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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Scott,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> I\u2019d wager this misunderstanding depends on the type and amount of evidence you submitted. If proof of use of similar marks for similar goods and/or registrations for goods at least as similar
to the cited mark takes up the bulk of your response, then the EA misconstruing the argument seems more like bad faith. If there\u2019s only a little evidence of actual use in commerce (or other registrations) then it could be an honest mistake.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> But no, arguing about the marketplace strength of a registration is absolutely a valid response, and is not a collateral attack against the registration. Maybe drop in a relevant cite to
<i>Juice Generation</i> or <i>Jack Wolfskin</i> if they were missing from the original response, to nudge them in the right direction?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I have no advice on how to gently say \u201csorry, I think we may be talking past each other, here...\u201d to the USPTO.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Bob Reynolds</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Senior Counsel</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt">Klintworth & <span style="color:#C00000">
Rozenblat</span><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span>IP </span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt">LLP</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2045 W. Grand Ave, Ste B PMB 84396<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Chicago, Illinois 60612<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">direct 773.770-2554 fax 773.570.3328<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="mailto:rreynolds@kandrip.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">rreynolds@kandrip.com</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.knrllp.com">www.knrllp.com</a> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail transmission, and any documents, files or previous e-mail messages attached to it may contain confidential information
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> E-trademarks <e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Scott Landsbaum via E-trademarks<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, June 18, 2025 5:17 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> for trademark practitioners <e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Scott Landsbaum <scott@scottlandsbaum.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [E-trademarks] Not allowed to argue weak mark?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi All, Re-phrasing an email from last week to see if I can generate some input here. In response to a 2(d) refusal, I argued that the cited registration is weak because it's used extensively in the market by different companies for identical
goods. Thus, the minor differences between our mark and the cited registration should be sufficient to avoid any confusion. The examiner rejected the argument by claiming I am attacking the validity of the cited registration, which of course isn't allowed
in this context. This seems to me a really off response. I'd greatly appreciate a gut check here to see if I'm missing something in my argument or the examiner's response.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;color:black">Regards,</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;color:black">Scott</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;color:#6666CC">Scott Landsbaum, Inc.</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;color:#6666CC"><a href="tel:323-314-7881" target="_blank"><span style="color:#1155CC">323-314-7881</span></a> / f 323-714-2454 </span><span style="font-size:9.5pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;color:#6666CC">8306 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 420, Beverly Hills, CA 90211</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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