Country Life, LLC

Trademark Trial and Appeal Board

May 2, 2013

No. 85340192 (T.T.A.B. May. 2, 2013)

THIS OPINION IS NOT A
PRECEDENT OF THE TTAB

Mailed: May 2, 2013

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
_____

Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
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In re Country Life, LLC
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Serial No. 85340192
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Peter J. Vranum of Gordon Herlands Randolph & Cox LLP,
for Country Life, LLC.

Kim Teresa Moninghoff, Trademark Examining Attorney, Law Office 113,
Odette Bonnet, Managing Attorney).
_____

Before Bucher, Mermelstein and Lykos,
Administrative Trademark Judges.

Opinion by Bucher, Administrative Trademark Judge:
Country Life, LLC (“applicant”) seeks registration on the Principal Register of the
mark IRON-TEK CLEAN PERFORMANCE (in standard character format) for “die-
tary and nutritional supplements” in International Class 5.1
The examining attorney has refused registration of applicant’s mark on the
ground that the mark includes deceptive matter in relation to the identified goods
pursuant to Section 2(a) of the Trademark Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1052(a).

1 Application Serial No. 85340192 was filed on June 7, 2011, pursuant to Section 1(a) of the
Trademark Act, based upon applicant’s claim of use anywhere and use in commerce since at
least as early as June 30, 2010.
Serial No. 85340192
2

When the refusal was made final, applicant appealed and requested reconsidera-
tion. After the examining attorney denied the request for reconsideration, the appeal
was resumed. We affirm the refusal to register.
Applicant argues that the applied-for mark is not likely to deceive the relevant
consumers because the word “IRON” in its mark is combined with the term TEK by a
hyphen to form a compound term, and will be understood as referring to the body build-
ing concept of “pumping iron.” Hence, applicant argues that this mark is, at worst, sug-
gestive of some of the intended users of applicant’s products, namely weightlifters and
other athletes or of the purpose of the products, i.e., as a nutritional supplement for se-
rious athletes training with weights. By contrast, the examining attorney takes the
position that because applicant’s dietary and nutritional supplements do not contain
the element iron, the applied-for term includes deceptive matter.
The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has enunciated the test for determin-
ing whether a mark contains deceptive matter under Trademark Act § 2(a):
1) Is the term misdescriptive of the character, quality, function, com-
position or use of the goods?
2) Are prospective purchasers likely to believe that the misdescription
actually describes the goods? and
3) Is the misdescription likely to affect the decision to purchase?
In re Budge Manufacturing Co., Inc., 857 F.2d 773, 8 USPQ2d 1259, 1260 (Fed. Cir.
1988).
The examining attorney has submitted dictionary entries and copies of web pages
in support of her refusal to register:

Serial No. 85340192
3

i·ron n.-

1. Symbol Fe A silvery-white, lustrous, malleable, ductile, magnetic or magnetizable,
metallic element occurring abundantly in combined forms, notably in hematite, limonite,
magnetite, and taconite, and used alloyed in a wide range of important structural mate-
rials. Atomic number 26; atomic weight 55.845; melting point 1,535°C; boiling point
2,750°C; specific gravity 7.874 (at 20°C); valence 2, 3, 4, 6. See Table at element.
…
8. A tonic, pill, or other medication containing iron and taken as a dietary supplement. 2

3
4 5

2 The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2007). Retrieved from
http://www.credoreference.com/entry/hmdictenglang/iron.
3 http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/minerals/health-benefits-of-iron.html, as viewed
by the examining attorney on September 21, 2011, attached to Priority Office action dated
September 26, 2011.
4 Health and Wellness Library: Iron, http://www.nutriherb.net/iron.html, as viewed by the ex-
amining attorney on September 26, attached to Priority Office action dated September 26,
2011.
5 http://www.oohoi.com/healthy_living/vitamin-info/benefits-of-iron.htm, as viewed by the ex-
amining attorney on September 26, 2011, attached to Priority Office action dated September
26, 2011.
Serial No. 85340192
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6
7
8
9

6 http://www.cvs.com/, attached to Priority Office action dated September 26, 2011, TICRS at
5.
7 http://www.amazon.com, attached to Priority Office action dated September 26, 2011, TICRS
at 6.
8 http://www.sunwarrior.com/, as viewed by the examining attorney on March 22, 2012,
attached to Office action dated March 26, 2012, TICRS at 2-6.
9 http://www.amazon.com/, viewed by the examining attorney on March 22, 2012, attached to
Office action dated March 26, 2012, TICRS at 7-8.
Serial No. 85340192
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10
Applicant has provided for the record copies of screen prints from its own website:

10 http://www.bodybuilding.com/ as viewed by the examining attorney on March 22, 2012,
attached to Office action dated March 26, 2012, TICRS at 10-11.
Serial No. 85340192
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11
12

11 http://www.country-life.com/category.cfm?Category=22, as accessed by applicant on March
20, 2012; Exhibit A, applicant’s request for reconsideration of September 24, 2012.
12 Id.
Serial No. 85340192
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Applicant also provided a copy of the following entry from Wikipedia, the free en-
cyclopedia:
Pumping Iron is a 1977 docufiction about the world of body-
building, focusing on the 1975 IFBB Mr. Universe and Mr.
Olympia competitions. Inspired by a book of the same name
by Charles Gaines and George Butler, the film nominally fo-
cuses on the competition between Arnold Schwarzenegger
and one of his primary competitors for the title of Mr. Olym-
pia, Lou Ferrigno. The film also features brief segments fo-
cusing on bodybuilders Franco Columbu and Mike Katz, in
addition to appearances by Ken Waller, Ed Corney, Serge
Nubret, and other famous bodybuilders of the era.
Shot during the 100 days leading up to the Mr. Universe and
Mr. Olympia competitions and during the competitions them-
selves, the filmmakers ran out of funds to finish production,
and it entered development hell for two years. Ultimately,
Schwarzenegger and other bodybuilders featured in the film
helped to raise funds to complete production, and it was re-
leased in 1977. The film became a box office success, making
Schwarzenegger a household name. The film also served to
popularize the then somewhat niche culture of bodybuilding, helping to inspire the fitness craze of
the 1980s; following the film's release, there was a marked increase in the number of commercial
gyms in the United States.[1][2] The film was released on CED, VHS, and then re-released on DVD
in 2003 for the 25th Anniversary of the theatrical debut. The film inspired two sequels: George But-
ler's Pumping Iron II: The Women in 1985, a documentary about the world of female bodybuilding;
and David and Scott McVeigh's Raw Iron in 2002, a documentary about the making of Pumping
Iron and how the film affected the lives of those who appeared in it. 13
pump
…
Phrasal Verb:
pump iron Sports
To lift weights. 14

pump iron
Vb
(Individual Sports & Recreations / Weightlifting) (intr) Slang to exercise with weights;
do body-building exercises 15

13 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumping_Iron , as accessed by applicant on March 20, 2012;
Exhibit B, applicant’s request for reconsideration of September 24, 2012.
14 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pump+iron, as accessed by applicant on March 20, 2012;
Exhibit C, applicant’s request for reconsideration of September 24, 2012.
Serial No. 85340192
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Finally, applicant also claims ownership of the following registration:
IRON-TEK for “vitamins and nutritional supplements” in Int. Class 5.16

Legal Analysis
A. Is IRON-TEK CLEAN PERFORMANCE Misdescriptive?

At the outset, we note applicant’s argument that the word “Iron” appearing within
the context of Iron-[hyphen]-Tek detracts from a commercial impression of the ele-
ment/mineral “iron.” More significantly, applicant takes the position that the word
“Iron” in its mark suggests “pumping iron.” According to the record, most of the prod-
ucts in Country Life’s Iron-Tek product line are indeed marketed and sold primarily to
body builders, but applicant’s identification of goods does not limit its dietary and nu-
tritional supplements to products for weightlifters.
Accordingly, we agree with the examining attorney that ordinary consumers see-
ing the term “Iron” in applicant’s mark for dietary and nutritional supplements are
going to assume that the supplements contain iron. The dictionary definition and web-
site evidence submitted by the examining attorney support the determination that
“iron” is a common mineral in dietary and nutritional supplements. However, as con-
firmed by applicant during ex parte prosecution, applicant’s goods do not contain
“iron.” Hence, there is no doubt but that applicant’s mark is misdescriptive.

15 Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged HarperCollins Publishers (2003);
also drawn from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pump+iron, as accessed by applicant on
March 20, 2012; Exhibit C, applicant’s request for reconsideration of September 24, 2012.
16 Registration No. 2442665 issued on April 10, 2001; renewed.
Serial No. 85340192
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B. Are Prospective Purchasers Likely to Believe the Misdescription?

Applicant’s identification of goods lists very broadly “dietary and nutritional sup-
plements,” and we must construe these words to include all such items. The examining
attorney has put together a fairly compelling case that the process of building muscles
requires iron. Products like Navitas hemp powder and Muscle Milk supplements have
thirty-five to forty percent of the average adult’s daily value of iron. Hence, we find
that iron is a common ingredient in dietary and nutritional supplements, and that or-
dinary consumers viewing applicant’s mark on nutritional and dietary supplements
will assume that the goods by their very nature contain iron. Like other active adults,
the record shows that weightlifters need iron for building muscles. Accordingly, in re-
sponse to applicant’s arguments, we cannot be sure why body builders would assume
that an IRON-formative mark on a bottle of dietary and nutritional supplements
would point toward the connotation of barbells rather than dietary iron. Hence, we
conclude that weightlifters, like other prospective purchasers of these sports supple-
ments, will believe that this product is rich in iron. On the other hand, even if weight-
lifters would not be deceived, we would still affirm because the mark would still be de-
ceptive to all other ordinary consumers of dietary and nutritional supplements, who
also must be construed to be included in the relevant class of consumers.
C. Is the Misdescription Likely to Affect the Decision to Purchase?

As the third prong of the deceptiveness test, we consider whether the misdescrip-
tiveness of the mark would be a factor in a decision to purchase the goods. The exam-
ining attorney submitted dictionary entries and copies of screen-prints from various
Serial No. 85340192
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websites to show that iron is a common ingredient of dietary and nutritional supple-
ments and also a desirable material for building muscles. This evidence is sufficient to
establish that iron is perceived by prospective purchasers of supplements as a most
desirable ingredient in such products, and hence we find that this would materially
affect the purchasing decisions.
Incontestible IRON-TEK registration
Finally, applicant asserts ownership of an incontestible registration for IRON-TEK
for vitamins and nutritional supplements, arguing that “the trademark office has pre-
viously found that the term IRON-TEK ... is not deceptive when used with supple-
ments.” To the extent that applicant is attempting to argue under In re American Sail
Training Association, 230 USPQ 879 (TTAB 1986), that its ownership of an incontest-
able registration of IRON-TEK for substantially the same goods precludes the Office
from refusing registration of applicant's present mark, we find that the reasoning of
American Sail (the “TALL SHIPS” decision) is inapposite to a later determination of
deceptiveness. See 15 U.S.C. §§ 1064(3), 1052(a). Rather, consistent with the statutory
structure of the Trademark Act, each application for registration of a mark for particu-
lar goods must be separately evaluated based on its own set of facts and in view of
whatever marketplace evidence is available in the record. Nothing in the statute pro-
vides a right ipso facto to register a new mark for additional goods, and we are not
bound by prior determinations made by examining attorneys. While uniform treat-
ment under the Trademark Act is highly desirable, our task here is to determine,
based on the record before us, whether applicant’s mark is registrable. See In re Nett
Designs Inc., 236 F.3d 1339, 57 USPQ2d 1564 (Fed. Cir. 2001).
Serial No. 85340192
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Decision: The refusal to register applicant’s mark IRON-TEK CLEAN PERFOR-
MANCE as deceptive under Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act is hereby affirmed.