RDNH Case DIR2020-0017

In the WIPO case DIR2020-0017, Chevron Intellectual Property LLC (the Complainant) from the United States, represented by Dickinson Wright, PLLC, filed a complaint against Mohammadali Mokhtari, Mohammad Ali Mokhtari from Iran. The disputed domain names were , , and , registered with IRNIC. The complaint was filed on August 15, 2020.

Chevron, an integrated energy company, claimed rights to the trademarks CHEVRON, CALTEX, and CYGNUS. The disputed domain names incorporated these trademarks in their entirety. The Complainant argued that the Respondent had no rights or legitimate interests in these domain names and had registered them in bad faith.

The Panel, led by Christopher J. Pibus, found the Complainant had established registered rights in the trademarks and that the disputed domain names were identical to these trademarks. For CHEVRON and CALTEX, the Panel concluded that the Respondent had no rights or legitimate interests in the domain names and had acted in bad faith. However, for CYGNUS, the Complainant’s claim was denied as the Panel did not find the trademark to be well-known or famous, and the Respondent’s lack of awareness of the Complainant’s rights was deemed plausible.

As a result, the Panel ordered the disputed domain names and to be transferred to the Complainant, while the complaint against was denied. The Respondent’s claim of reverse domain name hijacking was dismissed.

In the WIPO case DIR2020-0017, Chevron Intellectual Property LLC (the Complainant) from the United States, represented by Dickinson Wright, PLLC, filed a complaint against Mohammadali Mokhtari, Mohammad Ali Mokhtari from Iran. The disputed domain names were , , and , registered with IRNIC. The complaint was filed on August 15, 2020. Chevron, an integrated energy…