Blue Cloud, LLC.Download PDFTrademark Trial and Appeal BoardDec 13, 2017No. 86533812 (T.T.A.B. Dec. 13, 2017) Copy Citation This Opinion is not a Precedent of the TTAB Mailed: December 13, 2017 UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE _____ Trademark Trial and Appeal Board _____ In re Blue Cloud, LLC. _____ Serial No. 86533812 _____ Keith Fraser of The Fraser Firm PC, for Blue Cloud, LLC. Tara L. Bhupathi, Trademark Examining Attorney, Law Office 124, Lydia Belzer, Managing Attorney. _____ Before Cataldo, Wolfson and Masiello, Administrative Trademark Judges. Opinion by Cataldo, Administrative Trademark Judge: Blue Cloud, LLC (“Applicant”) seeks registration on the Principal Register of the mark CORSA (in standard characters) for “eyewear” in International Class 9.1 The Trademark Examining Attorney has refused registration under Section 2(d) of the Trademark Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1052(d), on the ground that Applicant’s mark, as 1 Application Serial No. 86533812 was filed on February 12, 2015 under Section 1(b) of the Trademark Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1051(b), based on Applicant’s allegation of a bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce. In response to a requirement by the Examining Attorney, Applicant submitted the following translation: The English translation of “CORSA” in the mark is “RACE.” Serial No. 86533812 - 2 - intended to be used in connection with the goods identified in the application, so resembles the mark CORSA COLLECTIONS (in standard characters, “COLLECTIONS” disclaimed), previously registered on the Principal Register for the following services: Retail store services featuring luggage, travel bags, business cases, handbags, small leather goods, jewelry, timepieces, travel accessories, covers and accessories for cell phones and tablets, cosmetic bags, footwear, eyewear, and household gifts, in International Class 35,2 as to be likely to cause confusion, to cause mistake, or to deceive. After the Examining Attorney made the refusal final, Applicant appealed to this Board. We affirm the refusal to register. Likelihood of Confusion Our determination under Section 2(d) is based on an analysis of all probative facts in evidence that are relevant to the factors bearing on the issue of likelihood of confusion. In re E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., 476 F.2d 1357, 177 USPQ 563, 567 (CCPA 1973); see also In re Majestic Distilling Co., 315 F.3d 1311, 65 USPQ2d 1201, 1203 (Fed. Cir. 2003). In any likelihood of confusion analysis, however, two key considerations are the similarities between the marks and the similarities between the goods and services. See Federated Foods, Inc. v. Fort Howard Paper Co., 544 F.2d 1098, 192 USPQ 24, 29 (CCPA 1976) (“The fundamental inquiry mandated by § 2(d) 2 Registration No. 4869258 issued on December 15, 2015. The registration includes the following translation: The English translation of “CORSA” in the mark is “MOVING SWIFTLY.” Serial No. 86533812 - 3 - goes to the cumulative effect of differences in the essential characteristics of the goods [or services] and differences in the marks.”). Strength of the Mark in the Cited Registration Applicant argues that a “considerable number of third parties use similar marks.”3 In support of this contention, Applicant introduced into the record with its December 28, 2016 Response to the Examining Attorney’s final Office Action screenshots from third-party internet websites displaying various “CORSA” formative marks and website addresses in connection with a variety of goods, including the following:4 CorsaMiglia.com displays a photograph of luggage with a Ferrari automobile, although it is not clear whether “CorsaMiglia” is solely the name of the website or also a mark for goods or services; Orbino.com offers for sale leather Corsa iPod Touch cases; Pillastore.com offers for sale Corsa eyewear (not Applicant’s); Overstock.com offers for sale Serengetti Corsa GG6875 Sport sunglasses; Amazon.com.uk offers for sale a Corsa Leather Grip/Travel Bag/Weekend Bag, although the price therefor is listed in pounds, and it is not clear to what extent, if any, this webpage will be viewed by consumers in the United States. 3 4 TTABVUE 19. Page references herein to the application record refer to the downloadable .pdf version of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) system. References to the briefs refer to the Board’s TTABVUE docket system. 4 At .pdf 42-51. Serial No. 86533812 - 4 - Applicant also made of record with the same response copies of the following five third-party registrations, all issued on the Principal Register to different entities (all marks are in standard characters):5 Registration No. 5068354 for the mark DE CORSA (translated as “the trip”) for “luggage;” Registration No. 3933750 for the mark ROSSA CORSA (translated as “racing red”) for numerous bags, cases and boxes made of leather and imitation leather; various food items; and advertising, business management and retail store services featuring jewelry, watches, textiles, leather products, cars and food; Registration No. 4824059 for the mark VIA CORSA (translated as “street racing”) for “printed periodicals in the field of travel; series of non-fiction books in the field of travel guides;” Registration No. 4673535 for the mark SUPERCORSA (no translation) for various bicycle parts and accessories; knapsacks, travel bags and sports bags; and items of clothing; Registration No. 4449900 for the mark MOTOCORSA (CORSA translated as “race”) f o r “motorcycle dealership services.” With regard to the internet and third-party registration evidence, we note that the “existence of [third party] registrations is not evidence of what happens in the market place or that customers are familiar with them.” AMF Inc. v. American Leisure Prods., Inc., 474 F.2d 1403, 177 USPQ 268, 269 (CCPA 1973). Nevertheless, in determining the degree of weakness, if any, in the shared terms, we must “adequately account for the apparent force of [third-party use] evidence,” regardless of whether “specifics” pertaining to the extent and impact of such use have been proven. Juice Generation, Inc. v. GS Enters. LLC, 794 F.3d 1334, 115 USPQ2d 1671, 5 At .pdf 30-41. Serial No. 86533812 - 5 - 1674-5 (Fed. Cir. 2015). “[E]xtensive evidence of third-party use and registrations is ‘powerful on its face,’ even where the specific extent and impact of the usage has not been established.” Jack Wolfskin Ausrustung Fur Draussen GmbH & Co. KGAA v. New Millennium Sports, S.L.U., 797 F3d 1363, 116 USPQ2d 1129, 1136 (Fed. Cir. 2015), citing to Juice Generation, 115 USPQ2d at 1674. Turning first to the internet evidence, Applicant has made of record a total of, at best, five third-party uses of CORSA formative marks: two in connection with eyewear, including sunglasses, and the rest in connection with leather mobile phone cases, travel bags and luggage. As discussed above, one of the websites is located in the United Kingdom and another does not appear to use a CORSA formative as a mark. While Applicant has not presented specific evidence concerning the extent and impact of these uses, it nevertheless presented “evidence of these marks being used in internet commerce” for eyewear and additional goods sold under the services identified in the cited registration. Jack Wolfskin 116 USPQ2d at 1136; see also Rocket Trademarks Pty Ltd. v. Phard S.p.A., 98 USPQ2d 1066, 1072 (TTAB 2011) (internet printouts “on their face, show that the public may have been exposed to those internet websites and therefore may be aware of the advertisements contained therein”). However, unlike cases in which extensive evidence of third-party use and other evidence in the record was found to be “powerful on its face” inasmuch as “a considerable number of third parties use [of] similar marks was shown,” Juice Generation, 115 USPQ2d at 1674, Applicant has presented, at most, five such uses, Serial No. 86533812 - 6 - well short of the volume of evidence found convincing in Jack Wolfskin and Juice Generation. We turn next to the five third-party registrations introduced into the record by Applicant. Registration No. 5068354 for the mark DE CORSA is arguably closest to the involved marks in appearance and sound, translates to “the trip,” and identifies luggage. Registration No. 3933750 for the mark ROSSA CORSA differs from the marks at issue due to the presence of the term ROSSA, translates to “racing red” and identifies leather goods, advertising services and retail store services that do not feature eyewear. Registration No. 4824059 for the mark VIA CORSA also differs in appearance, sound and meaning from the involved marks, translating to “street racing,” and identifies travel guides. Registration No. 4673535 for the mark SUPERCORSA also differs in appearance and sound, connotes a “super race,” and identifies bicycle parts, sports bags and clothing items. Registration No. 4449900 for the mark MOTOCORSA similarly differs inasmuch as it connotes a motocross or motorcycle race and identifies motorcycle dealerships. None of the third-party registrations recite goods or services relating to eyewear; only two of the third-party registrations identify goods sold by the owner of the cited registration; and none of the marks are as similar to the cited registration, which translates to “swiftly moving collections,” as is Applicant’s mark, which translates to race. The totality of the evidence presented by Applicant fails to show that the term CORSA as it appears in the marks is significantly weak in connection with the involved goods or services. Therefore, while we can agree based upon translations Serial No. 86533812 - 7 - that the term CORSA in the cited mark connotes speed, movement or travel, and thus may be afforded a slightly narrower scope of protection than that afforded a fanciful term, the evidence does not show that it should be afforded such a narrow scope of protection that it would allow registration of Applicant’s mark. Thus, we find based on this record that the mark in the cited registration is not so weak as to be entitled to only a narrow scope of protection. Similarity or Dissimilarity of the Marks We address the du Pont likelihood of confusion factor focusing on “the similarity or dissimilarity of the marks in their entireties as to appearance, sound, connotation and commercial impression.” Palm Bay Imps. Inc. v. Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Maison Fondee En 1772, 396 F.3d 1369, 73 USPQ2d 1689, 1691 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (quoting du Pont, 177 USPQ at 567). “The proper test is not a side-by-side comparison of the marks, but instead whether the marks are sufficiently similar in terms of their commercial impression such that persons who encounter the marks would be likely to assume a connection between the parties.” Coach Servs. Inc. v. Triumph Learning LLC, 668 F.3d 1356, 101 USPQ2d 1713, 1721 (Fed. Cir. 2012) (quotation omitted). Because the similarity or dissimilarity of the marks is determined based on the marks in their entireties, our analysis cannot be predicated on dissecting the marks into their various components; that is, the decision must be based on the entire marks, not just part of the marks. In re Nat’l Data Corp., 753 F.2d 1056, 224 USPQ 749, 751 (Fed. Cir. 1985); see also Franklin Mint Corp. v. Master Mfg. Co., 667 F.2d 1005, 212 USPQ 233, 234 (CCPA 1981) (“It is axiomatic that a mark should not be Serial No. 86533812 - 8 - dissected and considered piecemeal; rather, it must be considered as a whole in determining likelihood of confusion.”). On the other hand, there is nothing improper in stating that, for rational reasons, more or less weight has been given to a particular feature of a mark, provided the ultimate conclusion rests on a consideration of the marks in their entireties. In re Nat’l Data, 224 USPQ at 751. The only difference between the marks CORSA and CORSA COLLECTIONS is the presence of the disclaimed word “COLLECTIONS” in the registered mark. Disclaimed matter is often “less significant in creating the mark’s commercial impression.” In re Code Consultants, Inc., 60 USPQ2d 1699, 1702 (TTAB 2001). However, while a disclaimed term … may be given little weight … it may not be ignored.” M2 Software Inc. v. M2 Communications Inc., 450 F.3d 1378, 78 USPQ2d 1944, 1948-49 (Fed. Cir. 2006). We take judicial notice of the following definition of “collection” from OxfordDictionaries.com/definition/collection: “a group of things or people; a group of accumulated items of a particular kind.”6 The disclaimed term “COLLECTIONS” in the registered mark thus describes a feature of the recited services, namely, that the retail store services provide a group of things or accumulated items, including eyewear, for sale. “Regarding descriptive terms, this court has noted that the ‘descriptive component of a mark may be given little weight 6 The Board may take judicial notice of dictionary definitions, Univ. of Notre Dame du Lac v. J.C. Gourmet Food Imp. Co., 213 USPQ 594 (TTAB 1982), aff'd, 703 F.2d 1372, 217 USPQ 505 (Fed. Cir. 1983), including online dictionaries that exist in printed format or have regular fixed editions. In re Hotels.com, L.P., 87 USPQ2d 1100, 1103 (TTAB 2007), aff’d, 573 F.3d 1300, 91 USPQ2d 1532 (Fed. Cir. 2009); In re Jonathan Drew, Inc., 97 USPQ2d 1640, 1642 n.4 (TTAB 2011). Serial No. 86533812 - 9 - in reaching a conclusion on the likelihood of confusion.’” Cunningham v. Laser Golf Corp., 55 USPQ2d 1842, 1846 (Fed. Cir. 2000), quoting, In re Nat’l Data, 224 USPQ at 752. Applicant, while arguing that the marks “are significantly different not only in appearance, but meaning, connotation, commercial impression and sound,”7 nonetheless acknowledges that “both Registrant’s mark and Applicant’s mark share the dominant first term ‘Corsa.’”8 The term CORSA comprising Applicant’s mark is identical in appearance and sound to CORSA in the registered CORSA COLLECTIONS mark. With regard to meaning, the Examining Attorney introduced with her May 19, 2015 Office Action an internet translation from Italian into English of the word CORSA as “race.”9 In its November 10, 2015 response thereto, Applicant introduced into the record portions of the file history of the application underlying the cited registration. Therein, the owner of the cited registration states that it: has translated “corsa” as moving swiftly. The word “corsa” in fact has a number of different translations, including run or running, ride, rush or trip or journey. Applicant first started its business selling luggage. Using the word “corsa” in connection with its retail stores would suggest to customers familiar with Italian or the meaning of CORSA, a trip or traveling.10 Applicant argues that Registrant contended that its mark “bears no logical relationship” with the racing connotations of the other registered mark [ROSSA CORSA 7 4 TTABVUE 8. 8 Id. 9 At .pdf 6. 10 At .pdf 14. Registrant raised this argument in response to a refusal of registration under Section 2(d). Serial No. 86533812 - 10 - discussed above]. Rather, Registrant stated that “CORSA COLLECTIONS” would “suggest to consumers…a trip or traveling.” In Juice Generation, supra, the court found that such prior statements made by a Registrant to the USPTO to overcome a refusal “are particularly important” and have some estoppel effect when that Registrant subsequently seeks to oppose another registration on the same or similar grounds. (Juice Generation, supra, at 1340). Here, Registrant’s statements establish that the two marks, when viewed in their entirety, have different commercial impressions and that no reasonable consumer would attribute the same connotation or impression to Applicant’s mark “CORSA” as it would to Registrant’s mark “CORSA COLLECTIONS”.11 Unlike the circumstances discussed by the Court in Juice Generation, the owner of the CORSA COLLECTIONS mark is not a party to this ex parte appeal. Its statements in arguing against a likelihood of confusion refusal during prosecution of its underlying application may nonetheless be taken at face value with regard to the meaning of its mark. With her December 3, 2015 Office Action, the Examining Attorney introduced the following definition of “race:” – “a competition of speed, as in running or riding;” “to move rapidly or at top speed.”12 Further, and as discussed above, the term CORSA may mean “trip,” “moving swiftly,” “race” or “racing” depending on the context in which it appears. Thus, CORSA appears to have several related contextual meanings, and the mere fact that Applicant’s translation is “race” while the translation in the cited registration is “moving swiftly” does not create a significant difference in connotation, given that a race is a competition of speed, the object of which is moving swiftly. Furthermore, while the owner of the registered 11 4 TTABVUE 10-11. 12 At .pdf 4. Definition from ahdictionary.com, American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Ed. (2015). Serial No. 86533812 - 11 - mark may have “first started its business selling luggage,”13 we must evaluate the mark in connection with the services identified in the cited registration, which include “retail store services featuring … eyewear.” In the contexts of eyewear and retail stores featuring eyewear, respectively, it is likely that customers would perceive CORSA to have the same meaning. Even if we view the term CORSA in the CORSA COLLECTIONS mark as connoting a trip or traveling, that connotation is not so far removed from racing or moving swiftly toward a destination. We acknowledge that the additional term COLLECTIONS serves to visually and aurally distinguish the Applicant’s mark and the cited mark. However, the only term in Applicant’s mark is CORSA and it is the only distinctive term in the registered mark. This common identical term in both marks results in marks that, as discussed above, are similar in sound, appearance, meaning, and commercial impression. The presence of the additional term COLLECTIONS would not be likely to distinguish the marks since it would merely indicate that the owner of the cited registration offers a group of products under its mark. See In re Jewelmasters, Inc., 221 USPQ 90 (TTAB 1983) (JEWELMASTERS for retail jewelry store services held likely to be confused with MASTER JEWELER’S COLLECTION for jewelry); and Drexel Enterprises, Inc. v. Prescolite Mfg. Corp., 148 USPQ 92 (TTAB 1965) (HERITAGE COLLECTION, Collection disclaimed, for lighting fixtures confusingly similar to HERITAGE for a line of furniture). See also Hewlett-Packard Co. v. Packard Press Inc., 281 F.3d 1261, 62 USPQ2d 1001, 1004 (Fed. Cir. 2002) (“Given the dominance of the word ‘Packard’ 13 Applicant’s November 10, 2015 communication at .pdf 14. Serial No. 86533812 - 12 - in PACKARD TECHNOLOGIES and HP’s heavy involvement in the technology field, this court agrees with the Board that the similarities in the marks [PACKARD TECHNOLOGIES and HEWLETT PACKARD] outweigh the differences. Substantial evidence supports the Board’s finding that the marks are similar in their entireties”). Furthermore, we note that CORSA, the word which the marks share in common, and the only word comprising Applicant’s mark, is also the first word in the mark in the cited registration. Presto Products, Inc. v. Nice-Pak Products Inc., 9 USPQ2d 1895, 1897 (TTAB 1988) (“…[it is] a matter of some importance since it is often the first part of a mark which is most likely to be impressed upon the mind of a purchaser and remembered.”). See also Palm Bay Imps., 73 USPQ2d at 1692 (“The presence of this strong distinctive term as the first word in both parties’ marks renders the marks similar, especially in light of the largely laudatory (and hence non-source identifying) significance of ROYALE.”). We find, as a result, that the differences between the marks are outweighed by their similarity in appearance, sound and meaning. Considered in their entireties, we find that the marks convey similar overall commercial impressions. This du Pont factor thus supports a finding that confusion is likely. Relatedness of the Goods and Services, Their Trade Channels and Consumers We next consider the du Pont factors addressing the similarity of the goods and services, the channels of trade in which they may be encountered and the purchasers to whom they are marketed. We are mindful that the test is not whether consumers Serial No. 86533812 - 13 - would be likely to confuse these goods and services, but rather whether they would be likely to be confused as to their source. In re Anderson, 101 USPQ2d 1912, 1919 (TTAB 2012). Therefore, to support a finding of likelihood of confusion, it is not necessary that the goods and services be identical or even competitive. It is sufficient that the goods and services are related in some manner, or that the circumstances surrounding their marketing are such that they would be encountered by the same persons in situations that would give rise, because of the marks, to a mistaken belief that they originate from the same source or that there is an association or connection between the sources of the goods and services. In re Thor Tech Inc., 90 USPQ2d 1634, 1635 (TTAB 2009). We must look to the goods and services as identified in the involved application and cited registration, not to any extrinsic evidence of actual use. Stone Lion Capital Partners, LP v. Lion Capital LLP, 746 F.3d 1317, 110 USPQ2d 1157, 1162 (Fed. Cir. 2014). Because there are no limitations as to channels of trade or classes of purchasers in the recitation of goods or services in either the cited registration or the application, we must presume that the identified goods and services move in all channels of trade normal for such goods and services and are available to all potential classes of ordinary consumers of such goods and services. See Citigroup Inc. v. Capital City Bank Group Inc., 637 F.3d 1344, 98 USPQ2d 1253, 1261 (Fed. Cir. 2011); In re Jump Designs LLC, 80 USPQ2d 1370, 1374 (TTAB 2006); In re Elbaum, 211 USPQ 639, 640 (TTAB 1981). Serial No. 86533812 - 14 - Applicant’s goods are “eyewear” and the services in the cited registration are “retail store services featuring [inter alia] eyewear.” In support of the refusal of registration, the Examining Attorney introduced with her June 28, 2016 Office action printouts from four third-party internet websites offering both eyewear and online retail store services featuring eyewear under the same marks, including: OGI Eyewear; Crap Eyewear; Tom’s; and Warby Parker.14 With her January 23, 2017 final Office Action, the Examining Attorney introduced into the record screenshots from the following four additional websites that also offer eyewear and online retail store services featuring eyewear under the same marks: Dita; Matsuda; Pixel Eyewear; Native Eyewear.15 This evidence demonstrates that at least eight third parties identify eyewear as well as retail services featuring eyewear under the same mark. In addition, the Examining Attorney introduced into the record with her June 28, 2016 Office Action copies of nine use-based, third-party registrations for marks identifying both eyewear and various retail services featuring eyewear. The following examples are illustrative:16 Registration No. 4654297 for the mark SENECA EYEWEAR (in standard characters) for “eyeglasses; eyewear; on-line retail store services featuring eyewear and eye glasses.” Registration No. 4905761 for the mark WOODZEE (in standard characters) for “eyewear, namely prescription eyewear, reading glasses; online wholesale and retail store services featuring sunglasses, prescription eyewear, reading glasses, cases for eyeglasses and sunglasses, and toothbrushes.” 14 At .pdf 8-16. 15 At .pdf 7-14. 16 At .pdf 3-40. Serial No. 86533812 - 15 - Registration No. 4932464 for the mark JUNK (in stylized form) for “eyewear, namely, sunglasses; on-line retail store services featuring [inter alia] sunglasses.” As a general proposition, although use-based, third-party registrations alone are not evidence that the marks shown therein are in use or that the public is familiar with them, they nonetheless may have some probative value to the extent they may serve to suggest that the goods are of a kind that emanate from a single source. See In re Infinity Broad. Corp., 60 USPQ2d 1214, 1217-18 (TTAB 2001); In re Albert Trostel & Sons Co., 29 USPQ2d 1783, 1785-86 (TTAB 1993); In re Mucky Duck Mustard Co., 6 USPQ2d 1467, 1470 n.6 (TTAB 1988). In this case, the totality of the internet and third-party registration evidence demonstrates that the identified goods and services may emanate from the same sources under the same marks. In our likelihood of confusion analysis, these findings under the second du Pont factor support a finding that confusion is likely. With its November 10, 2015 response to the Examining Attorney’s first Office Action, Applicant submitted the declaration of its CEO, Steve Khroyan, in which he declares that Applicant intends to use its CORSA mark to identify eyewear; and that it sells its eyewear exclusively online and not through retail stores.17 However, the identification of goods in the involved application is “eyewear” without any limitations as to the channels of trade in which it will be offered. Similarly, there is nothing in the recitation of services in the cited mark that restricts the identified “retail store services” solely to “brick and mortar” retail stores to the exclusion of 17 At .pdf 21. Serial No. 86533812 - 16 - online retail store services. Thus, Applicant’s arguments seeking to impose limitations on the services in the cited registration are unavailing, as would be any limitation to Applicant’s trade channels that Applicant may seek to include in its identification of goods. In the absence of trade channel limitations in either recitation of goods or services, we presume Applicant’s eyewear is offered in all customary trade channels, including retail stores. “We have no authority to read any restrictions or limitations into the registrant’s description of [services].” In re Thor Tech Inc., 90 USPQ2d at 1638. Nor may an applicant restrict the scope of the services covered in the cited registration by argument or extrinsic evidence. In re Midwest Gaming & Entertainment LLC, 106 USPQ2d 1163, 1165 (TTAB 2013); In re La Peregrina Ltd., 86 USPQ2d 1645, 1647 (TTAB 2008); In re Bercut-Vandervoort & Co., 229 USPQ 763, 764 (TTAB 1986). Summary Considering all the evidence of record, including any evidence not specifically discussed herein, we find that the marks in their entireties are similar and that the identified goods and services are related and registrant’s services provide a trade channel in which such goods as Applicant’s goods may be encountered. Applicant’s modest evidence of third-party use and registration of similar marks is insufficient to mitigate in favor of a finding of no likelihood of confusion. We find therefore that Applicant’s mark is likely to cause confusion with the mark in the cited registration when used in association with the identified goods and services. Serial No. 86533812 - 17 - Decision: The refusal to register Applicant’s mark on the ground of likelihood of confusion is affirmed. Copy with citationCopy as parenthetical citation