[E-trademarks] Determining Whether Specimen Matches Drawing Based on Line Breaks

Wed Jan 31 12:19:53 EST 2024

We are considering putting disclaimer language in our search reports that advises that while we think the mark is registrable, the USPTO is so capricious these days that we may get an off the wall refusal we would not have anticpated.

It is getting that bad.

Janet F. Satterthwaite|Partner/ Chair, Trademark Practice|Potomac Law Group, PLLC

1717 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 1025

Washington, D.C. 20006

202-486-1578

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https://www.potomaclaw.com/professionals-janet-f-satterthwaite

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From: E-trademarks <e-trademarks-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> on behalf of Angelica Mcdonald via E-trademarks <e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 12:10 PM
To: For trademark practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>
Cc: Angelica Mcdonald <anmcdonald1 at aol.com>
Subject: Re: [E-trademarks] Determining Whether Specimen Matches Drawing Based on Line Breaks

WARNING: External email, do not click on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender’s full email address and expect the attachments.

Lori,

Could you please share your response , of course, with redaction? I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to respond to the similar office action I have without saying really bad things to the examiner LOL

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 31, 2024, at 11:06 AM, Crane, Susan via E-trademarks <e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com> wrote:

That’s just ridiculous.

Susan L. Crane

Group Vice President, Legal

Intellectual Property, Brands & Marketing

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

22 Sylvan Way

Parsippany, NJ 07054

O (973) 753-6455

M (973) 879-3420

Susan.Crane at wyndham.com<mailto:Susan.Crane at wyndham.com>

From: E-trademarks <e-trademarks-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> On Behalf Of Lori Milvain via E-trademarks
Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 10:44 AM
To: For trademark practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>
Cc: Lori Milvain <LMilvain at lathamluna.com>
Subject: Re: [E-trademarks] Determining Whether Specimen Matches Drawing Based on Line Breaks

I too have been receiving more “specimen doesn’t match the drawing” refusals that don’t make sense. I just spoke to an examiner that insists that a specimen is being refused as follows: TRADEMARK – Learn More Today TRADEMARK is a framework

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I too have been receiving more “specimen doesn’t match the drawing” refusals that don’t make sense.  I just spoke to an examiner that insists that a specimen is being refused as follows:

TRADEMARK – Learn More Today

TRADEMARK is a framework for …. (services are described here).  She says LEARN MORE TODAY is part of the mark.  What?

I disagreed and she told me to put my arguments in writing, so I will, (but at further expense to the client, of course).

Lori

Lori T. Milvain, Esq.

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From: E-trademarks <e-trademarks-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com>> On Behalf Of Spencer Cross via E-trademarks
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2024 7:14 PM
To: Carl Oppedahl <E-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:E-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>>
Cc: Spencer Cross <spencer at counselforcreators.com<mailto:spencer at counselforcreators.com>>
Subject: [E-trademarks] Determining Whether Specimen Matches Drawing Based on Line Breaks

Hi all,

We recently received a "specimen does not match the drawing" refusal where we applied for the mark as a compound word mark:

ALPHABETA

But the specimen, which is a screen capture of a website, uses a logo design that shows the two words stacked:

ALPHA

BETA

Everywhere else on the site the mark is used as a compound word on one line (e.g., in the copyright notice in the footer). Unfortunately, it's a relatively sparse site and none of those other uses are great options for a specimen.

That refusal seems inappropriate to me. I can't imagine, for example, that a specimen depicting the vertically stacked red LEVI'S tag would be refused because it shows the mark as "L E V I ' S" or that a specimen for SUPERCELL showing their logo<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__urldefense.com_v3_-5F-5Fhttps-3A_linkprotect.cudasvc.com_url-3Fa-3Dhttps-2A3a-2A2f-2A2fsupercell.com-2A2fen-2A2ffor-2Dmedia-2A2f-26c-3DE-2C1-2CVS8krQvKC6phN-2DQy6Lkt9-5FPEiqGryz2Xfhz9U8tjv2-5FBKXsxaNRzulSLwwWkSZhzZ0Hm4GlfIK5jtqgfVTXPViIIZq1NcWf7z7-5Fcd2nWWzUWEiBFJp4RFQ-2C-2C-26typo-3D1-5F-5F-3BJSUlJSUl-21-21Nf401RNTQFE14GfWW3o-21mTY-5F8xtV8GRGFots8R7NB4tSppHvaiM7MmRF0aVqddqkJTmCYYzyFYcduwfsqBkev7ilZZ1vwT8FyL8Q-5F-2Df9d7-2DreK5pCvY-24&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=BD_ODyCnGyM4QYkJS4ogIYzIigAHSpBLLoEgzCd9OOE&m=WZn2v387IKGYVdwjbmuWlh61YdpSmA0-l-JFft3JKtzIrJ7E8d3htjTbCKfETv48&s=-yFLQ_wRz-VMwzVoDoaU2Omkgta16j69bcjGRbypnxo&e=> would be refused for showing the mark as "SUP ERC ELL".

Before we talk to the client about revising their website, I'm curious if anyone knows of any authority addressing whether it's appropriate to conclude a standard character mark is two separate words based on its design expression? Unfortunately I wasn't able to find anything in TMEP or McCarthy or my other go-to secondary sources, all of which only address mismatches in punctuation. I assume in the end it will be easier to just ask the client to update the website, but I'd rather not capitulate because I don't think it's an appropriate refusal.

Feel free to send responses off-list if you prefer.

Thanks,

Spencer

--

SPENCER CROSS

Senior Associate Attorney

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