[E-trademarks] Radio Ad As Specimen For Services

Wed Apr 2 20:19:37 UTC 2025

“Proof that someone heard the ad”?  Is that a TMEP requirement?  The idea that I’d have to prove that someone (for example) visited a web page I submitted as a specimen seems ludicrous.

Kevin Grierson

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From: E-trademarks <e-trademarks-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> On Behalf Of Tara Aaron-Stelluto via E-trademarks
Sent: Wednesday, April 2, 2025 1:54 PM
To: For trademark practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>
Cc: Tara Aaron-Stelluto <tstelluto at bartonesq.com>
Subject: Re: [E-trademarks] Radio Ad As Specimen For Services

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I have, but cue sheets work too. I had a weird Office Action where the examiner claimed that neither the cue sheets nor the audio files were sufficient proof that consumers ever heard the ad, but we overcame that one pretty easily.

Tara Aaron‑Stelluto

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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 Montgomery, Alexander P. via E-trademarks <e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>>
Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 3:38 PM
To: For trademark practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>>
Cc: Montgomery, Alexander P. <amontgomery at hinckleyallen.com<mailto:amontgomery at hinckleyallen.com>>
Subject: [E-trademarks] Radio Ad As Specimen For Services
Has anyone successfully used an audio file of an on-air radio advertisement as a specimen for a service mark? The mark is read as a tagline in the ad read and the services are obviously referenced.

I’ve only ever used an audio file as a specimen for sound marks (and the TMEP only appears to reference audio files when talking about specimens for sound marks), and print/electronic material for service marks.

But the radio ad is advertising/promotional material that references the services, it’s just that consumers hear the tagline rather than see it. But that shouldn’t matter, should it?

Alexander P. Montgomery <http://www.hinckleyallen.com/people/alexander-p-montgomery>
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