Willow CSN Inc.

Trademark Trial and Appeal Board

Jan 23, 2003

No. 75617596 (T.T.A.B. Jan. 23, 2003)

Mailed: 23 JAN 2003
Paper No. 15
AD
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
________
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
________
In re Willow CSN Incorporated
________
Serial No. 75/617,596
_______
Leslie J. Lott, Esq. of Lott & Friedland, P.A. for Willow
CSN Incorporated.
C. Skye Young, Trademark Examining Attorney, Law Office 108
(David Shallant, Managing Attorney).
_______
Before Chapman, Bucher and Drost, Administrative Trademark
Judges.
Opinion by Drost, Administrative Trademark Judge:
Willow CSN Incorporated (applicant) filed an
application to register the mark CYBERAGENT in typed form
for services ultimately identified as:
employment and career development services, namely
personnel recruitment, training and placement; payroll
and accounting services; and telecommunications
services, namely telemarketing, telephone and
electronic call center services and telephone
answering services in International Class 35; and
THIS DISPOSITION IS
NOT CITABLE AS
PRECEDENT OF THE
TTAB
Ser. No. 75/617,596
2
educational services and training, namely conducting
classes, workshops and seminars in person, by videotape
and broadcast and by electronic means in the field of
telecommunications services, namely telemarketing,
telephone answering services, and telephone and
electronic call center services, customer service,
computer operation and data processing in International
Class 41.
The application (Serial No. 75/617,596) was filed on
January 8, 1999, and applicant claimed a date of first use
of June 12, 1997, and a date of first use in commerce of
September 29, 1998.
The examining attorney1 initially refused registration
on the ground that the mark CYBERAGENT was merely
descriptive under Section 2(e)(1) of the Trademark Act, 15
U.S.C. § 1052(e)(1), because “applicant uses this term in
the same descriptive manner, to identify personnel who will
be trained to perform the electronic services offered by
the applicant.” First Office Action, p. 2.
When the examining attorney made the refusal to
register final, applicant filed an appeal and a request for
reconsideration, including a request for registration under
the provision of Section 2(f) of the Trademark Act, 15
U.S.C. § 1052(f). When the request for reconsideration was
not successful, this appeal followed.
1 The current examining attorney was not the original examining
attorney in the case.
Ser. No. 75/617,596
3
In support of the refusal, the examining attorney
included excerpts of stories retrieved from the NEXIS
database.
What Customer Access sells to e-commerce companies is
a trained staff of “cyber-agents” ready to take on
customer services headaches.
News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), June 10, 1999.
Daimler-Benz, Oracle, and Charles Schwab & Co. are
using these cyber-agents to cut call center costs and
provide round-the-clock service.
Strategy, March 15, 1999.
US Internet information company Infonautics has
unleashed its cyber agents on the job market.
Information World Review, July 1, 1999.
But cyber agents can make extra money selling
advertising on their Web sites and selling more
lucrative travel packages such as car, hotel, and
cruise reservations.
San Francisco Chronicle, September 30, 1997.
“Small agents will perish, especially agents with a
reliance on personal lines,” he predicted, adding that
at the same time, “a new kind of agent will emerge –
the on-line agent, the cyber-agent.”
National Underwriter, May 13, 1996.
“Cyberagents” at Precision Response Corp. in Miami
conduct live chat sessions with customers over the
Internet.
St. Petersburg Times, October 18, 1999.
In addition, the examining attorney relied on the
dictionary definitions2 of “cyber” as “information
processor; computer” and “computer network; on-line system”
and “agent” as “one that acts or has the power or authority
2 American Heritage Dictionary, 3rd Edition.
Ser. No. 75/617,596
4
to act” and “one empowered to act for or to represent
another.” Another definition of “cyber” attached to the
Office action dated March 12, 2001, is “From cybernetics, a
prefix attached to add to everyday words to add an
electronic or online connotation.” Computer Desktop
Encyclopedia (1996). The examining attorney maintained
that the combined term “cyberagent” “describes applicant’s
contractors or agents who use the Internet or a network to
conduct their services.” Br. at 4-5. Furthermore, the
examining attorney was not persuaded by the three
declarations, the $1.5 million in advertising, and the
articles in trade and general publications that applicant’s
mark had acquired distinctiveness. The examining attorney
found that the articles submitted by applicant showed “that
news sources, in referencing applicant’s service, use the
proposed mark, “CYBERAGENT,” as a descriptive term naming
applicant’s independent contractors, specifically, and not
using the term to identify its services.” Br. at 11.
When a client needs to add more agents to their
workforce, they set the pay scale for the job and list
them on an automated positing program. CyberAgents
then select which companies they want to work for …
CyberAgents earn an average from 10 to 14 dollars per
hour… In addition, paid company benefits are not
required for CyberAgents, they don’t get premiums or
overtime and the agents provide their own equipment
and office (emphasis omitted).
Br. at 11, quoting, C@ll Center CRM Solutions).
Ser. No. 75/617,596
5
Applicant argues that its mark is not merely
descriptive “because a consumer cannot readily comprehend
the nature of Applicant’s educational and career
development services simply from seeing the term
CYBERAGENT.” Br. at 4. Specifically, applicant maintains
that the word “‘agent’ could apply to virtually any worker
in general, and therefore, cannot be deemed to refer to
Applicant’s customer-services in particular.” Br. at 5.
Because of its many possible meanings, applicant submits
that its mark is not descriptive.
Even if the mark is found to be merely descriptive,
applicant has submitted evidence to support its assertion
that even “if the CYBERAGENT mark could be considered to
have been descriptive, the mark has become distinctive of
Applicant’s services.” Br. at 6. Applicant’s evidence of
acquired distinctiveness consisted of advertising
expenditures of approximately $1.5 million since its
inception,3 articles in professional publications, and
national recognition.
3 Applicant’s general counsel stated in a declaration that
applicant has used the mark CYBERAGENT in connection with the
applied for services “since I began working with the company in
March 1999 and I have no reason to believe that the mark was not
being used in connection with classes 35 and 41 at least as early
as January 12, 1997.” Greif declaration, p. 1. Similarly, Greif
declared that the mark has been used in interstate commerce
“since I began working with the company in March 1999 and I have
no reason to believe that the mark was not being used in
Ser. No. 75/617,596
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We agree with the Examining Attorney that applicant’s
mark is merely descriptive and that applicant has not
submitted sufficient evidence of secondary meaning.
Therefore, we affirm the refusal to register.
THIRD-PARTY REGISTRATIONS AND APPLICATIONS
In its appeal brief, applicant referenced more than 50
marks published in the Official Gazette. The references
include the date of publication of the mark, the mark, and
the goods or services. Applicant then asserts that
“because there is a strong policy interest in legal
consistency, Applicant respectfully submits a sampling of
marks in recent editions of the Official Gazette as
persuasive evidence that Applicant’s mark is entitled to
registration.” Br. at 9. Not surprisingly, the examining
attorney objects to the consideration of these
registrations because they “were not properly submitted.”
Br. at 12. Applicant devotes its Reply Brief to explaining
why these marks should be considered. Its primary
arguments are that it is not seeking to make registrations
of record, it is seeking “to show that many similar marks
have been approved for publication for similar goods and
connection with the services in interstate commerce at least as
early as September 29, 1998.” Id. at 2.
Ser. No. 75/617,596
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services.” Reply Br. at 2. Applicant also argues that the
marks were all published after the appeal was instituted.
We will not consider these references to marks
published in the Official Gazette and presented for the
first time in applicant’s brief. First, “[t]he record in
the application should be complete prior to the filing of
an appeal. The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board will
ordinarily not consider additional evidence filed with the
Board or the examiner after the appeal is filed. After an
appeal is filed, if the appellant or the examiner desires
to introduce additional evidence, the appellant or the
examiner may request the Board to suspend the appeal and to
remand the application for further consideration.” 37 CFR
§ 2.142(d). Obviously, applicant was free to request a
remand to have the examining attorney consider this
evidence. If a remand were granted, the examining attorney
would have the opportunity to submit evidence to rebut the
evidence submitted by applicant.
Second, we note that while these marks were published
in the Official Gazette after the filing of the notice of
appeal on November 22, 2000, the case was remanded to the
examining attorney to consider applicant’s request for
registration under the provision of Section 2(f) of the
Trademark Act. As late as September 12, 2001, applicant
Ser. No. 75/617,596
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submitted evidence to the examining attorney. However,
applicant failed to include the more than twenty marks that
were already published in the Official Gazette at that
time.
Third, we will not consider these references to marks
published in the Official Gazette because they are not
complete. Applicant has submitted them to show that
“similar marks have been approved for publication for
similar goods and services.” However, by omitting all the
data concerning the marks, no such conclusion could be
drawn even if the applications were properly of record.
Indeed, even a cursory review of these marks would reveal
that there are marks registered on the Supplemental
Register or under Section 2(f) and there are other marks in
which the “Cyber” term has been disclaimed. Other marks
are abandoned or otherwise still pending in the Office.
While applicant argues that these references are not a
“trademark search report” but a representation “by
Applicant, through its attorneys” (Reply Br. at 2), we fail
to see how this helps applicant. Our case law clearly
prohibits what applicant is attempting to do in this case.
In its brief, applicant argues, for the first time,
that the Office has registered or published many
common, every day phrases. Applicant goes on to list
several registrations and applications, contending
that the refusal in this application is at odds with
Ser. No. 75/617,596
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the Office's practice as shown in these other files.
The Examining Attorney, in her brief, objected to this
evidence because it was not properly made of record.
The objection is sustained. Trademark Rule 2.142(d)
provides that the record in an application should be
complete prior to the filing of the appeal, and that
the Board will ordinarily not consider additional
evidence filed with the Board after the appeal is
filed. Moreover, the mere listing of third-party
registrations and/or applications is insufficient to
properly make them of record. Rather, copies of the
official records themselves, or the electronic
equivalent thereof, that is, printouts of the
registrations taken from the electronic records of the
Patent and Trademark Office's own data base, must be
submitted. In re Smith and Mehaffey, 31 USPQ2d 1531,
1532 at n.3 (TTAB 1994). Thus, the listing in
applicant's brief has not been considered in reaching
our decision.
In re Volvo Cars of North America Inc., 46 USPQ2d 1455,
1456 n.2 (TTAB 1998). See also In re Hub Distributing,
Inc., 218 USPQ 284, 285 (TTAB 1983) (“[W]e do not consider
a copy of a search report to be credible evidence of the
existence of the registrations and the uses listed
therein”).
Finally, the Federal Circuit has held that “[e]ven if
some prior registrations had some characteristics similar
to Nett Designs' application, the PTO's allowance of such
prior registrations does not bind the Board or this court.”
In re Nett Designs, Inc., 236 F.3d 1339, 57 USPQ2d 1564,
1566 (Fed. Cir. 2001).
The cases are legion holding that each application for
registration of a mark for particular goods or
services must be separately evaluated .... Section 20
Ser. No. 75/617,596
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of the Trademark Act...gives the Board the authority
and duty to decide an appeal from an adverse final
decision of the Examining Attorney. This duty may not
be delegated by adoption of conclusions reached by
Examining Attorneys on different records. Suffice it
to say that each case must be decided on its own
merits based on the evidence of record. We obviously
are not privy to the record in the files of the
registered marks and, in any event, the issuance of a
registration(s) by an Examining Attorney cannot
control the result of another case.
In re Sunmarks Inc., 32 USPQ2d 1470, 1472 (TTAB 1994).
DESCRIPTIVENESS
We now analyze the mark to see if it is merely
descriptive, and, if so, whether applicant submitted
sufficient evidence of acquired distinctiveness. For a
mark to be merely descriptive, it must immediately convey
knowledge of the ingredients, qualities, or characteristics
of the goods or services. In re Gyulay, 820 F.2d 1216,
1217, 3 USPQ2d 1009, 1009 (Fed. Cir. 1987); In re Quik-
Print Copy Shops, Inc., 616 F.2d 523, 525, 205 USPQ 505,
507 (CCPA 1980). To be “merely descriptive,” a term need
only describe a single quality or property of the goods or
services. Meehanite Metal Corp. v. International Nickel
Co., 262 F.2d 806, 120 USPQ 293, 294 (CCPA 1959).
Descriptiveness of a mark is not considered in the
abstract, but in relation to the particular goods or
services for which registration is sought. In re Abcor
Ser. No. 75/617,596
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Dev. Corp., 588 F.2d 811, 814, 200 USPQ 215, 218 (CCPA
1978).
In this case, the Examining Attorney relied on several
dictionary definitions to explain what the terms in the
mark mean. We also take judicial notice of two additional,
similar definitions of “cyber.” First, it is defined as “a
prefix widely used with almost anything these days to
indicate an electronic version of something… Cyber- and
sometimes just Cyb- has since been used in many contexts
from computers to music, as in cybarian, cyberceleb,
cyberphile, cyberspace, cybercast, cyperphant, cyberphobe,
etc.”4 The second definition is “A prefix attached to
‘everyday’ words in order to give them a computer-based or
online meaning, as in cyberlaw (the practice of law in
relation to or through the use of the Internet) and
cyberspace (the virtual online world).”5
Applicant’s literature demonstrates that applicant
provides people to work for companies in an online
environment.
CyberAgents supply their own uniquely equipped
CyberOffices connected, as required, with each of
their clients through the Network’s private voice and
data system.
4 Data Telecommunications Dictionary (1999).
5 Microsoft Computer Dictionary, Fifth Edition (2002).
Ser. No. 75/617,596
12
The CyberAgent Network is a private communications
network that provides the exclusive link between the
nation’s call centers and a national pool of
CyberAgents.
The Network’s private communication system provides
call centers with seamless access to their CyberAgent
Pool through high resolution voice and secure data
links.
All CyberAgents are members of the National CyberAgent
Pool, a cyber work force shared by all client
CyberCenters.
It is clear that applicant’s services are performed in
an online or network environment and, therefore, they would
be accurately described as “cyber.”
Applicant’s literature also shows that the term
“agent” (emphasis added) accurately describes its
personnel.
The CyberAgent – The Next Evolution of the Home Agent.
Conquer 25 Classic Call Center Problems
Now You Have The Choice…
Agents work sporadic shifts – on an as-needed basis…
Agent pool expands by a ratio of 4:1 without added
cost…
Professional agents to your highest standards…
Costs are lower with professional agents and no on-
holds…
Agents are impervious to peer pressure.
Virtual Reality: Willow’s Cyber Center Network:
Agents are professionals across the U.S. running their
own home businesses… Agents could indeed handle
outbound campaigns … Agent tech support is largely
self-service.
The terms “cyber” and “agent” merely describe
representatives of a company that operate in an online
Ser. No. 75/617,596
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environment. While applicant argues that “a consumer
cannot readily comprehend the nature of Applicant’s
educational and career development services simply from
seeing the term CYBERAGENT” (Br. at 4), it is not necessary
that a mark be immediately descriptive of all of
applicant’s services for the term to be merely descriptive.
The term would, at least, immediately describe employment
and educational services involving applicant’s
telemarketing, telephone and electronic call center
services and telephone answering services. These services
include recruiting and training personnel to work as agents
for others in an online or “cyber” environment. See, e.g.,
“a trained staff of ‘cyber-agents’”; “using these cyber-
agents to cut call center costs”; “Infonautics has
unleashed its cyber agents on the job market”; “cyber
agents can make extra money selling advertising on their
Web sites”; “a new kind of agent will emerge – the on-line
agent, the cyber-agent.”
Even evidence that applicant has submitted concerning
its own operations indicate that the term would be viewed
descriptively. Former Vice-President Al Gore referred to
applicant’s CyberAgent CSR (customer service
representatives) as “an occupation that didn’t exist a few
years ago.” Brickell Post. In an article entitled “Cyber
Ser. No. 75/617,596
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agents cash in on latest trend,” the article reports that
“It’s an E-Commerce world and South Florida residents can
cash in on the trend by becoming cyber agents and work out
of their homes.” Sun-Sentinel Community News (A photograph
with the story is captioned “CYBER AGENT: Sandra Austin, a
cyber agent for Willow CSN, takes calls from her home for
people shopping on the Internet”). Minnesota AAA, which
uses applicant’s services, is the focus of an article in a
newspaper for call center and customer care professionals
entitled “AAA’s cyber agent test run scores an A.” CC
News. In that article, it is reported that “[t]he cyber
agents scored better in most skills categories than AAA’s
in-house call takers” and “[h]iring cyber agents has helped
AAA reduce its employee churn.”
While we consider the individual terms, it is the mark
in its entirety that must be considered in determining
whether the mark is descriptive. P.D. Beckwith, Inc. v.
Commissioner, 252 U.S. 538, 545-46 (1920). However, “[i]t
is perfectly acceptable to separate a compound mark and
discuss the implications of each part thereof … provided
that the ultimate determination is made on the basis of the
mark in its entirety.” In re Hester Industries, Inc., 230
USPQ 797, 798 n.5 (TTAB 1986). Here, not only do the
individual terms describe applicant’s services, but when
Ser. No. 75/617,596
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the terms are combined we conclude that they result in a
term that is merely descriptive. The evidence of the use
of the term “cyberagent” or “cyber agent” shows that the
variations of this term, when applied to applicant’s
services, would be recognized by the relevant consumers as
a term describing individuals representing an organization
that are connected online.
ACQUIRED DISTINCTIVENESS
While we have found that applicant’s term is merely
descriptive, it would still be registrable on the Principal
Register if applicant demonstrates that the mark has
acquired distinctiveness under Section 2(f) of the
Trademark Act. Nett Designs, 57 USPQ2d at 1565 (“A merely
descriptive mark qualifies for registration only if the
applicant shows that it has acquired secondary meaning”).
Applicant has the burden of proving that its mark has
acquired distinctiveness. In re Hollywood Brands, Inc.,
214 F.2d 139, 102 USPQ 294, 295 (CCPA 1954)(“[T]here is no
doubt that Congress intended that the burden of proof
[under Section 2(f)] should rest upon the applicant”).
“[L]ogically that standard becomes more difficult as the
mark’s descriptiveness increases.” Yamaha Int’l Corp. v.
Hoshino Gakki Co., 840 F.2d 1572, 6 USPQ2d 1001, 1008 (Fed.
Cir. 1988).
Ser. No. 75/617,596
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Applicant supports its Section 2(f) claim with a
declaration that shows that applicant has spent
“approximately $1.5 million [since its inception] on
advertising for services related to CYBERAGENT customer
services representatives”; “excerpts from local and
national publications demonstrating that the public at
large and professionals in the call center industry, in
particular, identify the CYBERAGENT mark with Applicant”;
and three “declarations from experienced call-center
professionals.” Br. at 6-7.
While we have considered applicant’s evidence, we find
that it is not enough to meet applicant’s burden to show
that applicant’s mark has acquired distinctiveness. As we
pointed out above, many of the references in local and
national publications are equivocal at best. They are
often likely to create the impression that “cyber agent” is
an occupation, not a trademark that identifies applicant’s
services. “The mere statement of sales volume and
advertising expenditures are not persuasive since there is
no way of our determining whether these activities have had
any impact on purchasers.” In re Kwik Lok Corporation, 217
USPQ 1245, 1248 (TTAB 1983). Here, we do not have sales
volumes and from the advertising of record, it would not be
apparent to many that applicant is using the term
Ser. No. 75/617,596
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“Cyberagent” as a trademark. See, e.g., “CyperAgents are a
uniquely flexible work force who can seamlessly supplement
your in-house call-takers”; “All your CyberAgents will be
in the top 20% of your call center agents or at your
option, we will immediately replace the lesser
CyberAgents”; and “CyberAgents are professional call takers
who, as independent contractors, work directly for your
CyberCenter.” Also, the declarations of three customers
that state that the mark “uniquely identifies” applicant’s
services are not sufficient in this case. There is
evidence of the common use of the term “cyber agent”
descriptively in the online field in general. Even many of
the references to applicant appear to use the term
descriptively including an article featuring one of
applicant’s customers whose representative provided a
declaration. Finally, we note that even if applicant is
the only employment service using the term at issue, this
fact would not lead us to conclude that the mark was not
merely descriptive. In re Interco Inc., 29 USPQ2d 2037,
2039 (TTAB 1993) (“[I]f applicant has been the first
and/or, unlike its competitors, is presently the only user
of the term "LIGHTWEIGHTS" in connection with shoes, such
fact cannot alter the merely descriptive significance of
the term”).
Ser. No. 75/617,596
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Therefore, we find that applicant has not met its
burden of demonstrating that the mark has acquired
distinctiveness with the limited evidence applicant has
submitted in this case.
CONCLUSION
In summary, after careful consideration of the
relevant authorities and the evidence and arguments of
record, we find that the term applicant seeks to register
is merely descriptive of services recited in both
international classes in the application. Moreover, we
find that applicant has failed to submit sufficient
evidence of acquired distinctiveness to warrant
registration under Section 2(f) of the Trademark Act.
Decision: The refusal to register is affirmed.