UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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SERIAL NO: 76/090625
APPLICANT: NextEngine, Inc.
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CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS: BLAKELY SOKOLOFF TAYLOR & ZAFMAN |
RETURN ADDRESS: Commissioner for Trademarks P.O. Box 1451 Alexandria, VA 22313-1451
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MARK: DIFFEROMETRY
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CORRESPONDENT’S REFERENCE/DOCKET NO: 082772.T018U
CORRESPONDENT EMAIL ADDRESS: |
Please provide in all correspondence:
1. Filing date, serial number, mark and applicant's name. 2. Date of this Office Action. 3. Examining Attorney's name and Law Office number. 4. Your telephone number and e-mail address.
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Serial Number 76/090625
The assigned examining attorney has reviewed the statement of use filed on March 5, 2005, and has determined the following.
The mark as depicted on the drawing disagrees with the mark as it appears on the specimen, and clarification is required. Applicant must submit a substitute specimen that shows use of the mark as it appears on the drawing and include a statement that “the substitute specimen was in use in commerce prior to the expiration of the time allowed to applicant for filing a statement of use,” verified with a notarized affidavit or a signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20. 37 C.F.R. §§2.51, 2.59(b) and 2.72(b); TMEP §§807.14 and 904.09
In the present case, the drawing displays the mark as DIFFEROMETRY, and the specimen shows the mark as GRADIENT DIFFEROMETRY. Applicant may not amend the drawing to conform to the display on the specimen because the essence or character of the mark would be materially altered, i.e., the mark on the specimen creates a different commercial impression from the mark on the drawing. 37 C.F.R. §2.72(b); TMEP §§807.14, 807.14(a) and 807.14(a)(i). In addition, applicant may not withdraw the statement of use. 37 CFR §2.88(g).
The following is a properly worded declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20. At the end of the response, the applicant should insert the declaration signed by a person authorized to sign under 37 C.F.R. §2.33(a).
The substitute specimen was in use in commerce prior to the expiration of the time allowed to the applicant for filing a statement of use. Applicant is the owner of the mark sought to be registered.
The undersigned, being hereby warned that willful false statements and the like so made are punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both, under 18 U.S.C. §1001, and that such willful false statements may jeopardize the validity of the application or any resulting registration, declares that the facts set forth in this amendment to the statement of use filed March 5, 2005, are true; all statements made of his/her own knowledge are true; and all statements made on information and belief are believed to be true.
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(Signature)
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(Print or Type Name and Position)
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(Date)
Registration is refused because the proposed mark, as indicated on the specimen of record, merely identifies a method, process and/or system, and would not be perceived as a trademark for the goods identified in the application. Trademark Act Sections 1, 2 and 45, 15 U.S.C. §§1051, 1052 and 1127. See In re Griffin Pollution Control Corp., 517 F.2d 1356, 186 USPQ 166 (C.C.P.A. 1975); Congoleum Corp. v. Armstrong Cork Co., 218 USPQ 528, 535 n.13 (TTAB 1983); In re Big Stone Canning Co., 169 USPQ 815 (TTAB 1971).
In this case, the specimen comprises an overview of what appears to be the “Gradient Differometry” method of computerized image scanning.
Where a term is used solely to identify a process, style, method, system, or the like, it is not registrable as a trademark. A process or system is only a way of doing something, and does not generally constitute a marketable or tangible product. The name of a system or process does not function as a trademark unless it is also used to identify and distinguish the goods listed in the application, and to indicate the source of those goods. The determination of whether matter functions solely as the name of a system or process and also as a trademark is based on a consideration of the manner in which the proposed mark is used, as evidenced by the specimen and any other information of record. See In re Griffin Pollution Control Corp., 517 F.2d 1356, 186 USPQ 166 (C.C.P.A. 1975) (OXINITE held not to function as a trademark for a gas mixture because, based on the specimens of record, consumers would associate the mark only with a water treatment process and not with the identified goods); See also TMEP §1301.02(e).
Applicant may respond to this refusal by submitting a substitute specimen showing proper use of the proposed mark as a trademark (to indicate the source of the goods), along with a statement that “the substitute specimen was in use in commerce prior to the expiration of the time allowed to the applicant for filing a statement of use,” verified with a notarized affidavit or a signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20. 37 C.F.R. §2.59(b)(2); TMEP §§904.09 and 1109.09(b). See above.
Effective January 31, 2005 and pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, Pub. L. 108-447, the following are the fees that will be charged for filing a trademark application:
(1) $325 per international class if filed electronically using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS); or
(2) $375 per international class if filed on paper
These fees will be charged not only when a new application is filed, but also when payments are made to add classes to an existing application. If such payments are submitted with a TEAS response, the fee will be $325 per class, and if such payments are made with a paper response, the fee will be $375 per class.
The new fee requirements will apply to any fees filed on or after January 31, 2005.
NOTICE: TRADEMARK OPERATION RELOCATION
The Trademark Operation has relocated to Alexandria, Virginia. Effective October 4, 2004, all Trademark-related paper mail (except documents sent to the Assignment Services Division for recordation, certain documents filed under the Madrid Protocol, and requests for copies of trademark documents) must be sent to:
Commissioner for Trademarks
P.O. Box 1451
Alexandria, VA 22313-1451
Applicants, attorneys and other Trademark customers are strongly encouraged to correspond with the USPTO online via the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), at http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/index.html.
The Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval (TARR) database on the USPTO website at http://tarr.uspto.gov provides detailed, up to the minute information about the status and prosecution history of trademark applications and registrations. Please note that an application serial number or registration number is needed to be able to access this database. TARR is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
/LGK/
Laura Gorman Kovalsky
Trademark Attorney
571/272-9182
571/273-9110 - fax
(for informal inquiries only)
“TMEP” refers to the Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (3rd ed., Rev. 2, May 2003), available on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website at www.gov.uspto.report/main/trademarks.htm. This is a detailed guidebook written by the Office to explain the laws and procedures that govern the trademark application, registration and post registration processes.
Applicants may now file changes of correspondence address via a new form on TEAS. Address changes may be performed on up to 20 cases at a time. The Trademark Office strongly encourages applicants to use this time-saving form which is available online at:
<http://eteas.gov.uspto.report/V2.0/ca200/WIZARD.htm>
HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS OFFICE ACTION:
STATUS OF APPLICATION: To check the status of your application, visit the Office’s Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval (TARR) system at http://tarr.uspto.gov.
VIEW APPLICATION DOCUMENTS ONLINE: Documents in the electronic file for pending applications can be viewed and downloaded online at http://portal.gov.uspto.report/external/portal/tow.
GENERAL TRADEMARK INFORMATION: For general information about trademarks, please visit the Office’s website at http://www.gov.uspto.report/main/trademarks.htm
FOR INQUIRIES OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS OFFICE ACTION, PLEASE CONTACT THE ASSIGNED EXAMINING ATTORNEY SPECIFIED ABOVE.