The UDRP Blog™

In Steven Madden, Ltd. v. Domain Admin, Whois Privacy Corp. , WIPO Case No. D2018-2474 (Jane Seager, December 24, 2018), the Panel transferred the domain stevenmadden.com to the famous footwear, apparel, and accessories brand known as Steve Madden. Respondent, a Chinese individual, did not respond to the Complaint. Turning to the first of the three elements of a UDRP claim, the Panel found that the disputed domain was confusingly similar to trademarks owned by the Complainant. Interestingly, despite its corporate name Steven Madden, Ltd., Complainant apparently does not own any STEVEN MADDEN trademarks, but does own several registration for STEVE MADDEN and also a registration for STEVEN BY STEVE MADDEN. The Panel found that the disputed domain was confusingly similar to both of these marks, emphasizing that “'Steven' is an obvious variation on the spelling of the name 'Steve', which forms part of the Complainant’s [STEVE MADDEN] trademark." Continuing, the Pa...

In TPS Parking Management, LLC v. Liujunyao , WIPO Case No. D2018-2252 (Douglas Clark, December 11, 2018), the Panel ordered the transfer of theparkingspotcoupon.com to TPS Parking Management, LLC, owner of the THEPARKINGSPOT and SPOT trademarks. The individual Respondent did not submit a response. As always, Complainant was tasked with satisfying the three elements of a UDRP claim, namely: 1. The disputed domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which Complainant has rights; 2. Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name; and 3. The disputed domain name has been registered and used in bad faith. These elements are discussed in turn below. Regarding the first element, the Panel readily determined that the disputed domain was confusingly similar to Complainant's trademark, as the disputed domain includes the entirety of the THEPARKINGSPOT trademark, with the mere addition of the d...