WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center

ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL DECISION

Advanced New Technologies Co., Ltd. v. Domain Administrator, See PrivacyGuardian.org / Jianfei Chen

Case No. D2020-1953

1. The Parties

The Complainant is Advanced New Technologies Co., Ltd., Cayman Islands, United Kingdom, represented by CSC Digital Brand Services Group AB, Sweden.

The Respondent is Domain Administrator, See PrivacyGuardian.org, United States of America / Jianfei Chen, United Kingdom.

2. The Domain Name and Registrar

The disputed domain name <alipayeu.com> (“the Domain Name”) is registered with NameSilo, LLC (the “Registrar”).

3. Procedural History

The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on July 27, 2020. On July 27, 2020, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the Domain Name. On July 27, 2020, the Registrar transmitted by email to the Center its verification response disclosing registrant and contact information for the Domain Name which differed from the named Respondent and contact information in the Complaint. The Center sent an email communication to the Complainant on July 28, 2020 providing the registrant and contact information disclosed by the Registrar, and inviting the Complainant to submit an amendment to the Complaint. The Complainant filed an amended Complaint on July 30, 2020.

The Center verified that the Complaint together with the amended 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 and 4, the Center formally notified the Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on August 17, 2020. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5, the due date for Response was September 6, 2020. The Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified the Respondent’s default on September 21, 2020.

The Center appointed Dawn Osborne as the sole panelist in this matter on September 25, 2020. 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.

4. Factual Background

The Complainant is the owner of the mark ALIPAY used for online retail and financial services and registered, inter alia, in the European Union as trade mark registration No. 4469052 registered since November 26, 2010.

The Domain Name registered on April 1, 2018 has been pointed to the Complainant’s website at “www.global.alipay.com”.

5. Parties’ Contentions

A. Complainant

The Complainant’s contentions can be summarised as follows:

The Complainant is the owner of the mark ALIPAY used for online retail and financial services and registered, inter alia, in the European Union as trade mark registration No. 4469052 registered since November 26, 2010.

The Domain Name registered in 2018 is confusingly similar to the Complainant’s trade mark adding only the geographical term “eu” (common abbreviation for “European Union”) and the generic Top-Level Domain (“gTLD”) “.com” which does not prevent said confusing similarity.

The Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name, is not commonly known by it and is not authorised by the Complainant.

The Domain Name has been used to point to the Complainant’s official web site which is not a bona fide offering of goods or services. It is registration and use in bad faith designed to confuse Internet users that there is an affiliation of the Respondent’s web site and the Domain Name with the Complainant when there is not. The fact that the Domain Name is pointed to the Complainant’s official web site shows that the Respondent was aware of the Complainant’s rights and business and carries the risk that Respondent may at any time cause Internet traffic to redirect to a website that is not that of, or associated with, the Complainant.

B. Respondent

The Respondent did not reply to the Complainant’s contentions.

6. Discussion and Findings

A. Identical or Confusingly Similar

The Domain Name consists of the Complainant’s ALIPAY mark (which is registered, inter alia, in the European Union as a trade mark for online retail and financial services since 2010), the term “eu” meaning European Union and the gTLD “.com”.

Previous UDRP panels have found confusing similarity when a respondent merely adds generic geographical terms and a gTLD to a Complainant's mark. The addition of the term “eu” and the gTLD .com does not prevent a finding of confusing similarity between the Domain Name and the Complainant’s mark.

Accordingly, the Panel holds that the Domain Name is confusingly similar to the Complainant’s registered mark.

As such the Panel holds that paragraph 4(a)(i) of the Policy has been satisfied.

B. Rights or Legitimate Interests

The Complainant has not authorised the use of its mark. The Respondent has not answered this Complaint and there is no evidence or reason to suggest the Respondent is, in fact, commonly known by the Domain Name.

Redirection to the Complainant’s website does not demonstrate a bona fide offering of good or services or a legitimate noncommercial or fair use and is a likely cause of deception.

As such the Panel finds that the Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name and that the Complainant has satisfied the second limb of the Policy.

C. Registered and Used in Bad Faith

The Respondent has not answered this Complaint or explained why it should be allowed to register a domain name containing the Complainant’s mark.

Redirecting a domain name containing the Complainant’s trade mark to the Complainant’s own website is established bad faith registration and use, with the potential of disrupting the Complainant’s business at any time (by causing internet traffic to redirect to a website that is not that of, or associated with, the Complainant), and showing actual knowledge on the Respondent’s part of the Complainant and its business, rights and goods.

As such, the Panel holds that the Complainant has made out its case that the Domain Name was registered and used in bad faith and has satisfied the third limb of the Policy, paragraph 4(b)(iii).

7. Decision

For the foregoing reasons, in accordance with paragraphs 4(i) of the Policy and 15 of the Rules, the Panel orders that the Domain Name, <alipayeu.com> be transferred to the Complainant.

Dawn Osborne
Sole Panelist
Date: October 1, 2020