Refusal on Basis of Ornamentation

I've devoted a few posts to the subject of trademarks and clothing lines but it wasn't until I was talking with a client yesterday that I realized I had answered the what but not the why.

I was explaining to the client that submitting a picture of a t-shirt with his clothing line name on the front would not suffice as proof of use for the USPTO. He then asked me why. After getting off the phone, I realized that while I had answered him I hadn't fully addressed it here.

The title of this post is the response you'd likely get from the USPTO if you submit a photo of a t-shirt with your name and/or logo displayed on the front.

What does refusal on basis of ornamentation mean exactly?

"Subject matter that is merely a decorative feature does not identify and distinguish the applicant’s goods and, thus, does not function as a trademark. A decorative feature may include words, designs, slogans or other trade dress. This matter should be refused registration because it is merely ornamentation and, therefore, does not function as a trademark"

Okay, let's explain that using non-legalese language. When an in use USPTO application is submitted, a specimen must also be filed.

For clothing, a lot of folks make the guess that submitting a picture of one of their t-shirts with the name on the front will work. And that does seem to make a lot of sense. But when it comes to trademarks, you've got to "identify and distinguish" your name to your clothing.

This means that your name must be on a tag or a label that'd be attached to a garment that identifies it as being the name of the line itself & not just part of the overall artwork applied to the front of the shirt.

If you've got a clothing line & aren't sure what would work as a specimen, feel free to email me at shannon@tmexpress.com & I'd be happy to go over your specific details with you.

How to Trademark Your Clothing Line

As promised in this post, I'll explore what's acceptable as a specimen as it pertains to clothing.

When it comes to clothing, the best thing to send to the USPTO is either a tag or a label. This makes it clear that the name and/or logo is being used for a clothing line. The USPTO will no longer accept a picture of a, for instance, t-shirt with the name appearing only on the front. Those days are over.

Let's look at a few examples to illustrate this.

1) Your specimen can be a tag all on its own as seen here



2) Your specimen can be a tag that's attached and/or sewed into a garment as seen here



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Specimens: Not Just for Guys in White Coats Anymore

Picking up where we left off on Tuesday, I think it'd be a good idea to start with, well, starting. I recommend anyone looking into starting a clothing line to check out PowerHomeBiz's article about that very subject.

Okay, let's assume that you're at the trademark stage for your clothing line: you've had comprehensive research conducted; the analysis on the research has been done; and (yay!) your name is clear. Now the next step is filing for the Federal trademark.

Part of the USPTO application process involves sending the Federal government proof of how the mark is used whether it's used for goods or for services. The USPTO calls this the specimen.

I'll devote the rest of the post explaining specimens as a whole. Next week, we'll get into specimens as they pertain to the clothing industry.

Okay, first, what is a specimen? While it sounds very laboratory-ish, it's really not too complicated. Basically, the USPTO needs to see a real-world example of how your mark is used for the goods and/or services.

If you're selling goods (aka products), the specimen must be "a tag or label for the goods; a container for the goods; a display associated with the goods; or a photograph of the goods that shows use of the mark on the goods."

If you're selling services, the specimen must be "a sign; a brochure about the services; an advertisement for the services; a business card or stationery showing the mark in connection with the services; or a photograph showing the mark as used in rendering or advertising the services."

For either goods or services, it must have two important things: (1) the mark and (2) it's gotta be OBVIOUS what the goods and/or services are just by looking/reading the specimen.

Let's look at some examples to illustrate this:

1) You've got a name & a logo that you're using for your cosmetics line. To provide proof to the USPTO of your mark's use, you could submit a picture of a tag that's attached to a tangible product. Take a look at Sephora's specimen, which illustrates this perfectly.

2) You've got a name that you're using for your online retail store services. To provide proof to the USPTO of your mark's use, you could submit a screen shot of your web site. Take a look at Amazon.com's specimen.

Trademark Your Clothing Line

Easily one of the biggest industries we serve over at TradeMark Express is the clothing industry. Because of that, I thought it was high time to devote a few posts to the different facets of filing for a trademark for your clothing line.

The first subject should definitely be explaining what branches of intellectual property are available for the various items that typically make up a clothing line.

Copyrights, specifically a Visual Art Works filing:

Any artwork/images displayed on the garments themselves, e.g. front of a t-shirt
Fabric designs
Patterns for sewing
Weaving or lace designs

Trademarks:

The name of your clothing line
The logo for your clothing line

I'll get into further detail about these subjects as well as others that are particular to clothing in the coming days.

If you have a specific question you'd like answered about trademarks & the clothing industry, please feel free to contact me via email