respondent to rebut the presumption of absence of rights or legitimate interests thereby created. See, e.g., Atlas Copco Aktiebolag v. Accurate Air Engineering, Inc., WIPO Case No. D2003-0070.
The Complainant has not licensed or otherwise authorized the Respondent to use its trade mark.
As to paragraph 4(c)(i) of the Policy, the Panel has concluded below that the Respondent has used the disputed domain name to intentionally attempt to attract, confuse and profit from Internet users seeking the Complainant’s products and services. Such use of the disputed domain names could not be said to be bona fide.
There is no evidence that paragraphs 4(c)(ii) or (iii) of the Policy apply.
The Panel finds that the Complainant has established a prima facie case of lack of rights and legitimate interests and there is no rebuttal by the Respondent.
The Panel concludes that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name and that the Complainant has therefore established the second element of the Policy.
It is obvious that the Respondent registered the disputed domain name with the Complainant’s distinctive and well-known trade mark in mind.
As mentioned above, the term “kocke” is Slovenian for “bricks” / “cubes”, which have an obvious connection with the Complainant’s goods.
The website at the disputed domain name has been used to promote the Complainant’s products as well as other child-related goods and services.
The Respondent has not come forward to deny the Complainant’s assertions of bad faith. It is difficult to conceive of any genuine reason why the Respondent would wish to register the disputed domain name and the Respondent has offered no explanation.
The Panel concludes from the foregoing that the Respondent has registered and used the disputed domain name in bad faith in accordance with paragraph 4(b)(iv) of the Policy. The Respondent has intentionally attempted to attract Internet users to its website for commercial gain by creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainant’s trade mark.
The Panel therefore finds that the Complainant has established the third element of the 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, <legokocke.com> be transferred to the Complainant.
Adam Taylor
Sole Panelist
Dated: March 21, 2011