OMG my eyes! Just been on Chatroulette!
Back in July we talked about a pending trademark application for “Chatroulette” at the USPTO.
The same party – Swiss corporation Tick&Talk AG based in Zurich – had also submitted a trademark application for “Chathopper”, another popular Chatroulette clone that emerged after the original video chat gained notoriety.
It seems that the results are in: both applications have been DENIED at the USPTO and the decisions are FINAL.
Essentially, this puts an end to the Chatroulette.com saga, that saw a lot of its traffic lost due to material changes that led to its controversial popularity.
The USPTO decision for “Chatroulette” is dated December 15th, 2010 and reads as follows:
The applicant amended the identification of services. However, the amended identification remains indefinite as indicated below. The requirement for a definite identification is maintained and made FINAL.
If applicant does not respond within six months of the date of issuance of this final Office action, the application will be abandoned. Applicant may respond to this final Office action by:
(1) Submitting a response that fully satisfies all outstanding requirements, if feasible; and/or
(2) Filing an appeal to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, with an appeal fee of $100 per class.
The same verbiage is included in the application for “Chathopper”.
Chatroulette, once a haven for exhibitionists able to circumvent the temporary blocking of their bodily projections, has implemented strict rules and permanently banishes offenders but lost its popularity in the process.
