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I don't think a disclaimer was necessarily required in this case. "A
mark or portion of a mark is considered 'unitary' when it creates a
commercial impression separate and apart from any unregistrable
component. ... If the matter that comprises the mark or relevant
portion of the mark is unitary, no disclaimer of an element, whether
descriptive, generic, or otherwise, is required." TMEP 1213.05. This
is a unitary phrase, a slogan.<br>
<br>
A missing disclaimer is probably unchallengeable. I don't know off
the top of my head about disclaimers, but some decisions about
registration cannot be challenged in a TTAB proceeding because they
are within the discretion of the PTO - acceptance of specimens is a
big one.<br>
<br>
What you do instead is challenge it on underlying validity grounds.
For example, if it's a specimen problem, you challenge on the basis
of non-use. I think your avenue here would be an argument that the
mark is merely descriptive, but that's only possible in an
infringement case, not a refusal - if the mark was cited against
you, the PTO isn't going to decide it's now invalid in a collateral
attack. If you are in a venue where you can challenge the validity
of the mark, you'll have to overcome the prima facie evidence that
the mark is distinctive by virtue of its registration (assuming it's
not more than five years old, in which case you're sunk). So it will
be a heavier lift.<br>
<br>
Pam<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">Pamela S. Chestek<br>
Chestek Legal<br>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 4/16/2025 8:46 AM, Jessica R.
Friedman via E-trademarks wrote:<br>
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<blockquote type="cite"
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41">The
mark COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR THE REAL WORLD is registered for
books about computer science in various media without a
disclaimer of COMPUTER SCIENCE, despite the fact that
COMPUTER SCIENCE clearly is \u201cmerely descriptive\u201d for books
about computer science, and, the applicant did not claim
secondary meaning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41">There\u2019s
no point asking how the PTO let that application proceed
without the disclaimer in the first place. But would this
registration actually be enforceable without proof of
secondary meaning? I guess I\u2019m asking whether the clear
error in the registration would be a defense to an
infringement claim, or even a refusal to register a similar
mark, even if I\u2019m not asking the question in quite the right
way.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Jessica
R. Friedman</span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Attorney
at Law<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">300
East 59 Street, Ste. 2406<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">New
York, NY 10022</span><span
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Phone:
212-220-0900</span><span style="font-family:"Times
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style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Cell:
917-647-1884</span><span style="font-family:"Times
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style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">E-mail:</span><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:blue"> <u><a
href="mailto:jrfriedman@litproplaw.com"
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href="http://www.literarypropertylaw.com"
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