WIPO Administrative Panel orders transfer of the domain name the-mrbubbles.com to the MR. BUBBLE trademark holder

The complainant is The Village Company, LLC of the United States, represented by Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. of the United States; the respondent is Yang Lou of China. The disputed domain name was registered through the registrar Dynadot Inc.

The respondent did not submit any response. Under Article 5 of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP, the "Policy"), the deadline for a response was 2026 year 9 month 20 day, and the Center notified the respondent of the default on 9 month 21 day. The Center appointed Anna Carabelli as sole panelist on 9 month 28 day, and the decision was issued on 2026 year 10 month 12 day.

The disputed domain name was registered on 2024 year 12 month 22 day. According to the complainant's evidence, the domain name previously pointed to an active website that prominently used the complainant's MR. BUBBLE trademark and reproduced its official product images, logos and descriptions. At the time of the decision, the domain name redirected to mrbubbleco.com. After reviewing that target website, the Panel noted that it prominently uses the MR. BUBBLE trademark and claims to sell "MR BUBBLE" branded products; the homepage contains text such as "EST. 1961. Mr. Bubble Has Been America's Favorite Bubble Bath for 65 Years…"; the copyright notice reads "© 2026 mrbubbleco.com"; the "About Us" section introduces the brand's history and vision in the first person, and the "Contact Us" section lists the complainant's contact details.

On the first element, the Panel found that the complainant's trademark is recognizable within the disputed domain name, so that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to the trademark within the meaning of the Policy; adding the article "the" before the trademark and adding a hyphen does not affect the finding of confusing similarity.

On the second element, the Panel noted that the respondent did not rebut the complainant's prima facie showing that the respondent has no rights or legitimate interests, nor did the respondent submit any evidence showing that it enjoys rights or legitimate interests listed in Article 4(c) of the Policy or otherwise. The Panel found that the above use does not constitute a bona fide offering of goods or services, nor a legitimate noncommercial or fair use; using a domain name for illegal activities such as counterfeiting cannot confer rights or legitimate interests on the respondent.

On the third element, the Panel found that the complainant's trademark was registered and used well before the disputed domain name was registered, and that the respondent knew or should have known of the trademark at the time of registration; the composition of the disputed domain name reflects an intent to target the complainant and to create confusion in order to attract Internet users for commercial gain. The respondent's past and current use of the disputed domain name both show an intent to impersonate the complainant, constituting bad faith.

For the above reasons, pursuant to Article 4(i) of the Policy and Article 15 of the Rules of Procedure, the Panel orders that the disputed domain name the-mrbubbles.com be transferred to the complainant. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— Source: WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center case database, Case No. D2026-3708, The Village Company, LLC v. Yang Lou, sole panelist Anna Carabelli, decision date 2026 year 10 month 12 day. Note: This article is compiled from public information and is for informational reference only; it does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Specific conclusions should be based on official publications and the actual circumstances of each case.