Today, the Federal Circuit released a precedential opinion affirming a decision in a case appealed from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. The court also released two nonprecedential opinions in cases decided by the Merit Systems Protection Board. In the first nonprecedential opinion, the court affirmed the Board’s final decision. In the second nonprecedential opinion, the court reversed the Board’s final decision and remanded the case for further proceedings. Here are the introductions to the opinions.
In re Vetements Group AG (Precedential)
Vêtement is the French word for clothing in English. Appellant Vetements Group AG (“Appellant”) appeals the decision of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“Board”), which affirmed the Examining Attorney’s refusal to register the proposed marks: VETEMENTS in standard characters and in stylized form. The Board concluded after applying the foreign equivalents doctrine that the marks were generic and merely descriptive without acquired distinctiveness under Section 2(e)(1) of the Trademark Act. 15 U.S.C. § 1052(e)(1). The Board’s decision is supported by substantial evidence and in accordance with law, so this Court affirms.
Hautala v. Office of Personnel Management (Nonprecedential)
Heidi Hautala petitions for review of the Merit System Protection Board’s (Board) final decision. See Hautala v. OPM, No. PH-844E-21-0059-I-1, 2024 WL 1618889 (M.S.P.B. Apr. 12, 2024) (Final Order); Hautala v. OPM, No. PH-844E-21-0059-I-1, 2021 WL 2211520 (M.S.P.B. May 27, 2021) (Initial Decision). The Board affirmed the United States Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) denial of Ms. Hautala’s application for disability retirement under the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS). Final Order, 2024 WL 1618889, at *1. For the reasons explained below, we affirm.
Williams v. Office of Personnel Management (Nonprecedential)
Ms. Melissa Williams seeks to overturn the final decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board (“Board”) which upheld the United States Office of Personnel Management’s (“OPM”) decision to deny Ms. Williams survivor annuity benefits purportedly awarded to her by her deceased former husband, Mr. Haywood Nichols. Williams v. Off. of Pers. Mgmt., No. AT-0831-22-0396-I-1 (M.S.P.B. Aug. 29, 2022) (“Final Order”). For the following reasons, we reverse the Board’s final decision and remand the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.