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TTAB Sides With "VALENTINO" in Section 2(d) Fashion Designer Dispute

Sustaining two oppositions and granting two petitions for cancellation, the Board found Defendant's marks GIANNI VALENTINO and GIOVANNI VALENTINO likely to cause confusion with the common law marks VALENTINO and VALENTINO GARAVANI, for clothing and handbags. The Board's 48-page decision puts a rather unfashionable end to this 16-year old TTABrouhaha. Valentino U.S.A., Inc. v. Florence Fashions (Jersey) Limited, Opposition Nos. 91094961 and 91095203, Cancellation Nos. 92029390 and 92029476 (June 25, 2010) [not precedential].Valentino GaravaniSurname?: Defendants argued that VALENTINO is a common surname, and thus that the asserted marks "are primarily merely a surname [sic] and lack distinctiveness." First, the Board observed that VALENTINO GARAVANI is a personal name, not a surname...continue to full post

Full post as published by The TTABlog on July 26, 2010 (boomark / email).