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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/world/europe/vetements-trademark-lawsuit.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/world/europe/vetements-trademark-lawsuit.html</a>
raises a few questions for me:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:#0A2F41;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">The NY Times reporter analogizes the registration of VEUVE CLIQUOT, which means widow cliquot 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?<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:#0A2F41;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">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?
<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="3" type="1">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:#0A2F41;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">The applicants response to the OA included the argument that vetements referred only to clothing as a category, while they are applying to register specific items of clothing:</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:windowtext">
</span><i><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">Although the word clothing 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 buy
a clothing. 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.
</span></i><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif">I understand that we have to try any and every credible argument, but that one doesnt strike me as falling into that category.
<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Jessica R. Friedman</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Attorney at Law</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">300 East 59 Street, Ste. 2406</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">New York, NY 10022</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Phone: 212-220-0900</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Cell: 917-647-1884</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span><u><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0563C1"><a href="http://www.literarypropertylaw.com" title="http://www.literarypropertylaw.com"><span style="color:#0563C1">www.literarypropertylaw.com</span></a></span></u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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