Westmore · UDRP DecisionMarthastewart-cookware.com
The Panel ordered transfer of <marthastewart-cookware.com>, finding it confusingly similar to Complainant’s registered MARTHA STEWART mark, that Respondent lacked rights or legitimate interests, and that Respondent registered and used it in bad faith through a misleading, commission-generating website that attempted to pass itself off as Complainant.
The timeline behind marthastewart-cookware.com
Registration, the decision and the archived record of what this domain actually displayed — from public RDAP and the Internet Archive.
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The Panel found bad-faith registration and use because Respondent registered a domain incorporating Complainant’s registered mark and used it for a misleading website that attempted to pass itself off as Complainant, promoted competing products, and generated referral commissions.
Result of record. The panel's reasoning and decisive facts behind each element are in the Intelligence dossier below.
NATIONAL ARBITRATION FORUM DECISION Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, LP v. Maxim Smirnov Claim Number: FA2601002201403 PARTIES Complainant is Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, LP ("Complainant"), United States, represented by Matthew Mills of ArentFox Schiff LLP, United States. Respondent is Maxim Smirnov ("Respondent"), Spain. REGISTRAR AND DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME The domain name at issue is <marthastewart-cookware.com>, registered with Cosmotown, Inc. PANEL The undersigned certifies that he has acted independently and impartially and to the best of his knowledge has no known conflict in serving as Panelist in this proceeding. David E. Sorkin as Panelist. PROCEDURAL HISTORY Complainant submitted a Complaint to Forum electronically on January 23, 2026; Forum received payment on January 23, 2026. On January 25, 2026, Cosmotown, Inc. confirmed by email to Forum that the <marthastewart-cookware.com> domain name is registered with Cosmotown, Inc. and that Respondent is the current registrant of the name. Cosmotown, Inc. has verified that Respondent is bound by the Cosmotown, Inc. registration agreement and has thereby agreed to resolve domain disputes brought by third parties in accordance with ICANN's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Policy"). On January 26, 2026, Forum served the Complaint and all Annexes, including a Written Notice of the Complaint, setting a deadline of February 17, 2026 by which Respondent could file a Response to the Complaint, via email to all entities and persons listed on Respondent's registration as technical, administrative, and billing contacts, and to postmaster@marthastewart-cookware.com. Also on January 26, 2026, the Written Notice of the Complaint, notifying Respondent of the email addresses served and the deadline for a Response, was transmitted to Respondent via post and fax, to all entities and persons listed on Respondent's registration as technical, administrative, and billing contacts. Having received no response from Respondent, Forum transmitted to the parties a Notification of Respondent Default. On February 18, 2026, pursuant to Complainant's request to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel, Forum appointed David E. Sorkin as Panelist. Having reviewed the communications records, the Administrative Panel (the "Panel") finds that Forum has discharged its responsibility under Paragraph 2(a) of the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Rules") "to employ reasonably available means calculated to achieve actual notice to Respondent" through submission of Electronic and Written Notices, as defined in Rule 1 and Rule 2. Therefore, the Panel may issue its decision based on the documents submitted and in accordance with the ICANN Policy, ICANN Rules, Forum's Supplemental Rules, and any rules and principles of law that the Panel deems applicable, without the benefit of any response from Respondent. RELIEF SOUGHT Complainant requests that the domain name be transferred from Respondent to Complainant. PARTIES' CONTENTIONS A. Complainant Complainant has used the MARTHA STEWART mark, a reference to the name of Complainant's founder, since as early as 1989 in connection with publishing, broadcasting, merchandising, and a variety of products and services ranging from furniture to cookware. Complainant owns hundreds of related trademark registrations, including registrations in the United States and the European Union for MARTHA STEWART in standard character form. The disputed domain name <marthastewart-cookware.com> was registered in December 2025. The name is registered to Respondent, although Respondent's identity is redacted from the public domain name registration record. The domain name is being used for a website that prominently and repeatedly displays Complainant's MARTHA STEWART mark and images of products similar to those of Complainant, with affiliate links to the Amazon storefront for Complainant's products. Complainant alleges that the website is designed to create a false impression that it is affiliated with or is an official website of Complainant. Complainant states that Respondent is not commonly known by the domain name, is not affiliated with Complainant, and is not licensed or otherwise authorized to use Complainant's mark. Complainant contends on the above grounds that the disputed domain name <marthastewart-cookware.com> is confusingly similar to its MARTHA STEWART mark; that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name; and that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith. B. Respondent Respondent failed to submit a Response in this proceeding. FINDINGS The Panel finds that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to a mark in which Complainant has rights; that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name; and that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith. DISCUSSION Paragraph 15(a) of the Rules instructs this Panel to "decide a complaint on the basis of the statements and documents submitted and in accordance with the Policy, these Rules and any rules and principles of law that it deems applicable." Paragraph 4(a) of the Policy requires that 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 Respondent is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which Complainant has rights; and (2) 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 view of Respondent's failure to submit a response, the Panel shall decide this administrative proceeding on the basis of Complainant's undisputed representations pursuant to paragraphs 5(f), 14(a), and 15(a) of the Rules and draw such inferences it considers appropriate pursuant to paragraph 14(b) of the Rules. The Panel is entitled to accept all reasonable allegations set forth in a complaint; however, the Panel may deny relief where a complaint contains mere conclusory or unsubstantiated arguments. See WIPO Overview of WIPO Panel Views on Select UDRP Questions, § 4.3 (version 3.1, 2026), available at https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/overview; UDRP Perspectives on Recent Jurisprudence, §§ 0.2, 0.8 (updated June 2, 2025), available at https://udrpperspectives.org/; see also eGalaxy Multimedia Inc. v. ON HOLD By Owner Ready To Expire, FA 157287 (Forum June 26, 2003) (dismissing complaint where complainant failed to "produce clear evidence to support its subjective allegations"). Identical and/or Confusingly Similar The disputed domain name <marthastewart-cookware.com> incorporates Complainant's registered MARTHA STEWART trademark, omitting the space and adding a hyphen, the generic term "cookware," and the ".com" top-level domain. These alterations do not substantially diminish the similarity between the domain name and Complainant's mark. See, e.g., Target Brands, Inc. v. xing star / xin goq / yuan zhu / da ming, FA 2139956 (Forum Mar. 7, 2025) (finding <figmintcookware.com> confusingly similar to FIGMINT); Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, LP v. mike simon, D2024-2436 (WIPO Aug. 16, 2024) (finding <marthastewart.shop> identical to MARTHA STEWART). The Panel considers the disputed domain name to be confusingly similar to a mark in which Complainant has rights. Rights or Legitimate Interests Under the Policy, the Complainant must first make a prima facie case that the Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the disputed domain name, and then the burden shifts to the Respondent to come forward with concrete evidence of such rights or legitimate interests. See Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. v. Entertainment Commentaries, FA 741828 (Forum Aug. 18, 2006). The disputed domain name incorporates Complainant's registered mark without authorization. Its sole apparent use has been for a misleading website that attempts to pass off as Complainant, promoting competing products and generating commissions by directing users to a third-party website. Such use does not give rise to rights or legitimate interests under the Policy. See, e.g., The Steelstone Group, LLC d/b/a GOURMIA v. Maxim Smirnov, FA 2190961 (Forum Dec. 24, 2025) (finding lack of rights or interests in similar circumstances); Marshalltown Hammer LLC v. Vladimir Veselovskiy, FA 2189454 (Forum Dec. 16, 2025) (same); Target Brands, Inc. v. xing star / xin goq / yuan zhu / da ming, supra (same). Complainant has made a prima facie case that Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the domain name, and Respondent has failed to come forward with any evidence of such rights or interests. Accordingly, the Panel finds that Complainant has sustained its burden of proving that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name. Registration and Use in Bad Faith Finally, Complainant must show that the disputed domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith. Under paragraph 4(b)(iii) of the Policy, bad faith may be shown by evidence that Respondent registered the disputed domain name "primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor." Under paragraph 4(b)(iv), bad faith may be shown by evidence that "by using the domain name, [Respondent] intentionally attempted to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to [Respondent's] web site or other on-line location, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the complainant's mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of [Respondent's] web site or location or of a product or service on [Respondent's] web site or location." Respondent registered a domain name incorporating Complainant's registered mark, and is using the domain name for a misleading website that attempts to pass off as Complainant, promoting competing products and generating commissions by directing users to a third-party website. Such circumstances are indicative of bad faith registration and use under the Policy. See, e.g., The Steelstone Group, LLC d/b/a GOURMIA v. Maxim Smirnov, supra (finding bad faith registration and use in similar circumstances); Marshalltown Hammer LLC v. Vladimir Veselovskiy, supra (same); Target Brands, Inc. v. xing star / xin goq / yuan zhu / da ming, supra (same). The Panel so finds. DECISION Having considered the three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be GRANTED. Accordingly, it is Ordered that the <marthastewart-cookware.com> domain name be TRANSFERRED from Respondent to Complainant. David E. Sorkin, Panelist Dated: February 18, 2026 Click Here to return to the main Domain Decisions Page. Click Here to return to our Home Page
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