Citigroup Inc. v. citibankaccountonline.com et al

Filing 17

ORDER that the Court adopts Magistrate Judge Anderson's 16 Report and Recommendations in toto, accordingly, Verisign, Inc., change the following Deft Domain Names: 1. citibankaccountonline.com; 2. citibankautofinance.com;3. citibankbanamex.com ; 4. citibankcreditcardonline.com; 5.citibankmerchantservices.com; 6. citibankonlime.com; 7. citibankpayment.com;8. citibankthankyou.com; 9. citicardmember.com; 10. citidank.com;11. citifinancialquto.com; 12. citifinancialservicesinc.com;13. citifini nancialauto.com; 14. citigroupdesktop.com; 15. citimortgqge.com;16. citiplatinumselectmastercard.com 17. citisears.com; 18. citifinacial.net;19. citigoup.net; 20. citifinance.com; and 21. miciti.com from their current registrar to a registrar of Pla intiff's selection ("Plaintiff's Registrar); Plaintiff's Registar shall register Defendant Domain Names:1. citibankaccountonline.com; 2. citibankautofinance.com; 3. citibankbanamex.com; 4. citibankcreditcardonline.com; 5. citibank merchantservices.com; 6. citibankonlime.com; 7. citibankpayment.com;8. citibankthankyou.com; 9. citicardmember.com; 10. citidank.com;11. citifinancialquto.com; 12. citifinancialservicesinc.com; 13. citifininancialauto.com; 14. citigroupdesktop.com; 1 5. citimortgqge.com;16. citiplatinumselectmastercard.com 17. citisears.com; 18. citifinacial.net;19. citigoup.net; 20. citifinance.com; and 21.

IN THE UNITED

STATES

DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
ALEXANDRIA DIVISION

i

L

Citigroup,

Inc., Plaintiff,
v.

DEC-22009
CLERK, U.S. DISIHIGI COURT ~~>PYANDRIA. VIRGINIA
Case No. l:09cv277 (GBL)

The

Internet Domain Names

<citibankautofinanee.com>, <citibankbanamex.com>, <citibankcreditcardonline.com>,

<citibankaccountonline.com>,

<citibankmerchantservices.com>, <citibankonlime.com>, <citibankpayment.com>,
<citibankthankyou.com>, <citicardmember.com>, <citidank.com>, <citifinaneialquto.com>,

) ) ) }
) ) ) )

<citifinancialservicesinc.com>, <citifininancialauto.com>, <citigroupdesktop.com>,
<citimortgqge.com>, <citisears.com>, <citifinacial.net>, <citigoup.net>, <citifinance.com>, and <miciti.com>,
Defendants.

) ) )
) ) ) ) ) )

<citiplatinumselectmastercard.com>,)

) )

ORDER

THIS MATTER is before the Court on the August 31,

2009,

Report and Recommendation of Magistrate Judge John F.

Anderson,

regarding Plaintiff Citigroup Inc.'s in rem action concerning the

Defendant Internet Domain Names.

This case concerns Plaintiff's

claim for injunctive relief pursuant to the Anticybersquatting
Consumer Protection Act ("ACPA"), 15 U.S.C. § ll25(d}(2).

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 72(b)

provides that a

magistrate judge may hear a dispositive motion,
consent of the parties,

without the

and recommend the disposition of the

matter to a district judge.

Fed.

R.

Civ.

P.

72 (b) .

A party must

serve any objections to the magistrate judge's recommendation

within ten Id.

(10)

days of being served with a copy of the order.

The district judge to whom a case is assigned should make a or receive additional

de novo determination on the record,

evidence,

on any portion of the magistrate judge's disposition to
Id.

which a party has made a specific written objection.
Here, Plaintiff

filed its Complaint in this action on March

12,

2009.

Plaintiff served process on Defendant Domain Names

through their registrar Lead Networks Domains Pvt.
Networks") on March 13, 2009, by registered mail.1

Ltd.

("Lead

Plaintiff

published a Notice of Action which stated that anyone asserting a claim to the Defendant Domain Names must file an answer or

magistrate judge.

Notice of Action in The Washington Times as directed by the

registered mail to Verisign, Inc., the exclusive registry of Defendant Domain Names. In addition, on April 24, 2009, Plaintiff mailed a copy of the Amended Complaint to Private Whois, Lead Networks' wholly-owned privacy service. That same day, Plaintiff sent a copy of the Amended Complaint to the new registrar of nineteen of the Defendant Domain Names, <PrivacyProtect.org>, as per the policy set forth by that registrar for contacting each individual registrant of the Domain Names. In addition, on June 15, 2009, Plaintiff published a

Names at the time Plaintiff filed its Amended Complaint. On May 13, 2009, Plaintiff also sent a copy of the Amended Complaint by

'Lead Networks was the registrar for each of the Domain

response with the Clerk by July 6, default on July 10, 2009.

2009.

The Clerk entered

Plaintiff filed a Motion for Default

Judgment on July 16,

2009.

On August 14,

2009,

the magistrate

judge conducted a hearing on Plaintiff's Motion for Default
Judgment. No claimant appeared on behalf of any of the Defendant

Domain Names.

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55 allows this

Court to grant a motion for default judgment where a party has

failed to defend against a claim as provided by the Federal Rules
of Civil Procedure. Fed. R. Civ. P. 55.

Magistrate Judge Anderson recommends that the Court find that the registrants' actions have violated the ACPA, Inc., and that

the Court order Verisign,

to change the current registrars

for Defendant Domain Names:

1.
2.
3.

<citibankaccountonline.com>;
<citibankautofinance.com>;
<citibankbanamex.com> ;

4.

<citibankcreditcardonline.com>;

5.
6.

<citibankmerchantservices.com>;
<citibankonlime.com>;

7.
8.

<citibankpayment.com>;
<citibankthankyou.com>;

9.
10.

<citicardmember.com>;
<citidank.com>;

11.

<citifinancialquto.com>;

12.

<citifinancialservicesinc.com>;

13.
14.
15.

<citifininancialauto.com>;
<citigroupdesktop.com>;
<citimortgqge.com>;

16.
17.

<citiplatinumselectmastercard.com>
<citisears.com>;

18.
19. 20. 21.

<citifinacial.net>;
<citigoup.net>; <citifinance.com>; <miciti.com> and

to a registrar of Citigroup's choosing so that the registrations for the Defendant Domain Names can be transferred to Citigroup.
None of the registrants has filed objections within ten (10) days

after being served with the magistrate judge's Report.

Therefore,

the Court adopts Magistrate Judge Anderson's Report
toto. Accordingly, it is hereby

and Recommendation in

ORDERED that Verisign,
Domain Names:

Inc.,

change the following Defendant

1. 2.
3.

<citibankaccountonline.com>; <citibankautofinance.com>;
<citibankbanamex.com>;

4.

<citibankcreditcardonline.com>;

5.

<citibankmerchantservices.com>;

6.

<citibankonlime.com>;

7. 8.
9.
10.

<citibankpayment.com>; <citibankthankyou.com>;
<citicardmember.com>;
<citidank.com>;

11.

<citifinancialquto.com>;

12.
13.
14.
15.

<citifinancialservicesinc.com>;
<citifininancialauto.com>;
<citigroupdesktop.com>;
< c i t imortgqge.com>;

16.
17. 18.
19.

<citiplatinumselectmastercard.com>
<citisears.com>; <citifinacial.net>;
<citigoup.net>;

20.
21.

<citifinance.com>;
<miciti.com>

and

from their current registrar to a registrar of Plaintiff's
selection {"Plaintiff's Registrar). It is further

ORDERED that Plaintiff's Registar shall register Defendant
Domain Names:

1.
2.
3.

<citibankaccountonline.com>;
<citibankautofxnance.com>;
<citibankbanamex.com>;

4.
5.
6. 7.

<citibankcreditcardonline.com>;
<citibankmerchantservices.com>;
<citibankonlime.com>; <citibankpayment.com>;

8. 9.
10.

<citibankthankyou.com>; <citicardmember.com>;
<citidank.com>;

11.
12.

<citifinancialquto.com>;
<citifinancialservicesinc.com>;

13.
14.
15.

<citifininancialauto.com>;
<citigroupdesktop.com>;
<citimortgqge.com>;

16.
17.

<citiplatinumselectmastercard.com>
<citisears.com>;

18.
19.

<citifinacial.net>;
<citigoup.net>;

20.
21.

<citifinance.com>;
<miciti.com>

and

in the name of Citigroup Inc.

The Clerk is directed to forward a copy of this Order to
counsel of record.

Entered this

AM

day of December, 2009.

/s/
Gerald Bruce Lee

United States District Judge
Alexandria, Virginia