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<p>I am with Greg on this one. There are dark corners in the world
of trademarks and trademark litigation, but this is not one of
them.</p>
<p>On both a lighter and more substantial side one can check out the
Electric Frontier Foundation (EFF) "<i>Stupid Patent AND Trademark
of the Month</i>" offerings, <br>
</p>
<p>and their latest offering around "My Health" at <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/05/stupid-patent-and-trademark-month-my-healthr"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/05/stupid-patent-and-trademark-month-my-healthr">https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/05/stupid-patent-and-trademark-month-my-healthr</a></a></p>
Sam L.<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
<font size="-1"><i>On 6/11/2016 2:24 AM, Greg Shatan wrote:</i><i><br>
</i></font></div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CA+aOHUSWX0T9RbxdRgnQ8xQHdSPf27_mL-FcOeW2WO_26-JHtQ@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite"><font size="-1"><i>Nothing in the reported
case prevents anyone from saying Thank You or Thanks.
Implying otherwise is unhelpful.</i><i><span></span></i><i><br>
</i><i><br>
</i><i>On Saturday, June 11, 2016, Stephanie Perrin <</i><i><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:stephanie.perrin@mail.utoronto.ca"><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:stephanie.perrin@mail.utoronto.ca">stephanie.perrin@mail.utoronto.ca</a></a></i><i>>
wrote:</i><i><br>
</i></font>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><font
size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000"><font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<p><font size="-1"><i><font face="Lucida Grande">I am with
Carleton on this one. Everybody should be allowed to
say thanks. not enough of it around....</font></i></font></p>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<p><font size="-1"><i><font face="Lucida Grande">Stephanie
Perrin<br>
</font></i></font></p>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<p><font size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </p>
<font size="-1"><i> </i><i><br>
</i><i> </i></font>
<div><font size="-1"><i>On 2016-06-10 21:13, Carlton Samuels
wrote:</i><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<blockquote type="cite"><font size="-1"><i> Greg: </i></font>
<div><font size="-1"><i>I hold no brief for Reuters. I
looked at the PTO database and saw all you said. And
quite frankly if I were an IP lawyer in the trenches
and on the clock, I probably would be encouraging
these fellas to fight.</i></font></div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div><font size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div><font size="-1"><i>All that aside, howsoever you slice
or dice it, granting exclusive commercial rights to
[qualified] "thanks" or "thankyou" seems over the top.</i></font></div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div><font size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div><font size="-1"><i>Carlton</i></font></div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div><font size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div><font size="-1"><i><br>
</i><i> </i><i><br>
</i><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_quote"><font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div dir="ltr"><font size="-1"><i>On Fri, Jun 10, 2016,
5:13 PM Greg Shatan <</i><i><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','gregshatanipc@gmail.com');"
target="_blank"><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:gregshatanipc@gmail.com">gregshatanipc@gmail.com</a></a></i><i>>
wrote:</i><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><font
size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i>Not sure anyone needs to be tarred
and feathered here. But let's get the facts
straight. (Perhaps those who don't get the
facts straight are the ones who should be
tarred & feathered, etc., but that seems
rather harsh. I prefer to educate rather than
vilify.)</i></font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i>Citi did not sue AT&T for
"using the word in a commercial." Citi sued
AT&T for apparently seeking to brand its
new customer loyalty program as AT&T
THANKS when Citibank already has a
longstanding (since 2004) customer loyalty
program branded as CITI THANK YOU, with about
15 million members in the US, and a trademark
registered since 2011 for "</i><i><font
color="#ff0000"><span
style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">Promoting
the goods and services of others through
administration of incentive reward and
redemption programs by distributing
rewards for credit and debit card use, and
for banking and wealth management
customer </span><b
style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">loyalty</b></font></i><i>".
And AT&T didn't merely use the THANKS
brand, they applied for a trademark
registration for AT&T THANKS for "</i><i><span>Providing
incentive award programs for customers for
the purpose of promoting and rewarding
loyalty.</span></i><i>" </i></font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i>It seems like an entirely
reasonable claim that consumers could be
confused between a THANK YOU brand loyalty
program and a THANKS brand loyalty program.
Without opining on the likelihood of success,
it's an entirely reasonable claim of
infringement. Indeed the subject matter of
this email demonstrates such confusion --
THANKS is not "trademarked" by anyone, in
spite of the attention-getting headline. CITI
THANK YOU is a registered trademark of
Citigroup. AT&T THANKS is the subject of
a pending application by AT&T.</i></font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i>If AT&T had merely "used the
word in a commercial" and not as a trademark,
there would be nothing to object to, and no
claim, and this email wouldn't exist. The
actual facts are significantly different. </i></font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i>That's the problem with suggesting
tarring and feathering, and other such actions
of a mob mentality. They are based on
incorrect facts and a desire to inflame
people, rather than to inform them.
Unfortunately, information can come too late
to save the victims of such an attack (hot tar
causes serious and often fatal burns).
Thankfully, all that was suggested was a
rhetorical tarring and feathering, so no one
actually suffered at the hands of an
ill-informed, intemperate mob.</i></font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i>Hope that is informative.</i></font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i>Greg</i></font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="-1"><i>[Caveats: (1) I am a CITI THANK YOU
cardholder and use my THANK YOU points
regularly on Amazon where they are available
as dollars. (2) From around 1999 to 2004, the
firm I was with represented Citigroup in
trademark matters, though I personally didn't
do very much of that work. I have not had any
professional relationship with Citigroup since
2004 (3) This should not be construed as legal
advice.] </i></font></div>
</div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_extra"><font size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_extra">
<div class="gmail_quote"><font size="-1"><i>On Fri,
Jun 10, 2016 at 3:15 PM, Carlton Samuels </i><i><span
dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','carlton.samuels@gmail.com');"
target="_blank">carlton.samuels@gmail.com</a>></span></i><i>
wrote:</i><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
</div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_extra"><font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_quote"><font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0
0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc
solid;padding-left:1ex"><font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div dir="ltr"><font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i>..and
Citi sues AT&T for using the word
in a commercial! It also owns </i><i><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://thankyou.com"
target="_blank">thankyou.com</a></i><i>
as well! </i></font></div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i>I
checked the USPTO database and it was a
revelation; lots of "thankyou" there,
dead and alive. See: </i><i><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=searchss&state=4803:ku1j42.1.1"
target="_blank"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=searchss&state=4803:ku1j42.1.1">http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=searchss&state=4803:ku1j42.1.1</a></a></i></font></div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i>So
I ask you, who're the halfwits that need
to be tarred, feathered and put in stock
in the village square for a quick kick
in the butt from every passerby?</i></font></div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i><font
face="comic sans ms, sans-serif"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-at-t-citigroup-lawsuit-idUSKCN0YW1K3"
target="_blank"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-at-t-citigroup-lawsuit-idUSKCN0YW1K3">http://www.reuters.com/article/us-at-t-citigroup-lawsuit-idUSKCN0YW1K3</a></a></font></i><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i><font
face="comic sans ms, sans-serif"><br>
</font></i></font></div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i><font
face="comic sans ms, sans-serif">-Carlton</font></i></font></div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i><font
face="comic sans ms, sans-serif"><br>
</font></i></font></div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i><font
face="comic sans ms, sans-serif">[Disclosure:
I'm partial to AT&T on account
they paid for graduate school.]</font></i></font></div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i><font
face="comic sans ms, sans-serif"><br>
</font></i></font></div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div class="gmail_default"><font size="-1"><i>==============================</i><i><br>
</i></font> </div>
<font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div><font size="-1"><i> </i></font>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><font
size="-1"><i>Carlton A Samuels</i><i><br>
</i><i> Mobile: </i><i><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="tel:876-818-1799"
value="+18768181799" target="_blank">876-818-1799</a></i><i><br>
</i><i> </i><i><font color="#33CC00">Strategy,
Planning, Governance, Assessment
& Turnaround</font></i></font><br>
=============================</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra">
<div class="gmail_quote">
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
------------------------------------------------
"It is a disgrace to be rich and honoured
in an unjust state" -Confucius
邦有道，贫且贱焉，耻也。邦无道，富且贵焉，耻也
------------------------------------------------
Dr Sam Lanfranco (Prof Emeritus & Senior Scholar)
Econ, York U., Toronto, Ontario, CANADA - M3J 1P3
email: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Lanfran@Yorku.ca">Lanfran@Yorku.ca</a> Skype: slanfranco
blog: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://samlanfranco.blogspot.com">http://samlanfranco.blogspot.com</a>
Phone: +1 613-476-0429 cell: +1 416-816-2852</pre>
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