By: www.DefendMyDomain.com

In the recent domain name dispute, Spinsix Strategic Marketing Design, LLC v. RareNames, WebReg FA1273907 (Nat. Arb. Forum, September 3, 2009), a single member Panel was faced with a dispute over the domain www.lincs.com. Complainant appears to be an marketing firm, which sells computer related online marketing tools. Complainant maintains a web site at www.spinsix.com. Complainant owns a trademark registration for the mark LINCS. Respondent appears to be a domainer and registered the disputed domain in September 2003.

Paragraph 4(a) of the Policy requires that the Complainant must prove each of the following three elements to obtain an order that a domain name should be cancelled or transferred: (1) the domain name registered by the Respondent is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights; (2) the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name; and (3) the domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.

In addressing the first element, the Panel found that Complainant had established rights to the mark LINCS through its trademark registration. However, the Panel noted Complainant did not provide sufficient evidence of common law rights dating back to the first use date of January 2004. The Panel recognized that Respondent argued that the disputed domain registration date predated the first use allegations from Complainant, but declined to review the information for this element. The Panel found this element satisfied by Complainant.

Moving to the second element, the Panel found that Complainant failed to establish a prima facie case under the Policy. The Panel noted:

Respondent has offered convincing proof that it is in the business of registering generic domain names and displaying advertising that relates to the generic nature of the terms in the domain names. Respondent asserts that engaging in the sale of generic domain names is a legitimate business.  The Panel finds that Respondent has used the disputed domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(c)(i)….Respondent also argues that the term in the <lincs.com> domain name is generic and of common use and therefore, Complainant does not have an exclusive monopoly on the term on the Internet. Respondent has offered convincing evidence that the contested domain name is comprised of a common term, such that the Panel finds that Respondent has established rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name pursuant to Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).

The Panel then simply stated that the disputed domain was registered before Complainant’s first use of the mark, and then concluded that section finding Respondent had rights or legitimate interests in the domain.

The Panel declined to review the bad faith element in light of this finding and instead moved to Respondent request for a finding of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking. The Panel repeated some of Respondent’s arguments, but did not provide much of its own analysis. Respondent argued:

Complainant has attempted to engage in reverse domain name hijacking by filing the instant UDRP case, with the knowledge both that Respondent had rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name, and that Respondent could not have registered  the disputed domain name in bad faith, because its registration of September 01, 2003, pre-dated Complainant’s asserted common law usage of the mark in January of 2004.

In light of these arguments, the Panel found that Complainant engaged in reverse domain name hijacking and DENIED Complainant’s request for transfer.