Decisión del Panel Administrativo nº D2020-1873 of WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, September 08, 2020 (case Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) v. WhoisGuard Protected, WhoisGuard, Inc. / John Doe and Whois Privacy Corp.)

• Resolution Date: September 08, 2020
• Issuing Organization: WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center
• Decision: Transfer
• Dominio: Generic Domains

WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center

ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL DECISION

Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) v. WhoisGuard Protected, WhoisGuard, Inc. / John Doe and Whois Privacy Corp.

Case No. D2020-1873

1. The Parties

Complainant is Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO), United States of America (“United States”), represented by Burns & Levinson LLP, United States.

Respondents are WhoisGuard Protected, WhoisGuard, Inc., Panama / John Doe, United States and Whois Privacy Corp., Bahamas.

2. The Domain Names and Registrar(s)

The disputed domain names: [geicoloan.co] and [geicoloan.net] (“the “Domain Names”) are respectively registered by; John Doe with NameCheap, Inc. (the “First Registrar”) and by Whois Privacy Corp. with Internet Domain Service BS Corp (the “Second Registrar”).

3. Procedural History

The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the “Center”) on July 17, 2020. On July 20, 2020, the Center transmitted by email to the First Registrar and to the Second Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the Domain Names. On July 20, 2020, the First Registrar transmitted by email to the Center its verification response disclosing registrant and contact information for the [geicoloan.co] Domain Name, which differed from the named Respondent and contact information in the Complaint. On July 21, 2020 the Second Registrar transmitted by email to the Center its verification response confirming that Respondent is listed as the registrant and providing the contact details. The Center sent an email communication to Complainant on July 21, 2020 providing the registrant and contact information disclosed by the First Registrar, and inviting Complainant to submit an amendment to the Complaint. Complainant filed an amended Complaint on July 24, 2020.

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 Respondents of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on July 29, 2020. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5, the due date for Response was August 18, 2020. Respondents did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified Respondent’s default on August 19, 2020.

The Center appointed Kimberley Chen Nobles as the sole panelist in this matter on August 25, 2020. 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.

4. Factual Background

Complainant is an insurance provider incorporated under the laws of Maryland in the United States. It has provided insurance services since 1936 and offers numerous types of insurance services including automobile, motorcycle, homeowners, rental, condominium, flood, mobile home, personal umbrella, and overseas insurance, among others. Complainant is an auto insurer and insures more than 28 million vehicles, with over 17 million policies.

Complainant has been trading under the trademark GEICO (the “GEICO Mark”) for nearly 80 years and owns numerous federally registered trademarks and service marks that wholly incorporate the GEICO Mark or visual representations, including the following:

United States Trademark Registration No. 763,274 for GEICO, registered on January 14, 1964;

United States Trademark Registration No. 2,601,179 for GEICO, registered on July 30, 2002;

United States Trademark Registration No. 1,442,076 for GEICO DIRECT, registered on June 9, 1987;

United States Trademark Registration No. 2,071,336 for GEICO DIRECT, registered on June 17, 1997;

United States Trademark Registration No. 2,982,260 for GEICO AUTO...