Opinion ID: 669095
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Similarity in manner of marketing services

Text: 32 AT & T has spent millions of dollars advertising and promoting the AT & T Universal Card directly to the public through a variety of media sources. In contrast, UMC currently does not advertise directly to the public. Rather, UMC markets its services primarily to financial institutions who, in turn, market cards to their own account-holders. The district court concluded, and we agree, that these significant differences in the parties' methods of advertising curtail the possibility of confusion. See Victory Pipe Craftsmen, Inc. v. Faberge, Inc., 582 F.Supp. 551, 558 (N.D.Ill.1984). 33 UMC nevertheless contends that a genuine factual issue exists because both cards are distributed by sponsoring banks through the mail with accompanying promotional materials which explain the accessible services and methods of use. Though both cards are issued by a sponsoring bank, the distribution process cannot be said to create confusion in this case. Someone desiring an AT & T Universal Card must first seek out and consciously select AT & T as the card provider. Thus, AT & T customers are aware that they are receiving an AT & T card. Someone desiring a UMC card may only receive a card if he or she has an account at a financial institution that is affiliated with UMC. Thus, UMC cardholders are not given the impression that they are receiving a UMC card, but rather a particular financial institution's ATM card. In the end, the fact that the sponsoring bank may send both cards in the mail with documentation is irrelevant.