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TMEP 1211.01(a): Non-Surname Significance

October 2017 Edition of the TMEP

TMEP Chapter Index
Chapter 1200: Substantive Examination of Applications
1211: Refusal on Basis of Surname
1211.01: "Primarily Merely a Surname"

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1211.01(a)    Non-Surname Significance

Often a word will have a meaning or significance in addition to its significance as a surname. The examining attorney must determine the primary meaning of the term to the public. Evidence that a term has no recognized meaning other than as a surname further supports a determination that its primary significance is as a surname. See In reAdlon Brand GmbH & Co. KG, 120 USPQ2d 1717, 1719, 1721 (TTAB2016) In re Eximius Coffee, 120 USPQ2d 1276, 1280 (TTAB 2016).