Moving on to New Beginnings: A Trademark Attorney’s Journey to Find Solace at the PTO

My life has been quite a whirlwind since my last post. On June 18, 2012, I posted my initial audition for the fine folks at The Daily Show and on June 20, 201, I demonstrated my means of delivery. I then briefly disappeared from the blogosphere, as this past Friday was my last day as a trademark attorney and Chief Sustainability Officer with Rimon. Moving on always takes effort. Sometimes it feels scary and lonely no matter how many wonderful mentors and advisors — like Elsie Maio, Ajax Greene, Mac McCabe, Bill Roth, and Jen Greer — surround you and offer sage wisdom and support.

Naturally, I could find solace only at the USPTO.

Astoundingly though, there are only 9 LIVE MOVING ON PTO records (marks comprised in whole or part of the words MOVING ON). This includes 4 pending applications and 5 registered marks, of which only 1 is for MOVIN’ ON UP  for “on-line journals, namely blogs featuring articles, trends, advice and commentary in the employment field,” so we all can feel just like the Jefferson’s:

Were I not quite ready to move on, I would take comfort in the fact that the fine folks at Success is the Best Revenge, Inc. (which has 5 pending applications but no website) are working hard to bring me a social network called VENT. MOVE ON. MOVE UP. I am not sure how much publicly venting ever helped anyone move up anywhere. But then again, I haven’t tried it.

I have been fortunate to start over a few times in this lifetime, so I guess you could say this is just another new beginning. Unless you are concerned about being redundant; in which case you wouldn’t want to say that. In fact, I am not sure why anyone says that — much less uses it as a brand — since the beginning is at the point at which something starts, which is new by definition. I don’t think you can have an old beginning; can you? I really don’t think you can. But then again, I haven’t tried it. I’m just not sure where I’d begin . . .

There are 57 LIVE PTO records for NEW BEGINNINGS including 12 pending applications and 45 registered marks. Hands down, one of the most frightening marks I’ve ever seen is EVERY END IS A NEW BEGINNING for “medical services.” Is trademark owner Ms. Lynn Pierri Jack Kevorkian incarnate?

While my last gig ultimately wasn’t the right one for me, I have no regrets. If I did, I think I would alleviate them by cashing in my NO REGRETS CD to pay for a NO REGRETS workshop while wearing NO REGRETS clothing and snacking on NO REGRETS energy bars before dining on NO REGRETS pork and enjoying NO REGRETS wine, but only after washing my hands with NO REGRETS hand soaps, the only soap that can wash regrets away!

When you do what you love, then work feels like fun. Trademarks are fun! I love what I do — puzzle solving! Stay tuned for what my friend Nancy Dwyer Chapman calls the Big Reveal . . .