WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center

ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL DECISION

Belfius Bank S.A., Belfius Bank N.V. v. WhoisGuard Protected, WhoisGuard, Inc. / Ulan Benkh

Case No. D2020-2026

1. The Parties

The Complainant is Belfius Bank S.A., Belfius Bank N.V., Belgium, internally represented.

The Respondent is WhoisGuard Protected, WhoisGuard, Inc., Panama, / Ulan Benkh, United States of America.

2. The Domain Names and Registrar

The disputed domain names <belfiusbank-aanmelding.press>, <belfiusbank-aanmelding.website>, <meldjeaan-belfius.press>, <meldjeaan-belfius.site>, <meldjeaan-belfius.website> and
<meldjeaan-belfius.work> are registered with NameCheap, Inc. (the “Registrar”).

3. Procedural History

The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on July 31, 2020, initially requesting the transfer of the domain name < meldjeaan-belfius.website>. On July 31, 2020, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the disputed domain names. On July 31, 2020, the Registrar transmitted by email to the Center its verification response disclosing registrant and contact information for the disputed domain name which differed from the named Respondent and contact information in the Complaint. The Center sent an email communication to the Complainant on August 3, 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 August 7, 2020, adding the domain names <belfiusbank-aanmelding.press>, <belfiusbank-aanmelding.website>, <meldjeaan-belfius.press>, <meldjeaan-belfius.site>, and <meldjeaan-belfius.work> to the present case D2020-2026, requesting the addition of the disputed domain names to the present proceeding, and withdrawing the complaints in the cases D2020-2022, D2020‑2023, D2020-2024, D2020-2025 and D2020-2027 that were pending with regard to these domain names.

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 26, 2020. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5, the due date for Response was September 15, 2020. The Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified the Respondent’s default on September 16, 2020.

The Center appointed Andrea Mondini as the sole panelist in this matter on September 28, 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 a leading Belgian bank and financial services provider with more than 5,000 employees and over 650 agencies.

The Complainant owns several registrations for the trademark BELFIUS, including the European Union Trademark (“EUTM”) registration no. 010581205 for the word mark BELFIUS in classes 9, 16, 35, 36, 41 and 45, filed on January 23, 2012, and registered on May 24, 2012.

All disputed domain names were created on May 6, 2020, and they all resolve to inactive websites.

5. Parties’ Contentions

A. Complainant

The Complainant in essence contends the following:

The trademark BELFIUS is a coined term composed of “Bel” as in Belgium, “fi” as in finance and “us” as in the English word “us”.

The disputed domain names are confusingly similar to the Complainant’s trademarks because they incorporate the BELFIUS trademark in its entirety. The addition of the descriptive terms “Meldjeaan” (Dutch for “sign in”), “Aanmelding” (Dutch for “registration”), “website”, “site”, “press” and “work” to the trademark BELFIUS does not dispel confusion.

The Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain names. The Complainant has not licensed or otherwise authorized the Respondent to use the BELFIUS trademark. The Respondent has no association with the Complainant, no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain names, or any rights in the BELFIUS trademark.

The disputed domain names have been registered and used in bad faith, because the Respondent either knew or should have known the Complainant’s trademark when it registered the disputed domain names.

The Respondent has further used the disputed domain names in bad faith by passively holding them without a legitimate purpose.

B. Respondent

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

6. Discussion and Findings

According to paragraph 4(a) of the Policy, in order to succeed, a complainant must establish each of the following elements:

(i) the disputed domain name is identical or confusingly similar to the trademark or service mark in which the complainant has rights;

(ii) the respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name; and

(iii) the disputed domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.

6.1 Addition of Domain Names

As a general rule, domain names held by the same registrant may be added to a complaint before notification to the respondent(s)/formal commencement of the relevant proceeding. Particularly where the WhoIs-listed registrant is a privacy or proxy service, on receipt of confirmation of the underlying registrant identity from the registrar relayed by the WIPO Center to the complainant, a complainant may wish to add other relevant domain names held by the same registrant to its complaint. See WIPO Overview of WIPO Panel Views on Selected UDRP Question, Third Edition (“WIPO Overview 3.0”), section 4.12.2.

In the present case, all disputed domain names are held by the same Respondent, and the Complainant added the domain names <belfiusbank-aanmelding.press>, <belfiusbank-aanmelding.website>, <meldjeaan-belfius.press>, <meldjeaan-belfius.site>, and <meldjeaan-belfius.work>, to the disputed domain name <meldjeaan-belfius.website>, before notification to the Respondent.

Therefore, the Panel accepts the addition of these domain names to the Complaint.

6.2 Substantive Issues

A. Identical or Confusingly Similar

The Complainant has shown that it holds trademark registrations for the word marks BELFIUS.

The Panel finds that the disputed domain names is confusingly similar to the Complainant’s trademark because they incorporate in its entirety the distinctive trademark BELFIUS. The addition of the words “Meldjeaan” (Dutch for “sign in”), “Aanmelding” (Dutch for “registration”), “website”, “site”, “press” and “work” to the trademark BELFIUS does not dispel confusing similarity. See WIPO Overview 3.0, section 1.8.

Accordingly, the Panel finds that the Complainant has satisfied the requirement under paragraph 4(a)(i) of the Policy.

B. Rights or Legitimate Interests

The Complainant contends, credibly, that it has not authorized the Respondent to register or use the disputed domain names and that there is no relationship whatsoever between the Parties.

In the absence of any Response, the Panel concludes that the Respondent was not authorized or licensed to use the Complainant’s trademark in the disputed domain names and that there is no indication of any bona fide offering of goods or services under the disputed domain names nor any legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the disputed domain names. Further, there is no evidence showing that the Respondent has been commonly known by any of the disputed domain names. Accordingly, the Panel finds that the Respondent does not have rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain names.

Therefore, the Panel finds that the Complainant has satisfied the requirement under paragraph 4(a)(ii) of the Policy.

C. Registered and Used in Bad Faith

The BELFIUS trademark is a coined, distinctive term identifying a major Belgian financial services provider. The Panel thus concludes that the Respondent must have been aware of this trademark and its reputation when it registered the disputed domain names, so that the disputed domain names were registered in bad faith.

Considering the distinctiveness and reputation of the Complainant’s trademark and the failure of the Respondent to submit a response, the inactive use of the disputed domain names without a legitimate purpose, under the circumstances of this case, does not prevent a finding of bad faith under the doctrine of passive holding. See WIPO Overview 3.0, section 3.3.

Accordingly, the Panel concludes that the disputed domain names have been registered and used in bad faith.

The Panel therefore finds that the Complainant has satisfied the requirement under paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the Policy.

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 disputed domain names <belfiusbank-aanmelding.press>, <belfiusbank‑aanmelding.website>, <meldjeaan-belfius.press>, <meldjeaan-belfius.site>, <meldjeaan‑belfius.website> and <meldjeaan-belfius.work> be transferred to the Complainant.

Andrea Mondini
Sole Panelist
Date: September 29, 2020