<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
</head>
<body>
I would look into the Honeywell thermostat cases. IIRC, Honeywell
was originally denied registration for its round thermostats because
they were fuctional, but later obtained registration because as the
result of a change in technology the shape was no longer dictated by
the function.<br>
<br>
Pam<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">Pamela S. Chestek<br>
Chestek Legal<br>
300 Fayetteville Street<br>
Unit 2492<br>
Raleigh, NC 27602<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:pamela@chesteklegal.com">pamela@chesteklegal.com</a><br>
(919) 800-8033<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.chesteklegal.com">www.chesteklegal.com</a><br>
<br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 7/2/2024 12:05 PM, Carl Oppedahl via
E-trademarks wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:5b0ab3cb-057b-41e9-a19b-889fc00d7833@oppedahl.com">
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<p>A listserv member asks to post anonymously ...</p>
<p>---</p>
<div dir="ltr">
<div><font style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"
face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>Looking for
any case(s) (TTAB, District Court or Appellate Court) that
held, in a trade dress case either that:<br>
1) an element that replicates a conventional
functional element of an item is<span
class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>per se</i><span
class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>deemed
functional and/or cannot be source-identifying;<span
class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>
OR<br>
2) an element that only merely replicates a<span
class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><font
style="color:rgb(0,0,0)" face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><font
face="Helvetica, Arial,
sans-serif">conventional functional element of an item is</font>therefore
not functional and/or can<span
class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><font
style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"
face="Helvetica, Arial,
sans-serif"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">be
source-identifying.<br>
<br>
For example, consider a computer PC keyboard that is
itself functional EXCEPT that what would be the F1 through
F12 keys at the top are actually permanent, molded,
non-working, non-moveable replicas. Can those fake F1
through F12 keys serve as the non-functional
source-identifying trade dress aspect or is that precluded
because they are a mere replica of functional items that
look like, and are placed, where one would expect the
functional items to be (and, hence, can't be source
identifying)?</font></font><br>
</div>
<br>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset class="moz-mime-attachment-header"></fieldset>
</blockquote>
<br>
</body>
</html>