Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Electronic Filing System. http://estta.uspto.gov ESTTA Tracking number: ESTTA914047 Filing date: 08/07/2018 IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE BEFORE THE TRADEMARK TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD Proceeding. 91242194 Applicant Defendant Paul Reiche, Fred Ford Other Party Plaintiff Stardock Systems, Inc. Have the parties No held their discov- ery conference as required under Trademark Rules 2.120(a)(1) and (a)(2)? Motion for Suspension in View of Civil Proceeding With Consent The parties are engaged in a civil action which may have a bearing on this proceeding. Accordingly, Paul Reiche, Fred Ford hereby requests suspension of this proceeding pending a final determination of the civil action. Trademark Rule 2.117. Paul Reiche, Fred Ford has secured the express consent of all other parties to this proceeding for the sus- pension and resetting of dates requested herein. Paul Reiche, Fred Ford has provided an email address herewith for itself and for the opposing party so that any order on this motion may be issued electronically by the Board. Certificate of Service The undersigned hereby certifies that a copy of this paper has been served upon all parties, at their address of record by Email on this date. Respectfully submitted, /Mark S Palmer/ Mark S Palmer [email protected], [email protected] [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 08/07/2018 IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE BEFORE THE TRADEMARK TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD STARDOCK SYSTEMS, INC, Opposition No. 91242194 Opposer, Serial No. 87633531 Mark: GHOSTS OF THE PRECURSORS PAUL REICHE, FRED FORD, Publication Date: March 6, 2018 Applicants. MOTION TO SUSPEND PROCEEDING WITH CONSENT PAUL REICHE and FRED FORD (“Reiche and Ford”) hereby move to suspend this proceeding until the final determination of Stardock Systems, Inc. v. Reiche, et al., Case No. 17- cv-07025-SBA (“Civil Action”), because the Civil Action will have a bearing on the instant proceeding. Reiche and Ford obtained Opposer Stardock Systems, Inc.’s (“Stardock”) consent to suspend the proceeding by communication with Opposer's counsel on August 1, 2018. On October 4, 2017, Reiche and Ford filed a federal trademark application to register the mark GHOSTS OF THE PRECURSORS (Serial No. 87633531), and it was published for opposition on March 6, 2018. On April 16, 2018, Reiche and Ford also filed a federal trademark application to register the mark PRECURSORS (Serial No. 87879067). On July 3, 2018, Stardock opposed Reiche and Ford’s application, claiming that Stardock acquired and used the PRECURSORS mark, and that Reiche and Ford’s GHOSTS OF THE PRECURSORS mark should be refused for likelihood of confusion with Stardock’s claimed PRECURSORS mark. 1 2635.000/1312235.4 On July 16, 2018 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California: a) Stardock filed a Second Amended Complaint against Applicants (see Ex. A attached hereto) for trademark infringement, alleging that Reiche and Ford’s GHOSTS OF THE PRECURSORS mark is confusingly similar to Stardock’s purported marks and seeking to enjoin Reiche and Ford from using their GHOSTS OF THE PRECURSORS mark, among other things (see p. 39); and b) Reiche and Ford filed an Amended Counterclaim against Stardock (see Ex. B attached hereto) for declaratory judgment re: trademark rights, alleging that Stardock falsely claims to have acquired and used the purported PRECURSORS mark, that Reiche and Ford’s GHOSTS OF THE PRECURSORS mark is not confusingly similar to Stardock’s purported PRECURSORS mark, and seeking a declaratory judgment that Reiche and Ford are therefore entitled to registration of the GHOSTS OF THE PRECURSORS mark and an injunction compelling Stardock to withdraw and abandon the present opposition (see pp. 27-28, 33-35). When parties to a case pending before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) are engaged in a civil action that may have a bearing on the case, the TTAB may suspend the proceeding until termination of the civil action. 37 C.F.R. § 2.117(a); TBMP § 510.02(a). The TTAB has explained that “while a decision by the District Court would be binding upon the Patent Office, a decision by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board would only be advisory in respect to the disposition of the case pending in the District Court. Accordingly, and notwithstanding the fact that the Patent Office proceeding was the first to be filed, it is deemed to 2 2635.000/1312235.4 be the better policy to suspend proceedings herein until the civil suit has been finally concluded.” Tokaido v. Honda Associates Inc., 179 USPQ 861, 862 (TTAB 1973). Reiche and Ford and Stardock are all parties to the Civil Action currently pending in the Northern District of California. The Civil Action involves (in part) essentially the same issues raised in the instant proceeding, namely whether Stardock acquired and owns the purported PRECURSORS mark and whether Reiche and Ford’s GHOSTS OF THE PRECURSORS mark is confusingly similar. The determination of these issues by the District Court will likely affect the issues involved in this proceeding. For the foregoing reasons, Reiche and Ford respectfully request suspension of this proceeding pending final determination of the Civil Action. DATED: August 7, 2018 Respectfully submitted, MARK S. PALMER (SBN 203256) [email protected] 4 Meadow Drive Mill Valley, CA 94941 Telephone: (415) 336.7002 Facsimile: (415) 634-1671 Attorneys for Applicants PAUL REICHE and FRED FORD CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I certify that on August 7, 2018, I caused to be served a copy of Applicants’ MOTION TO SUSPEND PROCEEDING WITH CONSENT by First Class mail to David L. May, counsel for Stardock Systems, Inc., at Nixon Peabody LLP, 799 9th Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington DC, 20001. MARK S. 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