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`ESTTA Tracking number:
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`ESTTA1267195
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`Filing date:
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`02/21/2023
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`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`BEFORE THE TRADEMARK TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
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`Proceeding no.
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`92081334
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`Party
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`Correspondence
`address
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`Submission
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`Filer's name
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`Filer's email
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`Signature
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`Date
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`Attachments
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`Defendant
`Microsoft Corporation
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`MICROSOFT CORPORATION
`ONE MICROSOFT WAY
`REDMOND, WA 98052-6399
`UNITED STATES
`No email provided
`No phone number provided
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`Motion to Dismiss - Rule 12(b)
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`April L. Besl
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`april.besl@dinsmore.com, karen.gaunt@dinsmore.com,
`luke.curran@dinsmore.com, andrew.hilton@dinsmore.com, dsmstrade-
`marks@dinsmore.com
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`/april l besl/
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`02/21/2023
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`Partial Motion to Dismiss Cancellation No 92081334.pdf(714740 bytes )
`Exhibit A.pdf(893772 bytes )
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`
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`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`BEFORE THE TRADEMARK TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
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`EDGE GAMES, INC.,
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`Petitioner,
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`-vs-
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`MICROSOFT CORPORATION,
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`Registrant.
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`Cancellation No.: 92081334
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`Registration No.: 5,766,386
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`Mark: BLEEDING EDGE
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`REGISTRANT’S PARTIAL MOTION TO DISMISS
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`Registrant Microsoft Corporation (“Registrant”), by and through counsel, and pursuant to
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`Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) and Rule 503.02 of the Trademark Rules of Practice, hereby files its Partial
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`Motion to Dismiss (“Motion”), and moves for an order dismissing Counts II, III, and IV of the
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`Petition to Cancel filed on January 9, 2023 (the “Petition”) by Petitioner EDGE Games, Inc.
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`(“Petitioner”). Counts II, III and IV of the Petition allege claims fraud under Section 14(3), no use
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`of the mark in commerce before the application was filed under Sections 14(1) and 1(a), (c), and
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`(d), and abandonment under Section 14(3) of the Trademark Act1. Petitioner has failed to state a
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`claim upon which relief can be granted with respect to these three pled claims, and therefore,
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`Registrant seeks dismissal of Counts II, III and IV with prejudice.2
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`Additionally, Petitioner also purports to allege additional claims in its ESTTA cover sheet
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`but failed to allege any facts to support these unpled claims. As to these additional unpled claims,
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`1 Registrant notes that the ESTTA cover sheet accompanying the Petition cites at least nine separate grounds upon
`which the Petition is based, including, but not limited to claims of dilution and descriptiveness. However, the substance
`of the Petition only sets forth allegations and claims on four grounds. Should the Board not dismiss these allegations
`sua sponte for failure to plead, Registrant reserves all rights to move to dismiss and/or otherwise address Petitioner’s
`remaining claims, should they be considered as live claims in this proceeding.
`2 Pursuant to TBMP § 503.01, Registrant reserves the right to answer, state its affirmative defenses, bring any
`counterclaims, and/or file any appropriate motions in response to Petitioner’s claims on priority and likelihood of
`confusion after the Board renders its decision on this Motion and resets the time for filing an Answer.
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`pursuant to TBMP § 503.01 n 5, Registrant asks that the Board dismiss these unpled claims sua
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`sponte, or pursuant to this Motion.
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`I.
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`INTRODUCTION
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`Registrant (via its predecessor in interest to the BLEEDING EDGE mark) applied to
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`register the mark BLEEDING EDGE as identified in Serial No.: 79/237,384 (the “Application”)
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`on April 12, 2018 in connection with the following goods and services in International Classes 9,
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`25, and 41:
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`“computer games software” in International Class 9;
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`“Articles of clothing, namely, t-shirts, vests, hats, caps, shorts, trousers,
`sweatshirts, hooded sweatshirts, sweaters, coats, sleepwear, gloves, wristbands,
`scarves, belts, socks, bathrobes; footwear; headwear” in International Class 25;
`and
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`“Entertainment services, namely, providing online electronic games; providing
`information about computer games; organization of electronic game competitions”
`in International Class 41.
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`The Application was based on International Registration No. 1414773 and filed under the
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`Madrid Protocol, and asserted Section 66(a) of the Lanham Act as the sole filing basis. Because
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`the Application was filed pursuant to Section 66(a) of the Lanham Act, Registrant was not required
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`to provide, and thus did not assert, a specimen of use, nor a date of first use in U.S. commerce on
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`the application filing date. Following a period of examination, the subject registration issued on
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`June 4, 2019 under Reg. No. 5,766,386 (the “Registration”).
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`Petitioner filed the instant Petition on January 9, 2023 seeking to cancel the Registration
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`on four purported grounds as follows: (1) priority and likelihood of confusion under Section 2(d)
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`(Count I); (2) fraud (Count II); (3) no use of the mark in commerce before the application was filed
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`(Count III); and (4) abandonment (Count IV). Petitioner has failed, however, to properly plead
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`the requisite elements of Counts II, III, and IV. Registrant therefore, hereby moves to dismiss
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`2
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`Petitioner’s claims for fraud, no use of the mark in commerce before the application was filed, and
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`abandonment under FRCP 12(b)(6), since the Petition fails to state a claim upon which relief may
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`be granted as to these three counts.
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`II
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`PETITIONER’S UNPLED CLAIMS SHOULD BE DISMISSED SUA SPONTE
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`As an initial matter, on the ESTTA cover sheet accompanying the Petition, Petitioner also
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`purports to identify the following additional grounds for cancellation: the mark was never used in
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`commerce under Section 14(6); the mark is not inherently distinctive under Sections 14(1) and
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`2(f); dilution by blurring and tarnishment under Sections 14(1) and 43(c); and nonownership under
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`Sections 14(1) and 1 of the Trademark Act. Although the content of the ESTTA cover sheet is to
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`be read in conjunction with the petition to cancel, (see, e.g., PPG Industries Inc. v. Guardian
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`Industries Corp., 73 USPQ2d 1926, 1928 (TTAB 2005)), the mere mention of a ground on the
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`cover sheet is insufficient to constitute a pled claim. Embarcadero Technologies Inc. v. RStudio
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`Inc., 105 USPQ2d 1825, 1927 n.2 (TTAB 2013).
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`In this case, the substance of the Petition itself only pleads and sets forth allegations specific
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`to four identified grounds for cancellation. Since the Petition is devoid of any allegations to support
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`the additional asserted grounds for cancellation set forth on the ESTTA cover sheet, pursuant to
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`TBMP § 503.01 n 5, Registrant respectfully requests that each of these grounds be dismissed by
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`the Board pursuant to this Motion, or sua sponte, at the Board’s discretion..
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`III. ARGUMENT IN SUPPORT OF PARTIAL MOTION TO DISMISS COUNTS II, III,
`AND IV OF THE PETITION
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`In order to survive a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim for cancellation of a
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`registered mark under FRCP 12(b)(6) and TBMP § 503.02, a petitioner’s pleadings must allege
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`facts that, if proven, would establish: (1) the plaintiff has standing to maintain the proceeding; and
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`3
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`(2) a valid ground exists for cancelling the mark. Doyle v. Al Johnson’s Swed. Rest. & Butik Inc.,
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`101 USPQ2d 1780, 1782 (TTAB 2012) (citing Young v. AGB Corp., 152 F.3d 1377, 47 USPQ2d
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`1752, 1754 (Fed. Cir. 1998)); see also TBMP § 503.02. Specifically, a petition to cancel “must
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`contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its
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`face.’” Doyle, 101 USPQ2d at 1782 (quoting Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009)). In
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`particular, “the claimant must allege well-pleaded factual matter and more than ‘[t]hreadbare
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`recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements.’” Dragon
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`Bleu v. VENM, LLC, 112 USPQ2d 1925, 1926 (TTAB 2014) (quoting Ashcroft, 556 U.S. at 678)
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`(citation omitted)). Here, Petitioner has failed to allege sufficient factual matter which, if accepted
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`as true, would state a claim upon which relief could be granted with respect to Counts II (fraud),
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`III (no use of the mark in commerce when the application was filed), and IV (abandonment), and
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`thus, the Petition fails to properly plead these claims, and therefore, these counts must be
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`dismissed.
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`A.
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`Petitioner’s Count II for Fraud Fails to State a Claim Upon Which
`Relief Can Be Granted.
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`To sufficiently plead a claim of fraud, a petitioner must sufficiently allege that (1) the
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`registrant made a false representation (misrepresentation) to the USPTO; (2) the false
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`representation is material to the determination of registrability (or maintenance) of a mark; (3) the
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`registrant had knowledge of the falsity of the representation; and (4) the registrant made the
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`representation with the intent to deceive the USPTO to issue (or maintain) the registration. See In
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`re Bose Corp., 580 F.3d 1240, 91 USPQ2d 1938, 1941 (Fed. Cir. 2009). Moreover, the
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`circumstances constituting fraud must be alleged “with particularity.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 9(b). A
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`pleading that simply alleges the substantive elements of fraud, without setting forth the
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`particularized factual bases for the allegations, does not satisfy Fed. R. Civ. P. 9(b). See Petroleos
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`4
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`Mexicanos v. Intermix S.A., 97 USPQ2d 1403, 1407 (TTAB 2010), citing Asian and W. Classics
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`B.V. v. Selkow, 92 USPQ2d 1478, 1478 (TTAB 2009) (elements of fraud must be pleaded with
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`particularity).
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`A party seeking cancellation of a trademark registration for fraud bears a heavy burden of
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`proof. Bose, 91 USPQ2d at 1939 (citing W.D. Byron & Sons, Inc. v. Stein Bros. Mfg. Co., 377 F.2d
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`1001, 153 USPQ 749, 750 (CCPA 1967)). Indeed, “the very nature of the charge of fraud requires
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`that it be proven ‘to the hilt’ with clear and convincing evidence. There is no room for speculation,
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`inference or surmise and, obviously, any doubt must be resolved against the charging party.” Id.
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`(quoting Smith Int’l, Inc. v. Olin Corp., 209 USPQ 1033, 1044 (TTAB 1981)). The Board will not
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`find fraud if the evidence shows that a false statement was made with a reasonable and honest
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`belief that it was true, rather than intent to mislead the USPTO into issuing a registration to which
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`the applicant was not otherwise entitled. See id.; see also Woodstock’s Enters. Inc. (Cal.) v.
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`Woodstock’s Enters. Inc. (Or.), 43 USPQ2d 1440, 1443 (TTAB 1997), aff’d (unpub’d), Appeal
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`No. 97-1580 (Fed. Cir. Mar. 5, 1998).
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`Here in support of its fraud claim in Count II, Petitioner alleges in ⁋ 27 that Registrant “did
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`not state a date of first use either in the US market or anywhere else worldwide...” and “failed to
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`supply a sample of use of the mark in commerce.” See Petition at ⁋ 27. Petitioner also alleges in ⁋
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`27 that Registrant “[b]y statement or implication…claimed they owned the true right and priority
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`of right in the mark” BLEEDING EDGE and “claimed they were the true uncontested owner of
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`an International EDGE registration.” Id.
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`Petitioner also alleges in ⁋ 28 that after “[r]eviewing the claimed specimens of use that
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`accompanied the application” (Petition at ⁋ 28), it was “clear that the mark was not being used for
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`all the goods and services Registrant falsely claimed they were being used for….” (see Id.) and
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`5
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`that, as a result, Registrant “falsely claimed” that the mark was being used for all the goods and
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`services in the Registration. Id. This allegation directly contradicts Petitioner’s own statement in
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`⁋ 27 that Registrant “failed to supply a sample of use of the mark in commerce.” See Petition at ⁋
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`27.
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`These allegations are not only contradictory, they are nonsensical, and demonstrate some
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`of the many misunderstandings and misstatements contained throughout the Petition. As made
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`clear by the USPTO records, the underlying Application which matured into the Registration was
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`filed asserting Section 66(a), and not 1(a) (use in commerce) as the filing basis3. More specifically,
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`as is clearly demonstrated in the USPTO’s TSDR records, the Application was filed asserting only
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`Section 66(a) as the filing basis, and relying on International Registration No. 1414773, registered
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`with the World Intellectual Property Organization on April 12, 2018 (the “International
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`Registration”). The International Registration was based on European Union Application No.
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`017885907, which matured to registration on September 18, 2018 (the “EU Registration”). As a
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`result of its filing under Section 66(a), Registrant did not file any specimens of use with the USPTO
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`(nor was it required to do so), so there are no specimens of record which Petitioner could have
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`“reviewed.”
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`Petitioner’s claim that Registrant committed fraud with respect to specimens of use and
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`first use dates submitted in connection with filing the Application is premised on an allegation that
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`is entirely false on its face, and simply cannot be maintained. As the USPTO records make clear,
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`Registrant filed the Application under Section 66(a), and therefore, was not required to submit,
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`and in fact did not submit any specimens or first use dates in filing the Application that matured
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`into the Registration. Therefore, the Petition alleging fraud in Count II premised on alleged actions
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`3 For the avoidance of doubt, it is worth noting here that the Application upon which the Registration eventually issued
`did not cite Section 1(a) (use in commerce) as an alternative or additional filing basis.
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`6
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`at the USPTO which never occurred in the first place, and which are objectively and indisputably
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`false, must be dismissed.
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`Further, there is no requirement that an applied-for mark be used in commerce as of the
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`filing date of an application under Section 66(a) of the Trademark Act. Thus, there can be no claim
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`of fraud based on an alleged incorrect claim of use, because such an allegation—even if true—
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`would not be material to the USPTO’s decision to register the mark. Cf. Hiraga v. Arenai, 90
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`USPQ2d 1102, 1107 (TTAB 2009) (claimed date of first use, even if false, is not material and
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`cannot support a fraud claim). Moreover, it is uncontroverted that Registrant owns the International
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`Registration and the EU Registration which form the basis of the Registration in the United States.
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`Additionally, given Registrant’s ownership of the International Registration and EU
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`Registration for the BLEEDING EDGE mark, (neither of which have ever been contested by
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`Petitioner or anyone else), Registrant had (and maintains) a reasonable and honest belief that it
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`owned the subject mark when it filed its underlying Application that matured into the Registration
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`under Section 66(a).
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`To the extent that Petitioner is alleging that the declaration in the Application was executed
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`fraudulently, presumably by asserting that there was allegedly a confusingly similar mark that had
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`priority over the Registration at the time the declaration was signed, this claim again lacks
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`sufficient particularity to state a claim for fraud. Namely, a petitioner must allege that: (1) there
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`was in fact the same or a confusingly similar mark with priority over the applicant’s mark at the
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`time the oath was signed; (2) the other mark had legal rights superior to the applicant’s rights; (3)
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`the applicant knew of the other mark, and knew the other mark held rights superior to the applicant,
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`and the applicant believed that a likelihood of confusion would result from applicant’s use of its
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`mark, or had no reasonable basis for believing otherwise; and that (4) the applicant, in failing to
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`7
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`disclose these facts to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, intended to procure a registration to
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`which it was not entitled. See Qualcomm Inc. v. FLO Corp., 93 USPQ2d 1768, 1770 (TTAB 2010).
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`The Petition fails to allege elements (2), (3) and (4), at a minimum.
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`Because Petitioner failed to plead its fraud claim with particularity, and more specifically,
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`has failed to allege that Registrant had a specific intent to mislead the USPTO and that Registrant’s
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`allegedly false statements were material to issuance of the Registration, the Petition fails to
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`sufficiently plead the fraud claim, and fails to state a claim for fraud upon which relief can be
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`granted. Registrant therefore, respectfully requests that the Board dismiss Count II in the Petition
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`with prejudice4.
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`B.
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`Petitioner’s Count III for No Use of the Mark in Commerce Before the
`Application was Filed Fails to State a Claim Upon Which Relief Can
`Be Granted
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`In support of Petitioner’s claim in Count III of the Petition alleging no use of the mark in
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`commerce before the application was filed under Section 14(6) of the Trademark Act, Petitioner
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`alleges in ⁋ 31 that “contrary to the claim made by Registrant at the time of filing its application
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`to register the mark BLEEDING EDGE that result [sic] in the Registration, Registrant did not use
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`in interstate commerce the BLEEDING EDGE mark in connection with all the goods and services
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`listed in such application prior to filing such application.” See Petition at ⁋ 31.
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`Petitioner further alleges in ⁋ 32 that Registrant “was not using the BLEEDING EDGE
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`MARK in connection with any of the goods identified in the Registration as of July 1, 2016”
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`(which is not a date that is relevant to these proceedings), and thus, the application was void ab
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`initio. Id.
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`4 Registrant notes that the fraud claim in the Petition cannot be cured by amendment inasmuch as the Petition bases
`the fraud claim on allegations purporting to relate to Registrant’s allegations of use in commerce at the time the
`underlying Application was filed, since Registrant filed the Application under Section 66(a), and thus, did not make
`any allegations of use when it filed the Application that matured into the Registration.
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`8
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`As noted supra herein, the Registration was issued from an Application filed under Section
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`66(a) of the Trademark Act and not an application filed under Section 1(a) of the Trademark Act,
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`and there is no requirement that an application filed under Section 66(a) be used in commerce prior
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`to filing. 15 U.S.C. § 1141h(a)(3) (“Extension of protection shall not be refused on the ground that
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`the mark has not been used in commerce.”). “Thus, when directed to a mark registered under
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`Section 66(a), a claim of cancellation due to nonuse [before the application was filed]5 is legally
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`insufficient.” Dragon Bleu (SARL) v. VENM, LLC, 112 USPQ2d 1925, 1929 (TTAB 2014).
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`Accordingly, the basis for cancellation in Count III of the Petition alleging non-use of the
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`mark at the time of the filing of the Application which matured into the Registration is legally
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`deficient, cannot be corrected by amendment, and fails to state a claim upon which relief can be
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`granted. Accordingly, Registrant respectfully requests that the Board dismiss Count III in the
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`Petition with prejudice.
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`C.
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`Petitioner’s Count IV for Abandonment Fails to State a Claim Upon Which
`Relief Can Be Granted
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`In order for a claim for abandonment to withstand a motion to dismiss, “[t]he facts alleged
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`must set forth a prima facie case of abandonment by a pleading of at least three consecutive years
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`of non-use or must set forth facts that show a period of non-use less than three years coupled with
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`an intent not to resume use.” Otto International Inc. v. Otto Kern GmbH, 83 USPQ2d 1861, 1863
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`(TTAB 2007) (citing 15 U.S.C. § 1127; Imperial Tobacco Ltd. v. Philip Morris Inc., 899 F.2d
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`1575 (Fed. Cir. 1990)). Additionally, a petitioner must allege “ultimate facts” on which the alleged
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`5 Following the enactment of the Trademark Modernization Act, a Section 66(a) registration can be cancelled under
`Section 14(6) on the ground that the mark has never been used, which is one of the nine enumerated grounds set forth
`on the ESTTA cover sheet for this proceeding, but which is not supported by any specific factual allegations in the
`body of the Petition. In fact, not only has the Petitioner failed to allege any specific facts supporting this claim, but
`has instead alleged facts that the Registrant’s mark was in use (see Petition at ⁋ 38), which axiomatically means that
`the Registrant’s mark is not eligible for cancellation on the ground that it has never been used.
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`9
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`
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`abandonment claim is based. See TBMP § 309.03(c)(1)(13) n 25 (citing Otto International, 83
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`USPQ.2d 1861, 1863 (TTAB 2007) (additional citations omitted).
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`Here, Petitioner alleged no facts and made no allegations to support its conclusory
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`allegation of abandonment in ⁋ 36-37 of the Petition. Moreover, the bare allegations that Registrant
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`has "discontinued use" makes no claim that Registrant has failed to use its mark for a period greater
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`than three years. See Petition at ⁋ 36-37.
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`Furthermore, Petitioner’s misleading excerpt of an article dated in 2021 in ⁋ 38, which
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`allegedly shows that Registrant “ceased all work on the product,” is contradicted by information
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`Petitioner’s excerpt of the article itself, stating that ”Bleeding Edge remains active and playable.”
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`See Petition at ⁋ 38. A complete version of the article to which Petitioner relies in its Petition is
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`attached hereto as Exhibit A. This article clearly states that while there will be no further content
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`updates, “the game is still playable on Xbox and PC.” See Exhibit A. This article is intrinsic to the
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`operative Petition because it was explicitly cited to and relied upon by Petitioner in ⁋ 38, and
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`therefore, does not constitute extrinsic evidence that goes beyond the pleadings for consideration
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`of Registrant’s instant Motion to Dismiss. Further, because Petitioner relied upon this article in the
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`Petition and misleadingly cited to it in support of Petitioner’s abandonment allegations in the
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`Petition at ⁋ 38, the entirety of the article should be reviewed by the Board in consideration of
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`Registrant’s Partial Motion to Dismiss. See Marder v. Lopez, 450 F.3d 445, 448 (9th Cir. 2006)
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`(“A court may consider evidence on which the complaint "necessarily relies" if: (1) the complaint
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`refers to the document; (2) the document is central to the plaintiff's claim; and (3) no party
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`questions the authenticity of the copy attached to the 12(b)(6) motion.”); Tellabs, Inc. v. Makor
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`Issues & Rights, Ltd., 551 U.S. 308 (2007) (“[C]ourts must consider the complaint in its entirety,
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`as well as other sources courts ordinarily examined when ruling on Rule 12(b)(6) motions to
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`10
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`dismiss, in particular, documents incorporated into the complaint by reference.”); See also FRCP
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`10(c) (“A statement in a pleading may be adopted by reference elsewhere in the same pleading or
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`in any other pleading or motion.”).
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`Petitioner appears to allege abandonment based on the false and contradictory assertions
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`that Registrant “has never used or intended to use the mark identified in the Subject Registration”
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`(see Petition at ⁋ 37), and on the false allegation that Registrant “discontinued use of the mark
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`associated with the Subject Registration” for a period of less than three years (See Petition at ⁋ 36
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`and 38). These allegations likewise fail to state a claim for abandonment.
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`Although the Petition includes an excerpt from an article dated in 2021 to presumably
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`support an allegation of express abandonment for a period of less than three years, first, the Petition
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`itself does not directly allege that there has been “a period of non-use less than three years coupled
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`with an intent not to resume use” as required to plead a prima facie case of abandonment when
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`there is less than a three year period of alleged non-use. Second, as explained supra, Petitioner’s
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`own excerpt of the article itself contradicts Petitioner’s claim of abandonment, stating that
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`“Bleeding Edge remains active and playable.” See Exhibit A. Indeed, other excerpts from the same
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`article make clear that while Registrant has decided not to release further “content updates,” the
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`game itself is still active and playable on multiple platforms. See Exhibit A.
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`The Petition is at best, unclear as to the basis for Petitioner’s abandonment claim in Count
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`IV, and Registrant should not be forced to guess at the basis for this claim. Not only does Petitioner
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`contradictorily assert a complete lack of use while at the same time, asserting there has been
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`“discontinued use,” the Petition fails to make any allegation required to state a claim of
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`abandonment. More specifically, the Petition fails to assert that Registrant ceased use of the mark
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`for a period longer than three years (which would give rise to a statutory presumption of
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`11
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`abandonment – and which is disproven by Petitioner’s own inclusion of the article included here
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`at Exhibit A and dated in 2021 in any event), and also fails to allege that Registrant ceased use of
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`the mark for a period of less than three years with an intent not to resume use. Instead, Petitioner
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`misleadingly cites an article that in no way shows that Registrant has ceased use of the mark in
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`commerce, and which in fact, demonstrates that the opposite is true. See Petition at ⁋ 38; see also
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`Exhibit A.
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`In sum, the Petition fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted on the grounds
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`of abandonment because Petitioner failed to allege a three year period of non-use, and the
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`remaining bare allegations are insufficiently pled to make out even a prima facie case that
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`Registrant has ceased use of the mark with an intent not to resume use. Accordingly, Count IV in
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`the Petition must be dismissed with prejudice.
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`IV. CONCLUSION
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`Because the Petition fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted with respect to
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`several grounds alleged therein, Registrant respectfully requests that the Board grant its Partial
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`Motion to Dismiss the Petition with prejudice with respect to Counts II, III and IV. Because
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`Petitioner has failed to sufficiently allege (and in fact, cannot allege) the necessary elements to
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`support its claims for fraud, no use of the mark in commerce before the application was filed, and
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`abandonment, Petitioner is not entitled to cancellation of the Registration on these grounds, and
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`the Board must dismiss these claims with prejudice.
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`Finally, Registrant also respectfully requests that the Board suspend all further dates in this
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`proceeding while the instant Motion is decided.
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`Date: February 21, 2023
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`Respectfully submitted,
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`DINSMORE & SHOHL LLP
`
`By: /April L. Besl__________
`April L. Besl, Esq.
`Karen K. Gaunt, Esq.
`Luke S. Curran, Esq.
`Andrew D. Hilton, Esq.
`255 East Fifth Street, Suite 1900
`Cincinnati, OH 45202
`Telephone: (513) 977-8527
`Facsimile: (513) 977-8141
`E-mail: april.besl@dinsmore.com
`
`karen.gaunt@dinsmore.com
`luke.curran@dinsmore.com
`andrew.hilton@dinsmore.com
`
`Attorneys for Registrant
`Microsoft Corporation
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`13
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of the foregoing has been served upon the
`
`following by e-mail this 21st day of February, 2023:
`
`Tim Langdell
`EDGE Games, Inc.
`1411 S. Oakland Ave 171
`Pasadena, CA 91106-4338
`edgegames@gmail.com
`
`
`By:
`
`/April L. Besl__________
`April L. Besl, Esq.
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`14
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`Exhibit A
`Exhibit A
`
`
`
`Leci
`
`RaUCenUrea
`
`WHATTO PLAY
`
`GAMES +
`
`ENTERTAINMENT +
`
`GUIDES +
`
`MERCH ia ioeESSit)
`
`UhdseR CleLPloy
`
`Polygon
`
`THIS IS ENTER?
`
`Aeeeliemlettty
`aoe CertToa
`
`
`
`NEWS
`
`PC
`
`XBOX
`
`Ninja Theory shuts down development
`on Bleeding Edge
`Studio nowfocusing on Hellblade sequel, two other projects
`By Owen §. Good | Jan 28, 2021, 1:38pm EST
`
`ALIENWARE ®@
`Cee ages ULEm
`Deiat
`
`CES ac START GAMING NOW»
`
`f
`
`WD
`
`Fe suare
`
`less than a year after the multiplayer melee
`Developmenthas ended on Bleeding Edge,
`battler launched on Windows PC and Xbox One.
`
`Developer Ninja Theory announcedthe end on Thursday, noting that Bleeding Edge
`remainsactive and playable. It just never drew muchof an audience. SteamCharts
`counted the game’s PC playership at an average of 480 in its launch monthof March
`2020, and it’s dwindled eversince.
`
`Bleeding Edge @
`@BleedingEdgeNT: Follow
`
`wy
`
`With the studio now focusing on our new projects
`(Senua’s Saga, Project Mara & The Insight Project) we
`have decidedthat there will be no further content updates
`for Bleeding Edge. The game is still playable an Xbox and
`PC. Thank you to the fans & keep teaming up & causing
`chaos!
`Jan 28, 2021
`12:00 PM-
`@ 29K @ Reply
`
`@
`
`tt, Share
`Read 354 replies
`
`Bleeding Edge was announced at Eg 2019. The gamefeatured teamsof fourplayers,
`drawing froma rosterof 13 bizarre characters, fighting with stylish melee and ranged
`weapons.It wasthefirst Xbox One game developed by Ninja Theoryfollowing
`Microsoft's acquisitionof the studio in 2018.
`
`Ninja Theorynowturnsits full attention to Senua’s Saga: Heliblade 2, the sequel to
`2017's award-winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Senua’s Saga was announcedat
`The Game Awards 2019; it doesn’t yet have a launchdate butit will launch on Windows
`PC and XboxSeries X.
`
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`/1/28/22254694/bleeding-edge-ended-development-shut-down-ninja-theory
`
`9:57:25 AM 2/21/2023
`https://www.polygon.co
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