1. The Parties
The Complainant is Match Group, LLC of Dallas, Texas, united states (“United States”), represented by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, united states of america.
The Respondent is Merl Matrix GmbH of Baar, Zug, Switzerland, internally represented.
2. The Domain Name and Registrar
The disputed domain name is registered with GoDaddy.com, LLC (the “Registrar”).
3. Procedural History
The Complaint ended up being filed using the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on March 7, 2018. A request for registrar verification in connection with the disputed domain name on March 7, 2018, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar. On March 8, 2018, the Registrar sent by e-mail into the Center its verification reaction confirming that the Respondent is detailed given that registrant and supplying the contact information. In reaction up to a notification because of the Center that the Complaint had been administratively lacking, the Complainant filed an amendment towards the issue on March 13, 2018. The middle received communications that are several the Respondent on March 7, 2018, March 13, 2018 and March 15, 2018.
The Center verified that the issue with the amended problem satisfied the formal needs associated with the Uniform website name Dispute Resolution Policy (the “Policy” or “UDRP”), the guidelines for Uniform Domain title Dispute Resolution Policy (the “Rules”), additionally the WIPO Supplemental Rules for Uniform website name Dispute Resolution Policy (the “Supplemental Rules”).
Prior to the guidelines, paragraphs 2 and 4, the middle formally notified the Respondent associated with Complaint, while the procedures commenced on March 16, 2018. Relative to the principles, paragraph 5, the date that is due Response ended up being April 5, 2018. The reaction had been filed aided by the focus on April 5, 2018. The Respondent filed a health health health supplement to its reaction on April 5, 2018. The Complainant filed a supplemental filing on April 13, 2018 while the Respondent filed a supplemental filing on April 14, 2018.
The Center appointed Andrew D. S. Lothian since the panelist that is sole this matter on April 27, 2018. The Panel discovers it was correctly constituted. The Panel has submitted the Statement of recognition and Declaration of Impartiality and Independence, as needed because of the Center to make certain conformity aided by the Rules, paragraph 7.
4. Factual Background. The Complainant has been around the company of providing online social network, dating and match-making services since 2012 and runs a favorite relationship solution under its TINDER trademarks.
The Complainant partcipates in significant advertising tasks of those solutions 12 months on year. The Complainant has and runs the web sites “www. Gotinder.com” and “www. Tinder.com” to facilitate its solutions. Regarding the “Tinder” branded internet site users may produce individual records, search and view member pages, donate to message boards, and read helpful and informative articles in the official “Tinder” blog.
The Complainant reaches consumers global via its popular “Tinder” dating and social network mobile applications for Android and iOS mobile platforms. The Android os version has now reached over 100 million installs since inception in July 2013 and over 10 billion dating matches since 2012.
A variety is held by the Complainant of authorized trademarks both for figurative and term markings in respect of this TINDER mark including, as an example, usa registered trademark no. 4479131 for the term mark TINDER, registered on February 4, 2014 in international course 9 (mobile computer programs) and usa registered trademark no. 4976225 for the term mark TINDER, registered on June 14, 2016 in worldwide course 45 ( Internet-based networking that is social introduction and online dating services).
The disputed domain title was made on March 2, 2016. The Respondent describes it is a startup company running a business that is dating. The web site from the disputed domain title features the phrase “Tender” in prominent red letters, underneath that will be stated in smaller typeface “Free internet dating for tender, type and loving singles” together by having a fall down menu for an individual to choose their sex and a “Join now” key.
In line with the screenshots made by the Respondent from the Bing AdWords account, it seems to have utilized the after text on its adverts (although the Panel records that the most effective type of the initial ad might have been obscured):
5. Events’ Contentions. The Complainant contends that the disputed website name is identical or confusingly just like a trademark by which it has legal rights;
A. Complainant
That the Respondent does not have any legal rights or genuine passions into the domain that is disputed; and therefore the disputed domain name ended up being registered and it is getting used in bad faith.
The Complainant states that the disputed website name is practically just like its TINDER mark but also for a small misspelling and had been registered under circumstances typo-squatting that is constituting. The Complainant adds that while panels generally speaking try not to think about the domain that is top-level assessing confusing similarity, the Respondent’s utilization of the “. Singles” top-level domain shows that the disputed website name is supposed to connect with the Complainant’s solutions and strengthens the recognized link with the Complainant.
The Complainant notes that the Respondent is certainly not connected to or endorsed by the Complainant and it has never ever been certified or authorized to make use of some of its authorized markings, nor any confusingly comparable designation, as an element of a domain name. The Complainant submits that the Respondent cannot demonstrate some of the circumstances put down in paragraph 4(c) regarding the Policy nor any kind of undeniable fact that may establish legal rights or the best desire for the disputed website name. The Complainant contends that the Respondent have not utilized the domain that is disputed in reference to a real offering of products or solutions since it is willfully exploiting the Complainant’s appeal and trading on its goodwill, noting that online users are lured to a dubious internet site where users are confronted by multiple sources to dating and matchmaking solutions that are made to confusingly claim that the Respondent may be the Complainant or endorsed or affiliated therewith. The Complainant asserts that the Respondent has not yet become popularly known as “tender”, nor had been it therefore understood if the domain that is disputed had been registered. The Complainant adds that the Respondent cannot demonstrate a legitimate noncommercial or reasonable utilization of the domain that is disputed and that in misappropriating the Complainant’s marks the Respondent is leveraging the Complainant’s goodwill and appeal because of its very own advantage and simultaneously diminishing the worth associated with the Complainant, its markings and online dating services.
The Complainant states so it happens to be which consists of TINDER mark since as soon as August 2, 2012 and therefore its formal domain had been registered on June 22, 2012, a long time before the domain that is disputed had been registered. The Complainant asserts that the Respondent promises to misappropriate the TINDER mark to deceive customers and draw an poor relationship, considering the fact that the web site linked to the disputed website name prominently features the “Tender” designation along side adverts 100% free dating that is online. The Complainant asserts that the Respondent deliberately tries to attract internet surfers via confusion generated aided by the Complainant’s TINDER mark regarding the source, sponsorship, affiliation or endorsement regarding the disputed domain title whereby such users will think these are typically working with the Complainant or that the disputed website name is affiliated to or endorsed because of the Complainant. The Complainant adds that such actions were made knowingly and deceitfully because of the Respondent.
The Complainant asserts that users looking for “tender” and dating would become more prone to achieve this considering understanding of the Complainant’s TINDER trademark, contending because it is confusingly similar thereto that it is much more plausible that the Respondent chose the https://besthookupwebsites.net/phrendly-review/ disputed domain name. The Complainant submits so it strains credulity that the Respondent would spend the same of more than USD 35,000 advertising an presumably generic website which will be one of the main it has according to a dictionary term often utilized in dating pages. The Complainant adds that the Respondent wouldn’t normally achieve this if it would not make a lot more in exchange. The Complainant also asks the Panel to dismiss the Respondent’s claim regarding its enrollment and make use of of other names of domain as this is unsupported by proof.
The Complainant submits that the known undeniable fact that “tender” may have a dictionary meaning will not put it in just a safe-harbor that is resistant through the Policy, noting that the Respondent doesn’t argue that the Complainant’s trademark is generic. The Complainant asserts that while a celebration may legitimately register a website name comprising a dictionary term and make use of the web web web site for content highly relevant to this is of this term, the Respondent provides no proof that “tender” means dating, shows dating, and on occasion even calls in your thoughts dating but instead defines a feature in which some people on online dating sites may recognize on their own. The Complainant records that the Respondent doesn’t provide a conclusion as to why it just registered a domain title which can be a phonetic comparable and typical misspelling associated with Complainant’s trademark as opposed to register other characteristics of an individual, incorporating that “tender” isn’t generic for the dating site and that users will be very likely to seek out “date”, “dating” or similar terms instead of “tender”.