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<p class="MsoNormal">That’s exactly my understanding – but how to get the Examiner to see the error of her ways???<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#000001">Laura</span></b><b><span style="font-size:1.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:remialcxesans;color:white"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:1.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:template-wT8foJEFEe2degAiSCOJMw;color:white"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:1.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:zone-1;color:white"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:1.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:zones-AQ;color:white"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#000001"> Franco</span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#000001;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#000001">Member<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#000001">O:
<a href="tel:+1.415.432.6011" target="_blank"><span style="color:#000001;text-decoration:none">+1.415.432.6011</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#000001">M: +1.650.996.0212<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#00B2A9"><a href="mailto:LFranco@mintz.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:#00B2A9;text-decoration:none">LFranco@mintz.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#000001"> | <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#00B2A9"><a href="http://mintz.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#00B2A9;text-decoration:none">Mintz.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">From:</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none"> Gerry J. Elman <gerry@elman.com>
<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, July 19, 2024 9:26 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> For trademark practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Franco, Laura <LFranco@mintz.com>; Elman Office - Pratyush/Shashi <Office@elman.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> RE: [E-trademarks] Mark not examined in over three years: OR Franz Kafka's<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:0pt"><span style="font-size:1.0pt;color:white;mso-ligatures:none">Laura, Gee, I’ve been practising since 1967 and had never heard of a “series 89” mark record. I see that Dorsey & Whitney blogged about this about
5 years ago atSeries 89: A Secret Menu of Protected Non-Registered Marks | TheTMCA.com What I infer from the blog post is that th <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif;color:black">Laura,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif;color:black">Gee, I’ve been practising since 1967 and had never heard of a “series 89” mark record. I see that Dorsey & Whitney blogged about this about 5 years ago at
</span><a href="https://www.thetmca.com/series-89-a-secret-menu-of-protected-non-registered-marks/">Series 89: A Secret Menu of Protected Non-Registered Marks | TheTMCA.com</a>
<span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif">What I infer from the blog post is that the Examining Attorney should not have suspended your application but should have rejected it under 15 U.S.C. sec. 1052 for confusing similarity to the cited series
89 mark and allowed you to argue against that. Is that your understanding?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif">I see that series 89 is referenced in TMEP 1204.05, as part of sec 1204.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">-Gerry<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Gerry J. Elman, J.D.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">E</span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Souvenir;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">lman
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Souvenir;color:#833C0B;mso-ligatures:none">Intellectual Property Matters<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">6117 St. James Place, Denton, TX 76210<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#833C0B;mso-ligatures:none">610-892-9942
</span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="http://www.elman.com/"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">www.elman.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Copperplate Gothic Bold",sans-serif;color:maroon;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">From:</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none"> E-trademarks <<a href="mailto:e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com">e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Franco, Laura via E-trademarks<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, July 19, 2024 9:45 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com">e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com</a><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Franco, Laura <<a href="mailto:LFranco@mintz.com">LFranco@mintz.com</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [E-trademarks] Mark not examined in over three years: OR Franz Kafka's<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hi all,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m just seeing this thread, and want to chime in with a similar situation:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">An app that incorporates my client’s mark was filed in 2021, and received a prior pending refusal, and was suspended. EXCEPT that the “prior pending” application was an 89 serial number – designating non-registrable material (like Red
Cross or Olympics, but it’s not either of them). I submitted a Letter of Protest explaining the situation, which was accepted and the “evidence” (legal argument and statutory cites?) was passed to the examiner in January 2024. In February the Examiner did
another suspension check. And nothing has happened since.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What the heck! I’m concerned the examiner doesn’t understand that an 89 non-registrable material serial number will NEVER achieve registration, and that it is not actually a prior PENDING application. I’m concerned that this suspension
is going to go on in perpetuity. I spoke with the Senior Attorney in the relevant Law Office, and he wasn’t really helpful. I’ve been trying to reach the Managing Attorney in that LO, but he seems to be ignoring my calls and emails.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Any suggestions here? Is there an intermediate place (above the LO and below the Commissioner) that would make sense to contact? Don’t say the Petitions Office – they shut me down already.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(Sorry if this post appears multiple times…I still can’t quite get the hang of this)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks in advance,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Laura<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#000001;mso-ligatures:none">Laura</span></b><b><span style="font-size:1.0pt;font-family:remialcxesans;color:white;mso-ligatures:none"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:1.0pt;font-family:template-wT8foJEFEe2degAiSCOJMw;color:white;mso-ligatures:none"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:1.0pt;font-family:zone-1;color:white;mso-ligatures:none"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:1.0pt;font-family:zones-AQ;color:white;mso-ligatures:none"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#000001;mso-ligatures:none"> Franco</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#000001;mso-ligatures:none">Member</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#000001;mso-ligatures:none">Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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