Westmore · UDRP DecisionCatroulette.com, Charoulette.com
The Panel ordered transfer of <catroulette.com> and <charoulette.com>. It found both domains confusingly similar typo-squatting variations of CHATROULETTE, that the Respondent had no rights or legitimate interests, and that the domains were registered and used in bad faith to attract Internet users for commercial gain through confusion. The Panel relied particularly on registration shortly after the Chatroulette service launched, redirection to a similar adult video-chat service, the non-obvious character of the CHATROULETTE term, the Respondent’s prior adverse UDRP cases involving other variations of the same mark, and the absence of any rebuttal.
The timeline behind catroulette.com
Registration, the decision and the archived record of what this domain actually displayed — from public RDAP and the Internet Archive.
Westmore reconstructs the full history behind catroulette.com — from public RDAP and the Internet Archive — as part of UDRP Intelligence:
How each disputed name was decided in this proceeding.
This decision illustrates a strong typo-squatting pattern where close timing, a distinctive coined-style mark, competitive use, and prior targeting of the same complainant combined to establish bad faith. It is also notable because the disputed domains predated the cited trademark registration; the Panel instead focused on the service’s prior launch, rapid growth, the implausibility of independently selecting two precise misspellings, and the Respondent’s conduct.
Result of record. The panel's reasoning and decisive facts behind each element are in the Intelligence dossier below.
WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL DECISION Andrey Ternovskiy dba Chatroulette v. Private Registration, Account Privacy / Scott Elliott, Transcom Ltd. Case No. D2018-2144 1. The Parties The Complainant is Andrey Ternovskiy dba Chatroulette of Sliema, Malta, represented by CSC Digital Brand Services AB, Sweden. The Respondent is Private Registration, Account Privacy of Tampa, Florida, United States of America (“United States”) / Scott Elliott, Transcom Ltd. of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. 2. The Domain Names and Registrar The disputed domain names <catroulette.com> and <charoulette.com> are registered with Nettuner Corp. DBA Webmasters.com (the “Registrar”). 3. Procedural History The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on September 20, 2018. On September 20, 2018, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the disputed domain names. On October 5, 2018, the Registrar transmitted by email to the Center its verification response disclosing registrant and contact information for the disputed domain names which differed from the named Respondent and contact information in the Complaint. The Center sent an email communication to the Complainant on October 5, 2018, 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 October 10, 2018. 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 October 11, 2018. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5, the due date for Response was October 31, 2018. The Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified the Respondent’s default on November 1, 2018. The Center appointed Adam Taylor as the sole panelist in this matter on November 12, 2018. 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 On November 16, 2009, the Complainant registered <chatroulette.com> and, from around December 5, 2009, he started using it for the “Chatroulette” service, enabling random video chat amongst Internet users. The business grew very quickly. Very soon after launch, the Complainant’s website was receiving approximately 500 visitors a day. In January 2010, that had risen to approximately 50,000 visitors per day. By February 2010, the Complainant had acquired some 4 million users in total. The Complainant’s service has received significant worldwide media coverage. The Complainant owns a number of registered trade marks for the term CHATROULETTE including United States trade mark No. 4445843, filed on January 10, 2011, registered December 10, 2014, in classes 38 and 45. The trade mark claims a “first use in commerce” date of December 5, 2009. The disputed domain names were registered on December 12, 2009. The Respondent has redirected both disputed domain names to an adult video chat website branded “HotRoulette”. The Complainant sent cease and desist letters to the Respondent on June 26, July 2, and August 20, 2018. No response was received. The Respondent was found to have registered and used in bad faith other typo-squatting variations of the Complainant’s marks in at least two previous UDRP cases: Andrey Ternovskiy dba Chatroulette v. Scott Elliott, Transcom Ltd ., WIPO Case No. D2017-0455 , and Andrey Ternovskiy dba Chatroulette v. Private Registration, Account Privacy / Scott Elliott, Transcom Ltd ., WIPO Case No. D2018-0536 . The Respondent owns other domain names reflecting third party trade marks including <disneytours.co.uk> and <hitachi-excavators.com>. 5. Parties’ Contentions A. Complainant The Complainant’s service is well known as one of the most popular video chat services in the world. The immense popularity of the Complainant’s site has spawned many infringements including clone sites and cybersquatting. The Complainant enjoys substantial public recognition in the term “Chatroulette” whereby the term has become uniquely associated with the Complainant. The disputed domain names are deliberate misspellings of, and therefore confusingly similar to, the Complainant’s trade mark. The Respondent’s use of the disputed domain names to target the Complainant is further evidence of confusing similarity. The Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain names. The Complainant has not authorised the Respondent to use the Complainant’s trade mark in any manner. The Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain names. The Respondent is directly competing with the Complainant’s service. This does not constitute a bona fide offering of goods or services, nor a legitimate noncommercial fair use of the disputed domain names. The use of the disputed domain names for adult content is further evidence of a lack of rights or legitimate interests. The disputed domain names were registered and used in bad faith. The Complainant’s service was established before the Respondent registered the disputed domain names. Although the Complainant had no registered trade marks at that time, the Complainant’s service had already enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity, thereby generating common law rights. Registering the disputed domain names shortly after the Complainant’s launch is indicative of opportunistic bad faith. Nor is it a coincidence that the Respondent used the disputed domain names for a competing business. By registering one-letter typo-squatting variations of the Complainant’s trade mark, the Respondent further demonstrated a knowledge of the Complainant’s brand. The Respondent’s use of confusingly similar domain names to direct unsuspecting Internet users to adult content is additional evidence of bad faith. The Respondent’s use of the disputed domain names constitutes a disruption of the Complainant’s business under paragraph 4(b)(iii) of the Policy. The use of privacy service supports an inference of bad faith registration and use. The Respondent’s failure to respond to the Complainant’s cease and desist letters is further evidence of bad faith. B. Respondent The Respondent did not reply to the Complainant’s contentions. 6. Discussion and Findings A. Identical or Confusingly Similar The Complainant has established rights in the mark CHATROULETTE by virtue of its registered trade marks as well as unregistered trade mark rights deriving from the extensive and worldwide use of that name. The disputed domain names are typo-squatting variations of the Complainant’s mark. In the case of the disputed domain name <catroulette.com>, the Respondent has removed the letter “h”. In the case of the disputed domain name <charoulette.com>, the Respondent has removed the letter “t”. Section 1.9 of the WIPO Overview of WIPO Panel Views on Selected UDRP Questions, Third Edition (“WIPO Overview 3.0”) makes clear that a domain name which consists of a common, obvious, or intentional misspelling of a trade mark is considered by panels to be confusingly similar to the relevant mark for purposes of the first element. The Panel therefore finds that the Complainant has established the first element of paragraph 4(a) of the Policy. B. Rights or Legitimate Interests As explained in section 2.1 of WIPO Overview 3.0 , the consensus view is that, where a complainant makes out a prima facie case that the respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests, the burden of production shifts to the respondent to come forward with relevant evidence demonstrating rights or legitimate interests in the domain name. If not, the complainant is deemed to have satisfied the second element . Here, the Complainant has not licensed or otherwise authorised 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 name could not be said to be bona fide . Nor is there any evidence that paragraphs 4(c)(ii) or (iii) of the Policy apply in the circumstances of this case. The Panel finds that the Complainant has established a prima facie case of lack of rights or 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 paragraph 4(a) of the Policy. C. Registered and Used in Bad Faith The Panel notes the following: 1. The disputed domain names are plainly typo-squatting variations of the Complainant’s trade mark, which itself comprises a non-obvious combination of the terms “chat” and “roulette”. 2. The disputed domain names were registered a matter of days after the Complainant launched its own business, which had grown exponentially since inception. 3. The Respondent has used the disputed domain names for websites offering services similar to those of the Complainant, namely random video chat – albeit in an adult context. 4. The Respondent has engaged in a similar pattern of conduct in that it has been found to have registered and used other typo-squatting variations of the Complainant’s trade mark in at least two previous UDRP cases. 5. The Respondent has not appeared in these proceedings to deny the Complainant’s assertions or to offer any legitimate explanation for its selection and use of the disputed domain names. The Panel concludes from the foregoing that the Respondent has registered and used the disputed domain names in bad faith in accordance with paragraph 4(b)(iv) of the Policy. The Respondent has intentionally attempted to attract Internet users to its websites 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 paragraph 4(a) 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 <catroulette.com> and <charoulette.com> be transferred to the Complainant. Adam Taylor Sole Panelist Date: November 22, 2018
Source of record: WIPO . Reproduced for research; WIPO is the authoritative source.
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