Rufflandkennelstore.com

The timeline behind rufflandkennelstore.com

Registration, the decision and the archived record of what this domain actually displayed — from public RDAP and the Internet Archive.

Result of record. The panel's reasoning and decisive facts behind each element are in the Intelligence dossier below.

ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION CENTER ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL DECISION RuffLand Performance, LLC v. Christian Leon Case No. D2026-0333 1. The Parties Complainant is RuffLand Performance, LLC, United States of America (“United States”), represented by Woods, Fuller, Shultz & Smith P.C., United States Respondent is Christian Leon, United States. 2. The Domain Name and Registrar The disputed domain name <rufflandkennelstore.com> is registered with Hostinger Operations, UAB (the “Registrar”). 3. Procedural History The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on January 27, 2026. On January 27, 2026, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the disputed domain name. On February 2, 2026, 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 (John Doe) and contact information in the Complaint. The Center sent an email communication to Complainant on February 3, 2026, providing the registrant and contact information disclosed by the Registrar, and inviting Complainant to submit an amendment to the Complaint. Complainant filed an amended Complaint on February 12, 2026. 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 February 16, 2026. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5, the due date for Response was March 8, 2026. Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified the Respondent’s default on March 9, 2026. The Center appointed Lorelei Ritchie as the sole panelist in this matter on March 13, 2026. 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. page 2 4. Factual Background Complainant is a limited liability company based in the United States. For at least five years prior to the registration of the disputed domain name, Complainant has offered pet crates and related products under the mark RUFFLAND. Complainant is the owner of several registrations for its RUFFLAND mark, including United States Registration Nos. 5,786,880 (registered June 25, 2019) for the word RUFFLAND and 5,804,430 (registered July 16, 2019) for a composite word and design mark. Complainant owns the domain name <rufflandkennels.com>. The disputed domain name was registered on May 31, 2025. Respondent has used the URL associated with the disputed domain name to redirect users to a website that masquerades as an official website of Complainant, including use of Complainant’s RUFFLAND word and design marks, and inviting web users to provide sensitive personal and financial information. 5. Parties’ Contentions A. Complainant Complainant contends that (i) the disputed domain name is identical or confusingly similar to Complainants’ trademarks; (ii) Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name; and (iii) Respondent registered and is using the disputed domain name in bad faith. Specifically, Complainant contends that it owns rights to the RUFFLAND word and design marks for which it has gained a “reputation for high quality manufacturing and customer care” on its pet crates and related products. Complainant further contends that Respondent has incorporated in full Complainant’s RUFFLAND mark into the disputed domain name, with only the addition of the terms “kennel store”, which does not avoid confusion. Complainant asserts that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interest in the disputed domain name, and rather has registered and is using it in a fraudulent and bad faith manner to mimic an official website of Complainant without offering any actual products or services. B. Respondent Respondent did not reply to Complainant’s contentions. 6. Discussion and Findings A. Identical or Confusingly Similar It is well accepted that the first element functions primarily as a standing requirement. The standing (or threshold) test for confusing similarity involves a reasoned but relatively straightforward comparison between the Complainant’s trademark and the disputed domain name. WIPO Overview of WIPO Panel Views on Select UDRP Questions, (“WIPO Overview 3.1”), section 1.7. Complainant has shown rights in respect of a trademark or service mark, RUFFLAND, for the purposes of the Policy. WIPO Overview 3.1, section 1.2.1. Although the addition of other terms (here, the terms “kennel store”) may bear on assessment of the second and third elements, the Panel finds the addition of such term/s does not prevent a finding of confusing similarity between the disputed domain name and Complainant’s mark for purposes of the Policy. WIPO Overview 3.1, section 1.8. The Panel therefore finds that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to a trademark in which Complainant has rights in accordance with paragraph 4(a)(i) of the Policy. page 3 B. Rights or Legitimate Interests Paragraph 4(c) of the Policy provides a list of circumstances in which the Respondent may demonstrate rights or legitimate interests in a disputed domain name. Although the overall burden of proof in UDRP proceedings is on the complainant, panels have recognized that proving a respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in a domain name may result in the difficult task of “proving a negative”, requiring information that is often primarily within the knowledge or control of the respondent. As such, where a complainant makes out a prima facie case that the respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests, the burden of production on this element shifts to the respondent to come forward with relevant evidence demonstrating rights or legitimate interests in the domain name (although the burden of proof always remains on the complainant). If the respondent fails to come forward with such relevant evidence, the complainant is deemed to have satisfied the second element. WIPO Overview 3.1, section 2.1. Complainant has provided evidence that the disputed domain name is being used to redirect users to an unauthorized website that mimics an official website of Complainant, apparently without offering any actual products or services. Panels have held that the use of a domain name for illegal activity, including impersonation, can never confer rights or legitimate interests on a respondent. WIPO Overview 3.1, section 2.13.1. The Panel finds that Complainant has provided sufficient evidence of Respondent’s lack of “rights or legitimate interests” in accordance with paragraph 4(a)(ii) of the Policy which Respondent has not rebutted. C. Registered and Used in Bad Faith There are several ways that a complainant can demonstrate that a domain name was registered and used in bad faith. As noted in Section 4 of this Panel’s decision, the record includes evidence that the URL associated with the disputed domain name has been used to redirect users to a website that masquerades as an official website of Complainant, including use of Complainant’s RUFFLAND word and design marks, and inviting web users to provide sensitive personal and financial information. Hence, the Panel finds that Respondent registered the disputed domain name with Complainant’s mark in mind and is trading on the goodwill of Complainant’s trademarks to attract Internet users, presumably for Respondent’s own commercial gain. Therefore, the Panel finds sufficient evidence that Respondent registered and used the disputed domain name in bad faith for purposes of 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 name <rufflandkennelstore.com> be transferred to Complainant. /Lorelei Ritchie/ Lorelei Ritchie Sole Panelist Date: March 18, 2026

Source of record: WIPO . Reproduced for research; WIPO is the authoritative source.