1211.02(b)(vi) Negative Dictionary Evidence
Negative dictionary evidence (i.e., evidence that a term is absent from dictionaries or atlases) may demonstrate the lack of non-surname significance of a term. In re Olin Corp., 124 USPQ2d 1327, 1331 (TTAB 2017) (finding, in the absence of any countervailing evidence, that negative dictionary evidence established that OLIN has no recognized meaning other than as a surname); In re Adlon Brand GmbH & Co. KG, 120 USPQ2d 1717, 1719-20 (TTAB 2016)) (finding negative dictionary evidence supported that ADLON had no meaning other than as a surname); In re Eximius Coffee, LLC, 120 USPQ2d 1276, 1280 (TTAB 2016) ("The evidence that ALDECOA has no other recognized meaning further supports the Examining Attorney’s case that its primary significance is as a surname.").