<div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;white-space:unset">If <span class="gmail_default">you</span> say "I chose the mark Triangle Cleaners because my dry cleaning establishment is in the Triangle area,"<span class="gmail_default"> I'm not suggesting that </span></span><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;white-space:unset">should result in a geographic descriptiveness refusal because that was <span class="gmail_default">your </span>inspiration<span class="gmail_default"> \u2014 simply that the knowledge of the geographic significance of "Triangle" to somebody outside of the Triangle area of North Carolina could influence the assessment of whether registration on the Principal Register was appropriate, and also whether and how much evidence of acquired distinctiveness might be appropriate under the circumstances. </span></span></div><div><font face="georgia, serif"><span style="white-space:unset"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:small"><br></span></span></font></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></span></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="2">Sincerely,</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="2"><br></font></div><div><div style="font-size:small"><font face="georgia, serif" size="2">Ed Timberlake </font></div><div style="font-size:small"><font face="georgia, serif" size="2"><i><a href="https://www.nclawspecialists.gov/for-the-public/find-a-board-certified-specialist/results/detail/?id=29473" target="_blank">Board Certified Specialist in Trademark Law</a></i></font></div><div style="font-size:small"><font face="georgia, serif" size="2"><br></font></div><div style="font-size:small"><div style="font-family:georgia,serif"><a href="http://timberlakelaw.com/" target="_blank"><b>Timberlake Law</b></a></div><div style="font-family:georgia,serif">Chapel Hill, NC<br></div><div style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div style="font-family:georgia,serif"><a href="https://clarity.fm/edtimberlake" target="_blank">Schedule a call on Clarity</a><br></div><div style="font-family:georgia,serif"><a href="mailto:ed@timberlakelaw.com" target="_blank">ed@timberlakelaw.com</a><br></div><div style="font-family:georgia,serif">919.960.1950<br></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><img width="96" height="96" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4zUm0zjuSoSf91b85RXakFjrbAqMcNkJek2_S8VO9eHNz9mDAX5u3RBN0aEhVODltVLqRN-NYsDzt7A"><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Feb 12, 2025 at 5:08\u202fPM Pamela Chestek via E-trademarks <<a href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com">e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div>
My guess is you would get far too much noise if you asked that
question, with people telling you "it's a combination of the first
letters of my kid's names."<br>
<br>
Also, the burden is on the office identify the barriers to
registration. The statutory bases for refusing registration are
about the objective meaning to a consumer, not the wide variety of
reasons I might have for choosing a trademark. If I say "I chose the
mark Triangle Cleaners because my dry cleaning establishment is in
the Triangle area," should that result in a geographic
descriptiveness refusal because that was the applicant's
inspiration, even though "Triangle" could have many, many different
meanings and therefore wouldn't ordinarily get a geographic
descriptiveness refusal? So you're going to deny some registrations,
but not others, depending on what the applicant confesses? That
surely plays even more havoc with a system that is already pretty
capricious.<br>
<br>
Pam<br>
<br>
<div>Pamela S. Chestek<br>
Chestek Legal<br>
PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW MAILING ADDRESS<br>
4641 Post St.<br>
Unit 4316<br>
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762<br>
+1 919-800-8033<br>
<a href="mailto:pamela@chesteklegal.com" target="_blank">pamela@chesteklegal.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.chesteklegal.com" target="_blank">www.chesteklegal.com</a><br>
<br>
</div>
<div>On 2/12/2025 1:13 PM, Edward Timberlake
via E-trademarks wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:small">Rather
than ask why a significance inquiry was made in this case
one might reasonably ask why significance statements aren't
a part of all applications for registration.</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:small"><br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:small">If there's
something you know (about how a mark might be likely to be
perceived in a particular industry) that the Trademark
Examining Attorney doesn't know that could influence the
analysis of whether registration is appropriate under the
statute, mightn't it make sense for you to be required to
disclose it (without needing to be asked)? </div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:small"><br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:small">At least
in my opinion, the fact that we're not asked to make a
separate statement in the vast majority of instances more
than outweighs the occasional need to make one. </div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:small"><br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:small"><br>
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<div><font size="2" face="georgia,
serif">Sincerely,</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="georgia,
serif"><br>
</font></div>
<div>
<div style="font-size:small"><font size="2" face="georgia,
serif">Ed
Timberlake </font></div>
<div style="font-size:small"><font size="2" face="georgia,
serif"><i><a href="https://www.nclawspecialists.gov/for-the-public/find-a-board-certified-specialist/results/detail/?id=29473" target="_blank">Board Certified Specialist in
Trademark Law</a></i></font></div>
<div style="font-size:small"><font size="2" face="georgia,
serif"><br>
</font></div>
<div style="font-size:small">
<div style="font-family:georgia,serif"><a href="http://timberlakelaw.com/" target="_blank"><b>Timberlake
Law</b></a></div>
<div style="font-family:georgia,serif">Chapel
Hill, NC<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:georgia,serif"><a href="https://clarity.fm/edtimberlake" target="_blank">Schedule
a call on
Clarity</a><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:georgia,serif"><a href="mailto:ed@timberlakelaw.com" target="_blank">ed@timberlakelaw.com</a><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:georgia,serif">919.960.1950<br>
</div>
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<div><br>
</div>
<div><img src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4zUm0zjuSoSf91b85RXakFjrbAqMcNkJek2_S8VO9eHNz9mDAX5u3RBN0aEhVODltVLqRN-NYsDzt7A" width="96" height="96"><br>
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<div class="gmail_quote">
<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Feb 12, 2025 at
3:54\u202fPM Kevin Grierson via E-trademarks <<a href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank">e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com</a>>
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
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<p class="MsoNormal">Right. There\u2019s even a checkbox for
it in the ROA form.</p>
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<p style="margin:0in"><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(15,23,46)">Kevin Grierson</span></b><b><span style="font-size:1pt;font-family:remialcxesans;color:white">\u200b</span></b><b><span style="font-size:1pt;font-family:template-5QSGLunPEem16QANOhMLNA;color:white">\u200b</span></b><b><span style="font-size:1pt;font-family:zone-1;color:white">\u200b</span></b><b><span style="font-size:1pt;font-family:zones-AQ;color:white">\u200b</span></b><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(15,23,46)"></span></b></p>
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<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:gray">Partner</span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:gray"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;color:gray"><a href="mailto:kgrierson@cm.law" target="_blank"><span style="color:gray;text-decoration:none">kgrierson@cm.law</span></a></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in"><b><i><span style="font-size:10pt;color:gray"><a href="https://www.cm.law/cm-law-formerly-culhane-meadows-launches-second-decade-with-fresh-name-and-modern-brand/" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(15,23,46);text-decoration:none">Please note: Culhane Meadows is now CM Law</span></a></span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size:10pt;color:gray"></span></i></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> E-trademarks <<a href="mailto:e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank">e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>carla calcagno via
E-trademarks<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, February 12, 2025 3:43
PM<br>
<b>To:</b> For trademark practitioners. This is
not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <<a href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank">e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com</a>><br>
<b>Cc:</b> carla calcagno <<a href="mailto:cccalcagno@gmail.com" target="_blank">cccalcagno@gmail.com</a>>;
Eran Kahana <<a href="mailto:Eran.Kahana@maslon.com" target="_blank">Eran.Kahana@maslon.com</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [E-trademarks] Mark
Significance?</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;line-height:12pt;background:red" align="center">
<span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:white">EXTERNAL
EMAIL</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">If it is an unusual word and
the Examiner can't find any meaning in the
numerous resources available to them, I have seen
them issue this inquiry just to ensure that they
haven't missed anything. A simple response that
the term has no industry, geographical,or foreign
language significance in relation to the goods
suffices.
</p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Regards</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Carla</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">On Wed, Feb 12, 2025 at 3:23<span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">\u202f</span>PM
Eran Kahana via E-trademarks <<a href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank">e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com</a>>
wrote:</p>
</div>
<blockquote style="border-top:none;border-right:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:1pt solid rgb(204,204,204);padding:0in 0in 0in 6pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in">
<div>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I received an office
action with a \u201cMark Significance\u201d
requirement asking for industry,
geographical, and foreign language
significance. I am trying to determine
what triggered it. An application for a
nearly identical name (for different
goods) sailed through without triggering
it. The office action don\u2019t cite the TMEP
for this and I wasn\u2019t able to find TMEP
instructions on point. Does the examiner
do any sort of research that causes this?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<table cellpadding="0" border="0">
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<td style="padding:0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span>Eran
Kahana</span></b><br>
<b><span>Counsel</span></b><br>
<span>612.672.8385 </span><br>
<span><a href="https://www.maslon.com/ekahana" target="_blank"><b><span style="color:rgb(181,105,65)">Bio</span></b></a> <a href="https://www.maslon.com/bio/vcard/681" target="_blank"><b><span style="color:rgb(181,105,65)">vCard</span></b></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/erankahana/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color:rgb(181,105,65)">LinkedIn</span></b></a></span>
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