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<p class="MsoNormal">So if the original drawing were in <b>standard characters</b> and showed only the letter O, that would cover the use of the mark with a smiley face added to the O because that is merely adding a design element in the use of the mark that
was applied for as only a word mark with all stylizations and design elements allowed (that does not change the word mark). But you said the original drawing was a stylized word mark or a special form drawing so I agree that the material alteration or mutilation
analysis would apply here.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Alex Butterman</span></b><o:p></o:p></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>voyer--- via E-trademarks<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, October 23, 2025 12:29 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> For trademark practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com><br>
<b>Cc:</b> voyer@keganlaw.com <daniel@keganlaw.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [E-trademarks] Changing "o" to smiley face in design mark: material alteration?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps no new search is needed.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The original search should have included the \u201co\u201d as an o in addition to the smiley image.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">If the original search passed, then the simplification likely ought also.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">That\u2019s logic, not always controlling.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Daniel Kegan<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">On Oct 23, 2025, at 11:09<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">\u202f</span>AM, Dale Quisenberry via E-trademarks <<a href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com">e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">I think there is a good chance it would deemed a material alteration as creating a different commercial impression.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt">1609.02(a) Determining What Constitutes Material Alteration of Mark</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b>From:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>Jessica R. Friedman <<a href="mailto:jrfriedman@litproplaw.com">jrfriedman@litproplaw.com</a>><br>
<b>Date:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 10:53<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">\u202f</span>AM<br>
<b>To:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>For trademark practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <<a href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com">e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com</a>><br>
<b>Subject:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>Changing "o" to smiley face in design mark: material alteration?<span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41">Client filed an ITU application (on its own) to register a stylized version of a word with the letter \u201co\u201d in it. But on the actual packaging, Client substituted
a smiley face for the letter \u201co.\u201d So any specimen will have the smiley face.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41">I\u2019m concerned that this is a material alteration that will result in rejection of the specimen (since the PTO did not search for marks with smiley faces). Has
anyone dealt with this particular problem?</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Jessica R. Friedman</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Attorney at Law</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<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:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<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:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<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:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<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:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">E-mail:</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:blue"> </span><u><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0563C1"><a href="mailto:jrfriedman@litproplaw.com" title="mailto:jrfriedman@litproplaw.com"><span style="color:#0563C1">jrfriedman@litproplaw.com</span></a></span></u><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">URL:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></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:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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