Westmore · UDRP decision
WIPO · Case No. D2026-2109

Sodefo.life

TransferWIPO-indexed · informational, not legal advice

The Panel ordered transfer of <sodefo.life>. It found the domain confusingly similar to the Complainant’s SODEXO and SODEXO LIVE ! marks, that the Respondent had not rebutted the Complainant’s prima facie showing of no rights or legitimate interests, and that passive holding amounted to bad faith in light of the marks’ distinctiveness and public presence, the domain’s composition, the lack of a response, use of a privacy service, and the implausibility of good-faith use. The Panel did not reach a final conclusion on the Complainant’s more specific allegation that the domain was intended for fraudulent commercial use.

Outcome
Transfer
At a glance
Provider
WIPO
Outcome
Transfer
Decision date
2026-07-03
Panelist(s)
Wegrostek, Manuel
Complainant
SODEXO
Respondent
Bianca Reyes
Counsel
Areopage
Disputed domain(s)
sodefo.life
Domain history UDRP Intelligence

The timeline behind sodefo.life

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

Reconstructing the record for sodefo.life…
Verified public record
Outcome & remedy
Complaint granted. Panel ordered transfer of sodefo.life.
Reverse Domain Name Hijacking
No RDNH raised.
Westmore Insight

The decision illustrates how a panel may find bad faith from passive holding where a newly created domain closely imitates distinctive marks, no plausible good-faith use is apparent, and the respondent offers no explanation. It also shows that a panel can reject or leave unresolved a speculative allegation of fraud while still finding bad faith on other established circumstances.

The three-part test
Identical or confusingly similarMet
Rights or legitimate interestsMet
Registered and used in bad faithMet

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

Case details
Provider
WIPO
Outcome
Transfer
Decision date
2026-07-03
Panel
Wegrostek, Manuel
Full decision
12 min read · hosted by Westmore

ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION CENTER ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL DECISION SODEXO v. Bianca Reyes Case No. D2026-2109 1. The Parties The Complainant is SODEXO, France, represented by AREOPAGE, France. The Respondent is Bianca Reyes, Philippines. 2. The Domain Name and Registrar The disputed domain name <sodefo.life> is registered with NameSilo, LLC 3. Procedural History On May 18, 2026, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the disputed domain name. On May 18, 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 (See PrivacyGuardian.org) and contact information in the Complaint. The Center sent an email communication to the Complainant on May 19, 2026, 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 May 21, 2026. The Center verified that the Complaint together with the amended Complaint satisfied the formal In accordance with the Rules, paragraphs 2 and 4, the Center formally notified the Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on May 26, 2026. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5, the due date for Response was June 15, 2026. The Respondent did not submit any response. June 16, 2026 The Center appointed Manuel Wegrostek as the sole panelist in this matter on June 19, 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 Founded in 1966, the Complainant is a global leader in the fields of food services and facilities management, with more than 426.000 employees serving daily 80 million consumers in 43 countries. For fiscal year 2025, the consolidated revenues reached EUR 24,1 billion. The Complainant is listed as one of the Fortune Magazine. From 1966 to 2008, the Complainant promoted its business under the Sodexho. In 2008, the Complainant simplified the spelling of its name to Sodexo The Complainant is the owner ), including: - United Kingdom Trademark Registration SODEXO No. UK00908346462, registered on February 1, 2010; - International Trademark Registration SODEXO No. 964615, inter alia designated for Japan and United States of America, registered on January 8, 2008; and - European Union Trademark Registration SODEXO No. 008346462, registered on February 1, 2010. The Complainant is further the owner of several trademarks for SODEXHO (the SODEXHO , including: - International Trademark Registration No. 689106, inter alia designated for Germany and China, registered on January 28, 1998; and - United Kingdom Trademark Registration No. UK00001297148, registered on October 13, 1989. Moreover, the Complainant is the owner of trademarks for SODEXO LIVE ! (the SODEXO LIVE ! , including: - International Trademark Registration No. 1648068, inter alia designated for United States of America and China, registered on October 15, 2021. The Complainant is also the owner of several domain names including the SODEXO Trademark, SODEXHO Trademark respective SODEXO LIVE Trademark, in particular the domain name <sodexo.com>, created on October 9, 1998, the domain name <sodexho.com>, created on October 23, 1995 as well as the domain name <sodexolive.com>, created on July 8, 2021. The disputed domain name was created on May 6, 2026. At the time of this Decision and when the (amended) Complaint was filed, the disputed domain name resolved to an inactive webpage. A. Complainant The Complainant contends that it has satisfied each of the elements required under the Policy for a transfer of the disputed domain name. On the first element of the Policy, the Complainant claims that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to the SODEXO Trademark and SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark. In the disputed domain name, the term sodefoSODEXO Trademark. The only difference between the signs is the xfThe consumers read and/or perceive the disputed domain name as sodexo.lifeSuch a difference corresponds to an obvious misspelling of the SODEXO Trademark which can be made by an Internet user and is characteristic of typosquatting practice intended to create confusing similarity. Further, sodefo the Top-Level Domain page 3 .lifeis almost identical to the SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark. Given the almost identical reproduction of the SODEXO Trademark and the SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark, the public will believe that the disputed domain name is linked to the Complainant. On the second element of the Policy, the Complainant contends that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name. the Respondent has no rights nor legitimate interests in the disputed domain name as it has no rights in sodexo as a corporate name, trade name, shop sign, mark or domain name that would be prior to the on the SODEXO Trademark or SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark. The Respondent was not commonly known by the disputed domain name prior to the adoption and use by the Complainant of the corporate name, business name and SODEXO Trademark or SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark. Moreover, the Respondent does not have any affiliation, association, sponsorship or connection with the Complainant and has not been authorized, licensed or otherwise permitted by the Complainant or by any subsidiary or affiliated company to register the disputed domain name and to use it. On the third element of the Policy, the Complainant asserts that the Respondent has registered and used the disputed domain name in bad faith. The term sodexo is purely fanciful and nobody could legitimately choose this word or any variation thereof, unless activities and SODEXO Trademark or SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark. Given the well-known character and reputation of the SODEXO Trademark and SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark, the Respondent obviously knew their existence when he registered the disputed domain name and knew that it had no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. The Respondent not only knows the SODEXO Trademark and SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark but wants to benefit from their reputation. It is obvious that the Respondent registered the disputed domain name with actual knowledge of the Complainant's rights in the SODEXO Trademark and SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark very likely for the purpose of creating confusion with the Complainant's marks to divert or mislead third parties for the Respondent's illegitimate profit. Even if the disputed domain name, which has been recently created, does not appear to point to a website with active content, a passive holding of a domain name does not prevent a finding of bad faith. Moreover, bad faith use may also result from the threat of an abusive use of the domain name at issue by the Respondent (for instance, for phishing). The unauthorized registration of the domain name by the Respondent and its (seemingly) passive holding, likely in the aim of fraudulent use, are for the purpose of commercial gain and then constitute bad faith registration and use. B. Respondent . 6. Discussion and Findings and documents submitted and in accordance with the Policy, these Rules and any rules and principles of The Complainant must evidence each of the three elements required by paragraph 4(a) of the Policy in order to succeed on the Complaint with respect to each disputed domain name, namely that: (i) the disputed domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights; and (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. page 4 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 isputed domain name. WIPO Overview of WIPO Panel WIPO Overview 3.1 The Complainant has shown rights in respect of a trademark or service mark for the purposes of the Policy. WIPO Overview 3.1, section 1.2.1. In principle, the applicable TLD registration requirement and as such is disregarded under the first element confusing similarity test. WIPO Overview 3.1, section 1.11.1. The disputed domain name contains the SODEXO Trademark with xfThe Panel finds the mark is recognizable within the disputed domain name. WIPO Overview 3.1, section 1.7. Further, a domain name which consists of a variation of a trademark (typically a common, obvious, or intentional misspelling, referred to as typosquatting) is considered by panels to be confusingly similar to the relevant mark for purposes of the first element. WIPO Overview 3.1, section 1.9. Further, where the applicable TLD and the second-level portion of the domain name in combination contain the relevant trademark, panels may consider the domain name in its entirety for purposes of assessing <trade.mark> would be confusingly similar for UDRP standing purposes). WIPO Overview 3.1, section 1.11.2. Taking the TLD into account, the disputed domain name contains similar terms as the SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark, with the only difference being sodexo, x f lifef is replaced by the phonetically similar letter v Accordingly, the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to the marks for the purposes of the Policy. 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 that a respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in a domain name may result in the often uiring 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. 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. The Complainant has not authorized, licensed, or permitted the Respondent to register or use the disputed domain name or to use the SODEXO Trademark, SODEXHO Trademark respective SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark. The Panel finds that there are no indications that the Respondent is commonly known by the disputed domain name or otherwise has any rights to or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. Having reviewed the available record, the Panel finds the Complainant has established a prima facie case that the Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. The Respondent has not rebutted the prima facie showing and has not come forward with any relevant evidence demonstrating rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name such as those enumerated in the Policy or otherwise. The Panel finds the second element of the Policy has been established. page 5 C. Registered and Used in Bad Faith The Panel notes that, for the purposes of paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the Policy, paragraph 4(b) of the Policy establishes circumstances, in particular, but without limitation, that, if found by the Panel to be present, shall be evidence of the registration and use of a domain name in bad faith. Panels have consistently found that the mere registration of a domain name that is identical or confusingly similar (particularly domain names comprising typos or incorporating the mark plus a descriptive term) to a well-known trademark, and particularly in the case of coined or fanciful marks, can by itself create a presumption of bad faith. WIPO Overview 3.1, section 3.1.4. At the time of the Decision and when the (amended) Complaint was filed, the disputed domain name resolved to an inactive webpage. From the inception of the UDRP, panels have found that the non-use of a doctrine of passive holding. While panels will look at the totality of the circumstances in each case, factors that have been considered relevant in applying the passive holding doctrine include: (i) the degree of response or to provide any evidence of actual or contemplated good- active steps to conceal its identity or (iv) the use of false or inaccurate contact details (noted to be in breach . Taking the above factors into consideration, panels assess the overall plausibility of any (claimed) good faith use to which the domain name may be put in light of the composition of the domain name in relation to the relevant mark, such that, the more arbitrary or distinctive a mark the less plausible a claimed non-infringing good faith use is likely to be, and vice versa. WIPO Overview 3.1, section 3.3. The Complainant contends that the Respondent likely registered the disputed domain name with the intent of using it fraudulently and for the purpose of commercial gain but does not provide clear evidence to support this claim. The Panel has not reached a final conclusion as to whether the Respondent has registered or used the disputed domain name with such intent or for such purpose. However, having reviewed the available record, the Panel notes the distinctiveness and public presence of the SODEXO Trademark and SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark, the composition of the disputed domain name, containing these trademarks in their entirety, with the x fSODEXO Trademark and SODEXO LIVE ! Trademark, the failure of the Respondent to submit a response, the Respondent a privacy protection service to conceal its identity, the implausibility of any good faith use to which the disputed domain name may be put, and finds that in the circumstances of this case, the passive holding of the disputed domain name does not prevent a finding of bad faith under the Policy. The Panel finds that the Complainant has established the third element 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 <sodefo.life> be transferred to the Complainant. /Manuel Wegrostek / Manuel Wegrostek Sole Panelist Date: July 3, 2026

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

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