Appeal No. 2000-0206 Page 14
Application No. 08/699,328
these same symbols are different from one another and provide
different information, they may also be fairly viewed as
unrelated.
Using appellant's disclosed embodiments, for example, the
octagon symbols provide traffic information (i.e., that the
driver of a vehicle coming toward the viewer of the sign from a
particular direction has a stop sign) which is related to the
"STOP" symbol and the information provided by the "STOP" symbol,
in that the octagon and "STOP" symbols convey the message "STOP"
and in that the octagon and "STOP" symbols provide information as
to what all drivers of vehicles are directed to do at the
upcoming intersection. Indeed, all symbols on appellant's
disclosed sign provide information which is related to the
intersection and, hence, to the other symbols and to the
information provided by the other symbols.
On the other hand, appellant and my colleagues have found a
context in which to view the secondary symbols (the octagons) of
appellant's sign as providing information which is unrelated to
the "STOP" symbol and to the information ("stop") provided by the
"STOP" symbol. Specifically, the "STOP" symbol informs a driver
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