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United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions


You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions >> FORWOMEN (Trade Mark: Opposition) [2000] UKIntelP o04600 (16 February 2000)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKIntelP/2000/o04600.html
Cite as: [2000] UKIntelP o4600, [2000] UKIntelP o04600

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FORWOMEN (Trade Mark: Opposition) [2000] UKIntelP o04600 (16 February 2000)

For the whole decision click here: o04600

Trade mark decision

BL Number
O/046/00
Decision date
16 February 2000
Hearing officer
Dr W J Trott
Mark
FORWOMEN
Classes
16
Applicants
Portland Publishing Limited
Opponents
IPC Magazines Limited
Opposition
Sections 3(1)(b); 3(1)(c); 3(1)(d) & 3(3)(b)

Result

Section 3(1)(b) - Opposition successful

Section 3(1)(c) - Opposition successful

Section 3(1)(d) - Hearing Officer made no finding

Section 3(3)(b) - Dismissed

Points Of Interest

  • 1. The presumption of validity (Section 72) applies only to registered marks; there is no such presumption in respect of application accepted by the Registrar at the examination stage.
  • 2. The joining together of well known English words (FORWOMEN) did not provide sufficient &capricious alteration& as to make the mark capable of distinguishing, prima facia.

Summary

The Hearing Officer noted that no evidence or argument had been advanced in support of the ground of objection under Section 3(3)(b); this ground was dismissed. Under Sections 3(1)(b) and 3(1)(c) the Hearing Officer found that the mark did not qualify for registration and the evidence of use filed by the applicants did not establish that the mark had acquired a distinctive character through use.


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