Geen bewijs van goede trouw

B9 11505. Minutemaid.nl. WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, uitspraak geschillenbeslechter (Paul L. Reeskamp), zaaknr. DNL2012-0037, The Coca-Cola Company v. P. Engbers. (met dank aan Anne Marie Verschuur, NautaDutilh).

Eiseres Coca Cola is houdster van diverse merkregistraties m.b.t. het bekende merk Minute Maid en vordert i.c. de overdracht van de domeinnaam minutemaid.nl. De vordering wordt toegewezen. Verweerder heeft geen recht op of legitiem belang bij de domeinnaam en heeft de domeinnaam te kwader trouw geregistreerd. Dat de domeinnaam niet wordt gebruikt, of niet te koop wordt aangeboden staat aan die conclusie niet in de weg. 

Given the fact that Complainant’s well-known Trademarks pre-date the date of registration of the Domain Name by Respondent, the Panel is of the opinion that Respondent was aware or should have been aware of Complainant and its Trademarks when it registered the Domain Name. The Panel furthermore emphasizes that the apparent lack of so-called active use (e.g. for the Domain Name to resolve to an active website) of the Domain Name without any active attempt to sell or to contact the trademark holder (passive holding), does not as such prevent a finding of bad faith. The specific cumulative circumstances in this case in which the Domain Name is identical to the well-known Trademarks of Complainant and in which Respondent has provided no evidence whatsoever of any actual or contemplated good-faith use by it of the Domain Name, are indicative of bad faith on the part of Respondent in its registration and/or use of the Domain Name (see Telstra Corporation Limited v. Nuclear Marshmallows, WIPO Case No. D2000-0003b).

For all the foregoing reasons, in accordance with articles 1 and 14 of the Regulations, the Panel orders that the Domain Name <minutemaid.nl> be transferred to the Complainant.

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