LAW.coLAW.co

PRINCESS PAT, Ltd., Appellant, v. Joseph TURSI, Appellee

United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals1956-02-21No. Patent Appeal No. 6174
230 F.2d 440

Summary

Holding. The court affirmed the Patent Office's dismissal of the opposition, holding that the mark "Pat" for beard-softening products is not confusingly similar to "Princess Pat" for cosmetics and toiletries because the marks differ substantially in appearance and design, target different primary consumer groups based on gender, and are unlikely to cause confusion despite potential overlap in retail channels.

Princess Pat, Ltd. opposed the registration of the word "Pat" as a trademark for beard-softening products, arguing it would cause confusion with their registered mark "Princess Pat" (which includes a crown and woman's profile design) used for cosmetics and toiletries. The Patent Office tribunals rejected the opposition, finding no likelihood of confusion based on several factors: the marks differed significantly in appearance, the products targeted different primary consumer groups (women for Princess Pat goods, men for the beard softener), and the masculine connotation of "Pat" alone contrasted sharply with the feminine imagery of "Princess Pat." Although both marks might occasionally appear in the same retail locations and appeal to both sexes to some degree, the distinct primary markets and visual differences between the marks made confusion unlikely.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Likelihood of confusion between trademarks based on similarity of marks and goods
  • Relevance of different primary target markets and consumer groups
  • Weight of design elements versus word similarity in trademark analysis
  • Gender-based market segmentation in cosmetics and personal care products

Procedural posture

Princess Pat appealed the decision of the Patent Office's Examiner-in-Chief affirming the dismissal of its opposition to the registration of Joseph Tursi's trademark application.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

O’CONNELL, Acting Chief Judge.

This is an appeal from the decision of the Examiner-in-Chief of the United States Patent Office, acting for the Commissioner of Patents, 101 U.S.P.Q. 346, which decision affirmed that of the Examiner of Interferences dismissing an opposition by Princess Pat, Ltd., the appellant here, against application No. 612,379 filed by the appellee, Joseph Tur-si, for registration of the word “Pat” as a trade-mark for a beard-softening agent.

The opposition was based on appellant’s registration No. 146,236, granted September 6, 1921, and republished October 30, 1951 under the Act of 1946, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1051 et seq., for “Princess Pat” with a design including a crown and a medallion bearing a profile of a woman’s head, as a trade-mark for perfumes, toilet water, face powder, talcum powder, face creams, rouges, sachet-powders, lip-sticks, eyebrow pencils, hair tonics, scalp ointments, shampoos, eyebrow-growers, liquid face powders, nail polishes, cuticle remover, nail bleaches, cuticle salves, hand lotions, deodorizers, depilatories, and bath salts.

Neither party took testimony and there is no issue of priority since the appellant’s registration was granted long prior to the earliest date of use alleged by the appellee. The sole question to be decided is whether the mark sought to be registered, as applied to a beard softener, is confusingly similar to the appellant’s mark as applied to any or all of the goods above listed.

Both Patent Office tribunals held that in view of the specific differences between the marks and the goods involved there was no likelihood that confusion would result from their concurrent use. They stated that the appellee’s product, to which the mark “Pat” is applied, is used primarily, if not exclusively, by men, whereas the goods to which the appellant’s “Princess Pat” mark is applied are primarily intended for purchase and use by the feminine sex.

The appellant argues here, as it did below, that both men and women use the shaving cream to which appellee’s mark is applied and that both men and women also use a number of the preparations to which appellant’s mark relates, such as hair tonics, scalp ointments and shampoos. As pointed out by the Examiner-in-Chief, the record contains no evidence to support those contentions. However, assuming them to be accurate, it is still clear that appellant’s goods are designed primarily for use by the feminine trade and appellee’s by the masculine. Accordingly, despite the fact that all the goods may be sold in the same stores and occasionally bought by persons of both sexes, there is a material difference in their primary markets and customer appeals.

The foregoing distinction is accentuated by the fact that the name “Pat,” standing alone, has a distinctly masculine significance, while “Princess Pat,” with a medallion bearing a profile of a woman’s head, is definitely feminine.

Moreover, the appellee’s mark consists of but a single word, while the appellant’s mark includes prominent design features. While such features alone may not be controlling, they cannot be properly overlooked in deciding the question of confusing similarity. In re Myers, 201 F.2d 379, 40 C.C.P.A., Patents, 747.

In the final analysis, the question of confusing similarity is usually one which must be determined by individual judgment based on all the circumstances of the particular case involved. After a careful consideration of the present case, we are in agreement with the tribunals of the Patent Office that the concurrent use of the marks here involved on the goods of the respective parties would not be likely to result in confusion.

The decision of the Examiner-in-Chief is affirmed.

Affirmed.

JACKSON, Judge, retired, recalled to narticipate.