# F R A N K F U R T K U R N I T K L E I N & 

# S E L Z Pc



# February 27, 2014

VIA E-MAIL and FEDEX

susan.kw-land @ dot.gov

The Hon. Susan L. 

# Kurland

Assistant Secretary for Aviation & 

# Int'l Affairs

Office of the Secretary of Transportation

U

. S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey A venue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

United States of America 488 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

Tel: (212) 980-0120

Fax: (212) 593-9175

Toby Butterfield, Esq.

Direct Tel : 212

. 826

. 5567

Email : tbutterfield@fkks

. com



# RE: Opposition to Application of Blue Jet Sp. z o.o

. for Foreign Air Carrier

Permit and Exemption Authority

Docket DOT- OST-2014-0026

Dear Assistant Secretary Kurland:

This firm represents JetBlue Airways Corporation ("JetBlue " ) in intellectual property and

litigation matters. We are writing to alert you to our client's objections to the application filed

with your Department by Blue Jet Sp

. z o.o. ( " Blue Jet") for permission to commence air

services throughout the United States. Blue Jet ' s name is so confusingly similar to JetBlue ' s

name that if Blue Jet's application is granted under its current name, consumer confusion is

inevitable and unavoidable.

We therefore request that the Department deny the application altogether

, or suspend the

application until the applicant changes the name under which it will operate in the United States

to one which would not confuse the travelling public, or otherwise resolve our client's

objections. In addition, we request that at the very minimum, the Department will require Blue

Jet to notify JetBlue in accordance with the procedure in FAR§ 215.5 concerning similarity of

names.

JetBlue is the premiere low-cost, high-quality domestic airline in the United States and

currently serves more than seventy destinations in the United States

, Mexico, Caribbean and

South America

. Through JetBlue ' s longstanding interline and code share relationships with

partner airlines

, JetBlue serves additional destinations worldwide

, including cities in South

Africa, Europe and the Middle East. JetBlue also maintains interline agreements allowing

passengers to fly with JetBlue partners to cities around the world via code flights.

# F R A N K F U R T 

# K U R N I T K L E 

# I N & 

# S E L Z Pc



# The Hon. Susan L. 

# Kurland

February 27, 2014

Page 2

JetBlue has been using its well-known JETBLUE trademark prominently in connection

with every aspect of air travel since at least as early as 1999. JetBlue owns more than thirty-one

federal trademark registrations and pending applications with the United States Patent and

Trademark Office ("USPTO " )

, some of which are incontestable

, for the trademark JETBLUE

and JETBLUE in combination with another word or words. These registrations and applications

include, without limitation, thirteen registrations for transportation of passengers, parcels, freight

and cargo by air (Reg. Nos. 4338485, 4338484, 4338483, 4289126, 3502438, 3084084,

3163121,3163120,3052759,2971984,2947348,2451955, and 2449988). In the European

Union, JetBlue has also secured a Community Trade Mark registration ("CTM") for the

trademark JETBLUE, registration no. 001440288, and various other national European

registrations.

JetBlue ' s customer base is large and widespread. The airline flies at least 75 million

passengers annually on its flights. JetBlue has invested heavily in the advertising and promotion

of its JETBLUE brand and, as a result, the public and trade have come to associate the mark

JETBLUE with goods and services emanating exclusively from JetBlue. The JETBLUE brand is

extremely valuable to JetBlue.

For several years

, JetBlue has been attempting to resolve disputes with Blue Jet over its

confusingly similar name. Despite JetBlue ' s prominence and size, nearly four years ago, Blue

Jet started attempting to undermine JetBlue ' s trademark rights. Blue Jet first sought to register

its BLUE JET mark in the European Union

. When JetBlue opposed that application, Blue Jet

retaliated by seeking to cancel JetBlue's CTM for its mark JETBLUE. Although JetBlue views

Blue Jet's use of its claimed mark as an infringement of JetBlue's rights

, and resisted

cancellation of its CTM vigorously, JetBlue was willing to negotiate a worldwide resolution of

the issue. Despite attempting to do so for nearly three years, however, the parties still have not

signed any agreement.

Instead

, Blue Jet is now seeking permission to operate in the United States by filing its

application with your department for a Foreign Air Carrier Permit and Exemption Authority (the

" Application " ). In the Application, Blue Jet seeks your Department's consent to "engage in

... foreign charter air transportation of persons and property

... to any point or points in the United

States; foreign air charter service of persons and property between any point or points in the

United Stated and any point or points in any member of the European Union; and

... other

charters; and transp01tation authorized by any additional route rights made available to European

Community carriers in the future." Application, p.l

, paras. (i)- (iv).

Such use by Blue Jet of its name and mark BLUE JET in the United States would cause

widespread confusion with JetBlue ' s mark JETBLUE to consumers

. The two marks consist

exclusively of the same two identical words. We therefore notify you of our objection to the

Application; request that you require Blue Jet to formally notify our client of its Application for

# F R A N K F U R T K U R N I T K L E I N & 

# S E L Z P c



# The Hon. Susan L. Kurland

February 27, 2014

Page 3

registration in accordance with FAR§ 215.5. Meanwhile, JetBlue has filed an action in the

Southern District ofNew York seeking a court declaration that Blue Jet's use of its mark

infringes on J etBl ue' s trademark rights. A copy of the complaint in that action (the "Action") is

enclosed.

JetBlue will require Blue Jet to voluntarily agree to change its name, at least in the US. 

# It

is the responsibility of a junior user to avoid using a mark that is confusingly similar to a mark

already being used by an established business. If Blue Jet does not do so, JetBlue will amend its

claims in the Action to seek all remedies it is entitled to under all applicable United States laws

, including without limitation under 15 U.S.C. §1114(l)(a), §1116-1118

, 1125(a)(l). As the

JETBLUE trademark is famous, JetBlue is also entitled to protection and remedies under the

Federal Trademark Dilution Act, 15 U.S

. C. § 1125. Finally, JetBlue also plans to file objections

to the permit and exemption application in timely fashion

.

This is not intended to be a complete statement of the facts and circumstances

surrounding this dispute, and is without prejudice to and without waiver of JetBlue's rights and

remedies at law and in equity

. We look forward to hearing from you and from Blue Jet or its

counsel so we can resolve this longstanding dispute.

Very truly yours,

# cr;~~ Toby Butterfield

Enclosure

cc : Mr. Robert Finamore 

# (via email robert.tinamore@dot.gov w / enc.)

Gary Garofalo, Esq. 

# (ggaro[alo@ggh-airlaw.com)

Erin Tallardy

, Esq. 

# ( e tallardv@ggh-airlaw.com)

Jason Maddux, Esq

. 

# (jmaddux @ ggh-airlaw.com)

Counsel for Blue Jet Sp. z o.o. 

# (via email w/ enc.)

Jonathan B. Hill, Esq., Cooley LLP



# (via emailjhill @ cooley. com w / enc.)

Beth Goldman, Esq.FRANKFURTKURNITKLEIN&SELZ,P.C.TobyMi.ButterfieldBethI.Goldman488MadisonAvenue,10thFloorNewYork,NewYork10022Phone:(212)980-0120Fax:(212)593-9175AttorneysforPlaintiffJetBlueAirwaysCorporationINTHEUNITEDSTATESDISTRICTCOURTFORTHESOUTHERNDISTRICTOFNEWYORKJetBlueAirwaysCorporation,Plaintiff,COMPLAINTFOR-against-:DECLARATORYJUDGMENTBlueJetSp.zo.o.,14Civ.____()Defendant.xPlaintiffJetBlueAirwaysCorporation(“JetBlue”),byitsundersignedattorneys,submitsthisComplaintforDeclaratoryJudgmentagainstDefendantBlueJetSp.zo.o.(“BlueJet”).Plaintiffsallegeasfollows:NatureoftheAction1.JetBluehasbeenusingitsfamousJETBLUEtrademarktomarketandpromoteitshighquality,low-costairlineservicesintheUnitedStatesandabroadsinceatleast1999.JetBlue’smediumbluecolor-schemeandplayfullogo,includingitssignaturelower-case“j”andupper-case“B,”arewidelyrecognized.JetBluehasthirty-onefederaltrademarkregistrationswiththeUnitedStatesPatentandTrademarkOffice(“USPTO”),someofwhichareincontestable,forthetrademarkJETBLUEandJETBLUEincombinationwithanotherwordorwords(“JETBLUEMARKS”).JetBluealsohasestablisheditsbrandintheEuropeanUnionby14CVxregisteringthemark“JetBlue”inconnectionwithawidevarietyofgoodsandservices,aspartiallyevidencedbyitsCommunityTrademarks(“CTM5”)andnationalEuropeanregistrationsofitsmark.Asaresult,thepublichascometoassociatetheJETBLUEMARKSwithgoodsandservicesemanatingexclusivelyfromJetBlue.2.BlueJetisaPoland-basedairlinethathasrecentlyappliedforaCommunityTrademark(“CTM”)registrationtheOfficeofHarmonizationfortheInternalMarket(“OHIM”)intheEUforvariousgoodsandservices.BlueJetfileditsfirstCTMapplicationonJuly13,2009.OnMarch5,2010,JetBlueopposedBlueJet’sCTMregistrationandinreturn,BlueJetfiledrequeststorevokecertainJetBluemarks.Asaresult,thepartiesenteredintoaprolongeddisputeregardingtheregistrationofmarksbythepartiesbeforetheOHIM.3.OnFebruary24,2014,BlueJetfiledanapplicationbeforetheUnitedStatesDepartmentofTransportationforbroadrightstoactasaforeignaircarriertopointsintheUnitedStates,andtoflyfromtheUnitedStatestopointsinanycountrythatisamemberoftheEuropeanCommonAviationArea.4.BlueJet’suseintheUnitedStatesoftheBlueJetmarkinconnectionwithairlineservicesviolates15U.S.C.§1114(1)(a)and1125(a)(1)becauseitwillcauseconsumerconfusion,mistake,andwilldeceiveconsumersastotheexistenceofanaffiliation,connection,orassociationbetweenBlueJetandJetBlue.5.Therefore,JetBluefilesthisactionforadeclaratoryjudgmentpursuanttothefederalDeclaratoryJudgmentAct,28U.S.C.§2201,seekingadeclarationthatBlueJet’suseofthemark“BlueJet”intheUnitedStatesviolatesJetBlue’sestablishedtrademarkrights.2TheParties6.PlaintiffJetBlueisacorporationorganizedunderthelawsofDelawarethatmaintainsitsprincipalplaceofbusinessat27-01QueensPlazaNorth,LongIslandCity,NY11101.7.Uponinformationandbelief,defendantBlueJetisanaircarrierinCentralandEasternEurope,whichoffersairlineservicethroughouttheworld.8.Uponinformationandbelief,defendantBlueJetmaintainsitsprincipalplaceofbusinessat02-146Warszawa,17Stycznia47,Poland.JurisdictionandVenue9.ThisisanactionforadeclaratoryjudgmentpursuanttofederalDeclaratoryJudgmentAct,28U.S.C.§2201.10.ThiscourthasjurisdictionoverthiscaseundertheDeclaratoryJudgmentAct,28U.S.C.A.§2201andFed.R.Civ.P.57,bothbasedonthediversityofthepartiesunder28U.S.C.A.§1332intandemwiththevalueoftherightsatissuebeingabove$75,000exclusiveofinterestandcosts,andonthecentralityofsubstantialfederalquestionsunderthefederaltrademarkstatutepursuantto28U.S.C.A.§1331,1338(a),andunder15U.S.C.A.§1121.11.Venueisproperinthisdistrictunder28U.S.C.§1391(b).12.ThisCourthaspersonaljurisdictionovertheDefendantBlueJetpursuanttoNewYorkCivilPracticeLawandRules(“NYCPLR”)§301becauseBlueJethaspurposelytargeteditsactivitiestoandhassystematicallytransacted,done,andsolicitedbusinessinthisdistrict.RelevantFacts13.JetBlueisthepremierelow-cost,high-qualitydomesticairlineintheUnitedStatesandcurrentlyservessomesixty-fivedestinationsintheUnitedStates,Mexico,Caribbean,3andSouthAmerica.ThroughJetBlue’slongstandingrelationshipswithpartnerairlines,JetBlueservesadditionaldestinationsworldwide.Forexample,JetBluehasitscodeonflightsbetweenNYandDubai,NYandMilan,andNYandSouthAfrica,meaningcustomerscanpurchaseandtake“JetBlueflights”to/fromthesedestinationsthatareoperatedbypartnerairlines.14.JetBluehasbeenusingitswell-knownJETBLUEtrademarkinconnectionwithsuperiorserviceineveryaspectofairtravelsinceatleastasearlyastheyear1999.JetBlueownsthirty-onefederaltrademarkregistrationsandpendingapplicationswiththeUSPTOforthetrademarkJETBLUEandJETBLUEincombinationwithanotherwordorwords.Theseregistrationsandapplicationsinclude,withoutlimitation,thirteenregistrationsfortransportationofpassengers,parcels,freightandcargobyair(Reg.Nos.4338485,4338484,4338483,4289126,3502438,3084084,3163121,3163120,3052759,2971984,2947348,2451955,and2449988).JetBluealsoownsalargenumberofunregisteredmarksincorporatingorcomprisingthewordJETBLUEusedwithavarietyofgoodsandservicesrelatedtotravelandairtransportation.15.JetBluehasinvestedmillionsofdollarsintheadvertisingandpromotionofitsJETBLUEtrademark,logos,andtradedress.Asaresult,thepublichascometoassociatetheJETBLUEMARKSwithgoodsandservicesemanatingexclusivelyfromJetBlue.TheJETBLUEMARKSarethereforeextremelyvaluabletoJetBlue.16.AsearchoftheUnitedStatesTrademarkregistershowsthatBlueJethasnotappliedfororobtainedregistrationofanytrademarksintheUnitedStates.17.JetBluehasalsoestablisheditsbrandintheEuropeanUnion.JetBluehasadoptedandused,byitselforthroughitsglobalairlinepartners,themark“JetBlue”inconnectionwitha4wide variety

of goods

and services,

as evidenced

by

its Community

Trade

mark registration (“CTM”)

for

the trademark

JETBLUE,

and various

other national European registrations. 18.

Blue

Jet

has direct knowledge

of the strength

of the JETBLUE

MARKS.

In the BLUE

JET European

Union,

Blue

Jet adopted

and used

the figurative

mark_.—‘

in the colors

dark

blue,

light

blue

and white

(the “BLUE

JET MARK”)

in connection

with on-demand charter

flights.

Blue

Jet applied

for

a Community

Trademark

registration

with

The Office

of Harmonization

for

the Internal

Market (“OHIM”)

for

the figurative

BLUE

JET MARK, Community

Application

No. 008422041,

for various

goods

and services

in several

classes

(the “BLUE

JET CTM”).

Blue

Jet filed

its first CTM application

on July

13, 2009.

On March

5, 2010, JetBlue

filed

an Opposition

with OHIM

to BLUE

JET’s

CTM, Reference

No.

B 001631731.

In response,

Blue

Jet filed requests

for revocation

with OHIM

against

certain JETBLUE

MARKS,

including

without limitation,

Request

for Revocation

Nos. 4518C,

4994C and 4995C.

19.

Since

that time,

Blue

Jet

and JetBlue

have attempted

to amicably

resolve

their dispute

before

OHIM,

but have

not achieved agreement. 20.

On February

24, 2014,

Blue

Jet filed

an application

before

the United

States Department

of Transportation

for

a foreign

air carrier

permit pursuant

to

49 U.S.C.

§ 41301

to enable

it

to engage

in: i.

foreign

charter

air transportation

of persons

and property

from

any point or points

behind

any Member

State

of the European

Union

via

any point

or points in any Member

State

and

via intermediate

points

to any point

or points

in the United

States

and beyond; ii.

foreign

charter

air transportation

of persons

and property

between

any point

or points

in the United

States

and

any point

or points

in any member

of the European

Common

Aviation

Area;

5iii.othercharterspursuanttothepriorapprovalrequirementssetforthinPart212oftheDepartment’sAviationEconomicRegulations;andiv.transportationauthorizedbyanyadditionalrouterightsmadeavailabletoEuropeanCommunitycarriersinthefuture.BlueJetalsorequestedexemptionauthoritypursuantto§49U.S.C.§40109toenableittoprovidetheservicesdescribedabovependingtheissuanceofaforeignaircarrierpermit.BlueJethasrequestedexpeditedtreatmentofitsapplication.21.BlueJet’smarkisconfusinglysimilartotheJETBLUEMARKSregisteredintheUnitedStates.BlueJetreferstoitselfonitsEnglishlanguagewebsiteas“BlueJet”(oneword).’Whetherasonewordortwo,theuseofthewords“Blue”and“Jet”togetherhaveobviousvisual,aural,andconnotativesimilaritiestotheJETBLUEMARKS.Thus,BlueJet’suseofthemarkinconnectionwithairlineservicesthreatenstocauseconsumerconfusion,mistake,ortodeceiveconsumersastotheexistenceofanaffiliation,connection,orassociationbetweenBlueJetandJetBlueunder15U.S.C.§1114(1)(a)and1125(a)(1).22.Accordingly,JetBlueisentitledtoajudgmentdeterminingthatBlueJet’suseoftheBLUEJETMARKinfringestheJETBLUEMARKS.COUNTONE(DeclarationofTrademarkInfringement)23.JetBluerepeatsandreallegestheallegationsofParagraphs1through22ofthisComplaintasiffullysetforthherein.24.JetBlueandBlueJethaveengagedinanextendeddisputeregardingtheregistrationanduseofBlueJet’sfigurativemarkintheEUbeforetheTheOfficeofHarmonizationfortheInternalMarket(“OHIM”).BlueJethasnowappliedtotheUnitedStatesDepartmentofTransportationfortherighttoconductinternationalaircarrierservicesunderaBlueJetWebsite,http://www.blueiet.aero/en/czarter-odrzutowcow.aspx(lastvisitedFebruary27,2014)6markthatinfringestheJETBLUEMARKS.Accordingly,anactual,presentandjusticiablecontroversyhasarisenbetweenJetBlueandBlueJetconcerningtheusebyBlueJetofamarkthatinfringestheJETBLUEMARKS.PrayerforReliefWHEREFORE,bytheundersignedattorneys,JetBluepraysforreliefasfollows:A.AjudgmentdeclaringthatBlueJet’suseoftheBLUEJETMARKinfringestheJETBLUEMARKS;B.ThatJetBluerecoveritscostsanddisbursementsincurredinthisaction,includingitsreasonableattorneys’fees;andC.SuchotherandfurtherreliefastheCourtdeemsjustandproper.Dated:NewYork,NewYorkFebruary27,2013FRANKFURTKURNITKLEIN&SELZ,P.C.TobyM.J.Butterfield,Esq.BethI.Goldman,Esq.488MadisonAvenueNewYork,NewYork10022Tel.:(212)980-0120Fax:(212)593-9175tbutterfield@flcks.combgoldmanflcks.cornAttorneysforPlaintffJetBlueAirwaysCorporation7