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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">I think there is a good chance it would deemed a material alteration as creating a different commercial impression.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt">1609.02(a) Determining What Constitutes Material Alteration of Mark<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Section 7(e) of the Trademark Act,
<b><a href="https://tmep.uspto.gov/RDMS/TFSR/current#/current/sec-68a29dc2-ade9-4217-aef2-85676e8765f7.html" target="_blank">15 U.S.C. §1057(e)</a></b>, prohibits an amendment that materially alters the character of the mark. "Material alteration" is the standard
for evaluating amendments to marks at all relevant stages of processing, both during examination of the application and after registration.
<i>See</i> <b><a href="https://tmep.uspto.gov/RDMS/TFSR/current#/current/r-19d4f7ad-4e15-4f07-9e86-75078aba6c8a.html" target="_blank">37 C.F.R. §§2.72</a></b>,
<b><a href="https://tmep.uspto.gov/RDMS/TFSR/current#/current/r-b1231656-8570-4b80-8ffc-2b710bab2941.html" target="_blank">2.173(d)</a></b>;
<b><a href="https://tmep.uspto.gov/RDMS/TMEP/current#/current/TMEP-800d1e1885.html">TMEP §807.14</a></b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">In determining whether a proposed amendment is a material alteration of a registered mark, the USPTO will always compare the proposed amendment to
the mark <i>as originally registered</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The general test of whether an alteration is material is whether, if the mark in an application for registration had been published, the change would
require republication in order to present the mark fairly for purposes of opposition. If republication would be required, the amendment is a material alteration.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">An amendment of a registered mark is acceptable if the modified mark contains the essence of the original mark (i.e., the mark as originally registered),
and the mark as amended creates essentially the same impression as the original mark.
<i>In re Umax Data Sys., Inc.</i>, 40 USPQ2d 1539 (Comm\u2019r Pats. 1996). For example, in marks consisting of wording combined with a design, if the word is the essence of the mark and the design is merely background embellishment or display that is not integrated
into the mark in any significant way, the removal or change of the design will not be a material alteration of the mark.
<i>See Ex parte Petersen & Pegau Baking Co.</i>, 100 USPQ 20 (Comm\u2019r Pats. 1953). On the other hand, if a design is integrated into a mark and is a distinctive feature necessary for recognition of the mark, then a change in the design would materially alter
the mark. <i>See In re Dillard Dep't Stores, Inc.,</i> 33 USPQ2d 1052 (Comm\u2019r Pats. 1993) (proposed deletion of highly stylized display features of mark "IN\u2022VEST\u2022MENTS" held to be a material alteration);
<i>Ex parte Kadane-Brown, Inc.</i>, 79 USPQ 307 (Comm\u2019r Pats. 1948) (proposed amendment of "BLUE BONNET" mark to delete a star design and to change the picture of the girl held a material alteration).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">When a mark is solely a picture or design, an alteration must be evaluated by determining whether the new form has the same commercial impression
as the original mark, i.e., whether the form as altered would be likely to be recognized as the same mark.
<i>See Ex parte Black & Decker Mfg. Co.,</i> 136 USPQ 379 (Comm\u2019r Pats. 1963) (proposed amendment to delete circle found to be a material alteration, where the circle was determined to be a prominent element of a design mark).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Marks entirely comprised of words can sometimes be varied as to their style of lettering, size, and other elements of form without resulting in a
material alteration of the mark. <i>See Ex parte Squire Dingee Co.</i>, 81 USPQ 258,
<i>recon. denied,</i> 81 USPQ 543 (Comm\u2019r Pats. 1949) (amendment from block lettering to script not a material alteration). However, changing from special form to standard characters, or the reverse, may be a material alteration.
<b><a href="https://tmep.uspto.gov/RDMS/TMEP/current#/current/TMEP-800d1e1238.html">TMEP §807.03(d)</a></b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">A generic or purely informational term may be deleted if the essence of the mark in appearance or meaning is not changed, but a word or feature that
is necessary to the significance of the mark may not be deleted. Likewise, a unique or prominent design feature may not be deleted.
<i>See In re Richards-Wilcox Mfg. Co.</i>, 181 USPQ 735 (Comm\u2019r Pats. 1974), <i>overruled on other grounds, In re Umax Data Sys., Inc.,</i> 40 USPQ2d 1539 (Comm'r Pats. 1996) (proposed amendment to block lettering from mark comprising a diamond design surrounding
the word "FYER-WALL" with an inverted channel bracket around the letters "RW" held a material alteration). See
<b><a href="https://tmep.uspto.gov/RDMS/TMEP/current#/current/TMEP-800d1e1905.html">TMEP §807.14(a)</a></b> regarding amendments deleting matter from a mark.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">C. Dale Quisenberry<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Quisenberry Law PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">13910 Champion Forest Drive, Suite 203<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Houston, Texas 77069<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">(832) 680.5000 (office)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">(832) 680.1000 (mobile)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">(832) 680.5555 (facsimile)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="http://www.quisenberrylaw.com"><span style="color:#0563C1">www.quisenberrylaw.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">From:
</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">E-trademarks <e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com> on behalf of Jessica R. Friedman via E-trademarks <e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com><br>
<b>Date: </b>Thursday, 23 October 2025 at 9:59</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">\u202f</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">am<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>Jessica R. Friedman <jrfriedman@litproplaw.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"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#002451">Hi, no opinions or even any thoughts about whether a specimen of a stylized word mark that shows the letter \u201co\u201d as a smiley face, instead of the original letter \u201co,\u201d will result
in a rejection on the ground of material alteration?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#002451"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0cm"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Jessica R. Friedman</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Attorney at Law</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">300 East 59 Street, Ste. 2406</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">New York, NY 10022</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Phone: 212-220-0900</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Cell: 917-647-1884</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm"><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">jrfriedman@litproplaw.com</a></span></u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">URL:
</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">www.literarypropertylaw.com</a></span></u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#003366"> </span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">From:
</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Jessica R. Friedman <jrfriedman@litproplaw.com><br>
<b>Date: </b>Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 10:53</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">\u202f</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">AM<br>
<b>To: </b>For trademark practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com><br>
<b>Subject: </b>Changing "o" to smiley face in design mark: material alteration?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Jessica R. Friedman</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Attorney at Law</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">300 East 59 Street, Ste. 2406</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">New York, NY 10022</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Phone: 212-220-0900</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Cell: 917-647-1884</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">URL:
</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><o:p></o:p></p>
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