Chicago Cubs Successfully Oppose Iowa Man's 'Cubnoxious' Trademark; Court Cites Obnoxious Cubs Fans
from the go-cubs-go dept
Since 2016, when the Chicago Cubs became magically relevant in baseball again, the team has also become relevant in intellectual property discussions. The Cubs have gone to war with the street vendors that have long set up shop near Clark and Addison, and the team has been party to an ongoing battle with roughly all the uses of the letter "W" in commerce.
But as the team's lawyers appear to have been invigorated by its on the field success, that isn't to say that every single trademark dispute it initiates is one in which it's the bad guy. For instance, one Iowa man decided to trademark the term "Cubnoxious", but apparently didn't have any actual plans to use it when the Cubs came calling.
Ronald Mark Huber applied to register the word mark in 2016 in class 25 for shirts. In response, the Cubs asserted a number of marks for the team name and logo for various goods and services, including clothing. In its decision, issued on Friday, May 3, the USPTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) ruled that Huber had failed to provide sufficient evidence of intent to use the mark at the time of filing the application.
Apart from the trademark application itself, Huber did not provide any documentary evidence of his intention to use the mark other than an affidavit, which stated his “plan to use the mark in commerce for the general public”.
So, yeah, this guy couldn't bring the goods when the court asked what he planned on doing with the trademark. Now, I will say that, had this guy had an actual plan, the Cubs opposing the mark on the grounds of public confusion would seem pretty silly. What would the claim be, that the Cubs would call their own fans obnoxious? That obviously isn't something a team is going to call its own fans.
The USPTO decision, however, appeared to have no such qualms about such references.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Trademark Trial and Appeal Board said the Cubs offered "convincing" evidence its marks were strong, going back to the early 1900s, when Hall of Fame infielders Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance wore Cubs jerseys.
It also said "Cubnoxious" was already associated with some Cubs fans, citing media reports, Twitter posts and even a Yelp user who complained about having to avoid "Cubnoxious Drunkards" in a Chicago park.
I know Cubs fans. I am one. The USPTO is, for once, spot on.
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Filed Under: cubnoxious, fans, ronald mark huber, trademark
Companies: chicago cubs
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Less Trademarks > More Trademarks.
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Journalist admits mistake on 230 and corrects original article...
USPTO is actually right for once...
Alright, who turned on Hell's air conditioner?
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Re:
Well even a broken clock tell the right time twice per day
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a digital clock doesn't
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Re: Re: Re:
Sure it does: at 12:00.
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Probably climate change.
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So global warming is due to hell's A/C pumping hell's heat into the atmosphere?
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reinvented intelligent design
Why cant you get a web address as property and use it how you like when you like. Its just like a real estate address only on the web. What is so different about having to buy the address back if you want to use it and someone else has it? I know many people who in the start years think 1990's who registered many addresses to become address brokers but who had their addresses stolen off them because. what the friggin hell is going on.
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Re: reinvented intelligent design
Are you conflating the words address and domain?
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Re: reinvented intelligent design
I know many people who in the start years think 1990's who registered many addresses to become address brokers but who had their addresses stolen off them because.
You mean domain speculators who snapped up company names? Because trademark law. The domain names were transferred over to trademark holders under court order. (aka "Not stolen.")
Why should some scammer get to pay $9.99 for usairlines.com and then be able to hold it for ransom? Domain scammers weren't doing work, they were just snapping up names cheap so they could sell them back at exorbanate prices.
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I'm still hoping the Cubs get sued for wrongly labeling a fan a racist for his Ok/punch game sign.. They totally deserve it.
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Cubs fan, meet Eagles fan...
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Have you ever been to Boston?
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I am Cubsessed with the Chicago Cubs. iamCubsessed.com
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