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Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Electronic Filing System. http://estta.uspto.gov
`
`ESTTA Tracking number:
`
`ESTTA1046309
`
`Filing date:
`
`04/01/2020
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`BEFORE THE TRADEMARK TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`Proceeding
`
`Applicant
`
`88041543
`
`Amazon Technologies, Inc.
`
`Applied for Mark
`
`COMICSTAAN
`
`Correspondence
`Address
`
`DAN ENGLANDER
`KILPATRICK TOWNSEND & STOCKTON, LLP
`1100 PEACHTREE STREET, SUITE 2800
`ATLANTA, GA 30309
`UNITED STATES
`tmadmin@kilpatricktownsend.com, sday@kilpatricktownsend.com, worlddock-
`et@kilpatricktownsend.com
`202-508-5800
`
`Submission
`
`Attachments
`
`Filer's Name
`
`Filer's email
`
`Signature
`
`Date
`
`Applicants Request for Remand and Amendment
`
`US - COMICSTAAN - Request for Remand.pdf(21852 bytes )
`
`Daniel Englander
`
`denglander@kilpatricktownsend.com, tmadmin@kilpatricktownsend.com
`
`/Daniel Englander/
`
`04/01/2020
`
`

`

`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`BEFORE THE TRADEMARK TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`APPLICANT
`
`MARK
`
`SERIAL NO.
`
`CLASSES
`
`:
`
`:
`
`:
`
`:
`
` Amazon Technologies, Inc.
`
` COMICSTAAN
`
` 88/041,543
`
` International Class 41
`
`REQUEST FOR REMAND TO AMEND APPLICANT’S
`IDENTIFICATION OF SERVICES AND MOTION TO SUSPEND
`
`Applicant respectfully requests the Board to remand Application Serial No. 88/041,543
`
`(the “Application”) to the Examining Attorney for amendment of the identification of services in
`
`Class 41, as laid out below. In light of this requested amendment, Applicant further requests the
`
`Examining Attorney to withdraw the refusal to register the Application based on a perceived
`
`likelihood of confusion with the mark underlying Registration No. 5,271,553 (the “Cited Mark”).
`
`Applicant also requests the Board to suspend the appeal proceedings pending its review of this
`
`Request for Remand.
`
`I.
`
`Background
`
`Applicant filed the Application to register the mark COMICSTAAN for the following
`
`services in Class 41:
`
`Entertainment in the nature of an ongoing television comedy series; entertainment
`
`services, namely, an ongoing comedy series provided through television, cable, the
`
`Internet and wireless communications networks; providing online non-downloadable
`
`comic books and graphic novels; providing a website featuring blogs and non-
`
`downloadable publications in the nature of books, graphic novels, comics and
`
`screenplays in the field of entertainment; providing a website featuring entertainment
`
`

`

`information, audio, video and prose presentations, and online-non-downloadable
`
`publications in the nature of fiction and non-fiction books, graphic novels and comics all
`
`in the field of entertainment; entertainment services, namely, arranging and conducting
`
`contests; providing current event news and information in the field of entertainment
`
`relating to contests, video, audio and prose presentations and publications all in the field
`
`of entertainment; providing on-line reviews of television shows and movies; providing a
`
`video-on-demand website featuring non-downloadable movies and films; providing a
`
`website featuring non-downloadable videos in the field of movies, television shows, and
`
`film trailers on a variety of topics; providing a searchable on-line entertainment database
`
`featuring on-line non-downloadable music, movies, television shows, multimedia
`
`presentations in the field of entertainment, audio files featuring music, comic books, and
`
`publications in the nature of entertainment; and providing information on entertainment,
`
`movies and television shows via social networks.
`
`On October 25, 2018, the Examining Attorney preliminarily refused registration under
`
`Section 2(d) on the basis of the Cited Registration, which covers “Television program and film
`
`production, and distribution; providing a website featuring electronic media, multimedia content,
`
`videos, movies, pictures, images, text, photos, audio content, and entertainment information over
`
`the internet and mobile media networks in the field of Indian cinema” in Class 41. On April 25,
`
`2019, Applicant responded by submitting arguments in opposition to the Section 2(d) refusal.
`
`On June 3, 2019, the Examining Attorney issued a Final Office Action again refusing
`
`registration under Section 2(d). On December 3, 2019, Applicant responded to the Final Office
`
`Action by filing a Request for Reconsideration in which it again traversed the Section 2(d)
`
`refusal. Applicant also timely noticed an appeal in conjunction with the Request for
`
`

`

`Reconsideration. On January 31, 2020, the Examining Attorney denied the Request for
`
`Reconsideration. On February 3, 2020, the USPTO reinstated this appeal.
`
`To underscore the absence of likelihood of confusion and overlap between the services in
`
`the Cited Registration and Applicant’s services, Application now intends to amend its
`
`identification of services as follows:
`
`Entertainment in the nature of an ongoing television comedy series; entertainment
`
`services, namely, an ongoing comedy series provided through television, cable, the
`
`Internet and wireless communications networks; providing online non-downloadable
`
`comic books and graphic novels; providing a website featuring blogs and non-
`
`downloadable publications in the nature of books, graphic novels, comics and
`
`screenplays in the field of entertainment; providing a website featuring entertainment
`
`information, audio, video and prose presentations, and online-non-downloadable
`
`publications in the nature of fiction and non-fiction books, graphic novels and comics all
`
`in the field of entertainment; entertainment services, namely, arranging and conducting
`
`contests; providing current event news and information in the field of entertainment
`
`relating to contests, video, audio and prose presentations and publications all in the field
`
`of entertainment; providing on-line reviews of television shows and movies; providing a
`
`video-on-demand website featuring non-downloadable movies and films; providing a
`
`website featuring non-downloadable videos in the field of movies, television shows, and
`
`film trailers on a variety of topics; providing a searchable on-line entertainment database
`
`featuring on-line non-downloadable music, movies, television shows, multimedia
`
`presentations in the field of entertainment, audio files featuring music, comic books, and
`
`

`

`publications in the nature of entertainment; and providing information on entertainment,
`
`movies and television shows via social networks
`
`With the above amendments, there will be an absence of overlap between the services in
`
`the Cited Registration and Applicant’s services, thereby further ensuring no risk of confusion
`
`with the mark covered by the Cited Registration. In light of this requested amendment to
`
`Applicant’s identification of services, Applicant further requests the Examining Attorney to
`
`withdraw the refusal to register the Application based on a perceived likelihood of confusion
`
`between Applicant’s COMICSTAAN mark and the mark underlying the Cited Registration.
`
`II.
`
`The Board Should Remand The Application To The Examining Attorney For
`Amendment To The Identification Of Services
`
`Applicant respectfully requests remand of its application to the Examining Attorney for
`
`amendment to the identification of services pursuant to TBMP § 1205.01. A request for remand
`
`will be granted upon a showing of good cause. See TBMP § 1205.01. “Good cause will generally
`
`be found, for example, when the amendment is an attempt to comply with a requirement, such as
`
`an amendment to the identification of goods or services in response to a requirement for an
`
`acceptable identification, or when the amendment will obviate a ground for refusal . . . .” Id.
`
`Especially because this is Applicant’s first request for a remand1 and because this appeal remains
`
`in its earliest stage,2 good cause exists here.
`
`1 The Board previously has suspended this appeal and remanded jurisdiction to the Examining
`Attorney to allow her to consider Applicant’s request for reconsideration; the occasion of that
`remand, however, was not a motion by Applicant. See In re Monster Cable Prods., Inc., No.
`85318060, 2015 WL 9702629, at *1 (T.T.A.B. Dec. 28, 2015) (nonprecedential) (noting prior
`grant of three requests for remand); In re Advanced Armament Corp., LLC, No. 74077096, 2013
`WL 6355603, at *2 (T.T.A.B. Nov. 29, 2013) (nonprecedential) (noting prior grant of two
`requests for remand).
`2 See T.B.M.P § 1209.04 (“In determining whether good cause has been shown, the Board will
`consider . . . the point in the appeal at which the request for remand is made.”); see also In re
`
`

`

` Specifically, if entered on remand, the proposed amendments to Applicant’s
`
`identification of services will obviate the Examining Attorney’s refusal because they will further
`
`distinguish the Application from the Cited Registration and remove any overlap in the services
`
`provided under the respective marks. These amendments will sufficiently distinguish the
`
`Application from the Cited Registration, especially considering the differences in the marks and
`
`the unique connotation of Applicant’s mark when used in connection with the amended services,
`
`among the other arguments Applicant has put forth in the record to date. Applicant remains
`
`confident that the issues can be resolved without the need for further extensive proceedings.
`
`III.
`
`The Board Should Suspend The Appeal Pending Its Consideration Of This Request
`For Remand
`
`Pursuant to TBMP § 1213, Applicant respectfully requests the suspension of further
`
`proceedings in connection with Applicant’s ex parte appeal – including postponement of the
`
`deadline for Applicant’s appeal brief – pending the Board’s consideration of this Request for
`
`Remand. Because the proposed amendment will place the application in condition for
`
`publication, the appeal will be moot, saving the Board, the Examining Attorney, and Applicant
`
`tremendous time and effort. If the Examining Attorney does not accept the proposed
`
`amendment, or accepts the amendment but maintains the refusal, then the appeal proceedings
`
`may be resumed, and the due date for Applicant’s appeal brief may be reset with no prejudice to
`
`the Office or further investment of the Board’s resources.
`
`IV.
`
`Conclusion
`
`Having shown good cause, Applicant respectfully requests the Board to remand the
`
`Application to the Examining Attorney for amendment of the identification of services in Class
`
`Ourke-Nicaud Ventures, L.L.C., No. 77035443, 2009 WL 4075437, at *1 (T.T.A.B. June 30,
`2009) (granting remand despite prior completion of appellate briefing).
`
`

`

`41. The requested amendment will obviate the need for the Board to address the ground for
`
`refusal and qualify the Application for publication.
`
`Date: April 1, 2020
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
`
`/s/ Daniel Englander
`Allisen Pawlenty
`Daniel Englander
`Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP
`Mailstop: IP Docketing – 22
`1100 Peachtree Street Suite 2800
`Atlanta, GA 30309
`Phone: 202-508-5800
`apawlent@kilpatricktownsend.com
`denglander@kilpatricktownsend.com
`
`Attorneys for Applicant Amazon
`Technologies, Inc.
`
`

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