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16 January 2018Trademarks

USPTO puts cork on wine TMs filed by Lady Gaga’s dad

Trademark applications for wine that have been filed by the father of US singer Lady Gaga have been suspended pending examination of another mark.

The ‘Joanne Trattoria Vino Rosso’ and ‘Joanne Trattoria Vino Bianco’ trademarks, which were filed by Lady Gaga’s father Joe Germanotta, could cause confusion with another filed trademark, according to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

‘Trattoria’—which means an Italian restaurant (usually small)—has already been applied for under US trademark number 867,368,12 by US-based Carriage House Imports. However, the application, which covers wine, is still under examination.

If the ‘Trattoria’ trademark is approved, the ‘Joanne Trattoria’ marks could be confused with the former. As a result, Germanotta’s trademarks could be refused.

The USPTO said that it will periodically conduct a status check of the trademarks to decide whether suspension “remains appropriate”.

‘Vino Rosso’ translates from Italian as ‘Red Wine’ and ‘Vino Bianco’ as ‘White Wine’; Joanne was the name of Lady Gaga’s late aunt, whom the singer was named after. Her birth name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.

Lady Gaga even titled her 2016 album “Joanne”, and her father also named his New York City restaurant ‘ Joanne Trattoria’.

The ‘Joanne Trattoria Vino Rosso’ trademark—US number 873,927,89—depicts three flowers on a red background, with the words ‘Joanne Trattoria’ in white above the flowers, and the words ‘Vino Rosso’ on the orientation.

‘Joanne Trattoria Vino Bianco’—US number 873,927,24 includes a similar logo but with a white background, and the words ‘Vino Bianco’ on the orientation.

The trademarks were originally filed on March 30, 2017. Filing documents show that the alcoholic beverages intended to be prepared are wine cocktails, wine punches and other cocktails.

Germanotta is being represented by US-based Pryor Cashman.

WIPR  reported in 2014 that Lady Gaga was cleared of copyright infringement following the release of her song “Judas”. Singer Rebecca Francescatti claimed that it copied the music and the title of her track “Juda”.

Judge Marvin Aspen ruled that the songs were “utterly dissimilar”.

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Copyright
19 June 2014   A lawsuit in which pop star Lady Gaga was accused of ripping off a songwriter’s composition has been dismissed after a judge ruled that the songs in question were “utterly dissimilar”.
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14 October 2013   The maker of Gagajeans has changed the product’s name after receiving a complaint from entertainer Lady Gaga.
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