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<p>Well, at least the reported managed to avoid being stupid in the
usual way -- wrongly calling it a copyright or a patent or
something.</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 9/10/2025 9:18 AM, Jessica R.
Friedman via E-trademarks wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span><a
href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/world/europe/vetements-trademark-lawsuit.html"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/world/europe/vetements-trademark-lawsuit.html</a>
raises a few questions for me:</span></p>
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<span>The NY Times reporter analogizes the registration of
VEUVE CLIQUOT, which means \u201cwidow cliquot\u201d and refers to
the company matriarch, for champagne, to the registration
of VETEMENTS, which in French means clothing, for
clothing. Is that an analogy the applicant has actually
made, or is this just the usual ignorance of NY Times
articles when it comes to IP?</span></li>
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<span>The PTO refused registration on the ground that the
mark is merely descriptive and that it appears to be
generic. How can it be both?
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<span>The applicant\u2019s response to the OA included the
argument that \u201cvetements\u201d referred only to clothing as a
category, while they are applying to register specific
items of clothing:</span><span> \u201c</span><i><span>Although
the word \u201cclothing\u201d may have a relationship to an
overall category of products, it is not the descriptive
(nor generic) term for any specific item. A purchaser
would not say they want to \u201cbuy a clothing.\u201d Further,
when the mark VETEMENTS is encountered an observer would
first have to undertake translation of the word, and
then draw a relationship to a specific item such as a
sweatshirt\u201d.
</span></i><span>I understand that we have to try any and
every credible argument, but that one doesn\u2019t strike me as
falling into that category.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Jessica R. Friedman</span><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Attorney at Law</span><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>300 East 59 Street, Ste. 2406</span><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>New York, NY 10022</span><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Phone: 212-220-0900</span><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Cell: 917-647-1884</span><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>E-mail:</span><span> </span><u><span><a
href="mailto:jrfriedman@litproplaw.com"
title="mailto:jrfriedman@litproplaw.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span>jrfriedman@litproplaw.com</span></a></span></u><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>URL:
</span><u><span><a href="http://www.literarypropertylaw.com"
title="http://www.literarypropertylaw.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span>www.literarypropertylaw.com</span></a></span></u><span></span></p>
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