
[Effective 1 June 2001]
(As Approved by HKDNR on 24 April 2001) |
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4. Mandatory Arbitration Proceeding |
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This Paragraph sets forth the type of disputes for
which you are required to submit to a mandatory arbitration proceeding.
These proceedings will be conducted before one of the Dispute Resolution
Service Providers approved by us (each, a "Provider").
a. |
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Applicable Disputes. You are required to submit to a mandatory
arbitration proceeding in the event that a third party (a "Complainant")
asserts to the applicable Provider, in compliance with the Rules
of Procedure and the Supplemental Rules of such Provider, that:-
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(i) |
your domain name is identical
or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in Hong Kong
in which the Complainant has rights; and
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(ii) |
you have no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain
name; and
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(iii) |
your domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.
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To succeed in the arbitration proceeding, the Complainant must prove
that all of these three elements are present.
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| b. |
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Evidence of Registration
and Use in Bad Faith. For the purposes of Paragraph 4(a)(iii),
the following circumstances, in particular but without limitation,
if found by an Arbitration Panel to be present, shall be evidence
of the registration and use of a domain name in bad faith:-
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(i) |
circumstances indicating that
you have registered or you have acquired the domain name primarily
for the purpose of selling, renting, or otherwise transferring the
domain name registration to the Complainant who is the owner of
the trademark or service mark or to a competitor of that Complainant,
for valuable consideration in excess of your documented out-of-pocket
costs directly related to the domain name; or
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(ii)
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you have registered the domain name in order to prevent the owner
of the trademark or service mark from reflecting the mark in a corresponding
domain name, provided that you have engaged in a pattern of such
conduct; or
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(iii) |
you have registered the domain name primarily for the purpose of
disrupting the business of a competitor; or
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(iv) |
by using the domain name, you have intentionally attempted to attract,
for commercial gain, Internet users to your web site or other on-line
location, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainant's
mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement
of your web site or location or of a product or service on your
web site or location.
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How to Demonstrate Your
Rights to and Legitimate Interests in the Domain Name in Responding
to a Complaint. When you receive a Complaint as defined in Paragraph
3 of the Rules of Procedure, you should refer to Paragraph 5 of
the Rules of Procedure in determining how your Response should be
prepared.
Any of the following circumstances, in particular but without limitation,
if found by an Arbitration Panel to be proven based on its evaluation
of all evidence presented to it, shall demonstrate your rights or
legitimate interests to the domain name for purposes of Paragraph
4(a)(ii):-
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(i) |
before any notice to you of
the dispute, your use of, or demonstrable preparations to use, the
domain name or a name corresponding to the domain name in connection
with a bona fide offering of goods or services in Hong Kong ; or
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(ii) |
you (as an individual, business, or other organisation) have been
commonly known by the domain name, even if you have acquired no
trade mark or service mark rights in Hong Kong; or
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(iii) |
you are making a legitimate non-commercial or fair use of the domain
name, without intent for commercial gain to misleadingly divert
consumers or to tarnish the trade mark or service mark at issue.
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| d. |
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Selection of Provider.
The Complainant shall select the Provider from among those approved
by the HKDNR by submitting the Complaint to that Provider. The selected
Provider will administer the arbitration proceedings.
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e. |
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Initiation of arbitration proceeding and process and appointment
of Arbitration Panel. The Rules of Procedure and the Provider’s
Supplementary Rules set out the process for initiating and conducting
an arbitration proceeding and for appointing the Arbitration Panel,
which will decide the dispute.
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f. |
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Fees. All fees charged by a Provider in connection with
any dispute before an Arbitration Panel pursuant to this Dispute
Resolution Policy shall be paid by the Complainant, except in cases
where you elect to expand the Arbitration Panel from one to three
Panelists as provided in Paragraph 5(b)(iv) of the Rules of Procedure
and in the Provider's Supplemental Rules, in which case all fees
will be split evenly by you and the Complainant.
Attention is also drawn to Paragraph 18(d) of the Rules of Procedure
which provides for the possible charge for extra fees in the exceptional
circumstances that an in person hearing is held.
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g. |
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Our Involvement in Arbitration Proceedings. We do not, and
will not, participate in the administration or conduct of any proceeding
before an Arbitration Panel. In addition, we will not be liable
as a result of any decisions rendered by an Arbitration Panel.
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h. |
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Remedies. The remedies available to a Complainant pursuant
to any proceeding before an Arbitration Panel shall be limited to
requiring the cancellation of your domain name or the transfer of
your domain name registration to the Complainant.
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i. |
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Notification and Publication. The Provider shall notify us
of any decision made by an Arbitration Panel with respect to a domain
name you have registered with us. All decisions under this Dispute
Resolution Policy, the Rules of Procedure and the Provider's Supplemental
Rules will be final and binding and including without limitation
publication in full on the Internet or other forms of publication,
except when an Arbitration Panel determines in an exceptional case,
to redact portions of its decision.
By applying to register a .hk domain name and by asking us to register,
maintain or renew a .hk domain name registration, you agree that
a decision by an Arbitration Panel in which you are a Respondent
may be made public and may be posted on the website of the HKDNR
and or the Provider which appointed the Arbitration Panel in question.
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j. |
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Results of an Arbitration Panel's Decision. If an Arbitration
Panel decides that your domain name registration should be cancelled
or transferred, we will wait ten (10) business days after we are
informed by the applicable Provider of the Arbitration Panel's decision
before implementing that decision.
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