TTABlog Flotsam and Jetsam: Issue No. 3

In the last few weeks, the output of the TTAB has slowed to a trickle, so this is an opportune time to empty out my "things-to-blog" folder once again.

Newly-named TTAB judge: You may have noticed the appearance of a new name on a few recent decisions (for example, here): Judge Grendel. This judge is newly-named, but not a new judge. "Grendel" is the new surname of the Administrative Trademark Judge formerly known as Charles Bottorff.

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Upcoming TMR TTAB article: You may expect a TTAB-related article in the July-August 2005 issue of The Trademark Reporter. The July-August 2004 issue included an article by John M. Murphy entitled "Playing the Numbers: A Quantitative Look At Section 2(d) Cases Before The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board." (discussed here at the TTABlog). The new article (whose author I shan't name) will take a "qualitative" look at TTAB practice and procedure and will reportedly offer suggestions for reducing TTAB delay and improving the system. In the TTABlog posting linked immediately above, I offered a few of my own ideas in that regard.


The Top Ten TTAB Decisions of 2004: My "Top Ten" article for last year appears in the May 9th issue of the National Law Journal, under the title "Top Ten TTAB decisions bear witness to quiet 2004." The subtitle is even more scintillating: "Trademark Trial and Appeal Board issued no earthshaking rulings." The same article, under its original, eye-catching title, will appear in the June issue of Allen's Trademark Digest, and a link to the article will soon appear at the TTABlog.


ADR and the TTAB: For the last seven years of so, the TTAB has offered ADR to TTAB litigants, but in not one single case have the parties taken up that offer. I wonder why not?


TTABlog souvenir key tag: Shown above, the TTABlog key tag made quite a splash at INTA San Diego. For those of you who were lucky enough to latch onto one of these collector's items, please remember they are "floating" key tags, not "squeezable, stress-reducing" key tags. Too much squeezing may destroy the printed indicia, and then where will you be?

Text and photos ©John L. Welch 2005. All Rights Reserved.