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United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions


You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions >> ABERCROMBIE FITCH (Trade Mark: Opposition) [2000] UKIntelP o04000 (14 February 2000)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKIntelP/2000/o04000.html
Cite as: [2000] UKIntelP o04000, [2000] UKIntelP o4000

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ABERCROMBIE FITCH (Trade Mark: Opposition) [2000] UKIntelP o04000 (14 February 2000)

For the whole decision click here: o04000

Trade mark decision

BL Number
O/040/00
Decision date
14 February 2000
Hearing officer
Mr M Knight
Mark
ABERCROMBIE & FITCH
Classes
25, 42
Applicants
A & F Trade Mark Inc
Opponents
J & J Crombie Ltd
Opposition
Sections 3(1)(a); 3(1)(b); 3(3)(b); 3(6); 5(2)(b) & 5(4)(a)

Result

Opposition failed on all grounds

Points Of Interest

  • 1. The opponents appealed to the Appointed Person. In his decision dated 21 March 2001 (BL O/151/01) the Appointed Person upheld the Hearing Officer’s decision.
  • 2. See also decision dated 14 February 2000 (BL O/041/00) where the Hearing Officer decided that the mark ABERCROMBIE (being a surname) was not acceptable for registration under the Trade Marks Act 1938 (as amended).
  • Application of the Registry's practice in relation to surnames.

Summary

The Section 3(3)(b) and 3(6) grounds were dismissed by the Hearing Officer, as no evidence in support of them was put forward. Reviewing the law and practice in relation to surnames the Hearing Officer concluded that the marks applied for were not barred by the provisions of Sections 3(1)(a) and 3(1)(b). Under Section 5(2)(b) the Hearing Officer concluded that the marks were so dissimilar as to rule out the possibility of confusion on the public. In the light of this finding the Hearing Officer went on to conclude that use of the marks would not result in any misrepresentation and hence the opposition under Section 5(4)(a) did not succeed.


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