In re Sauer
Trademark Trial and Appeals Board
27 U.S.P.Q.2d 1073 (1993)
Relevant factsFree
Debbie Sauer (plaintiff) sought to register "Bo Ball" for an oblong, football-baseball hybrid ball, intending the design to evoke both sports; the examining attorney refused registration under the Lanham Act's bar on marks suggesting a false connection with, or using the name of, a famous person unaffiliated with the mark — here, athlete Bo Jackson, publicly known simply as "Bo" for his unusual dual football-baseball career.
IssueFree
Whether a mark may be registered as a trademark if it suggests a connection with, or uses the name of, a famous person not actually affiliated with the goods or services associated with the mark.
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