UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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SERIAL NO: 76/149938
APPLICANT: SILGAN CONTAINERS CORPORATION
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CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS: PETER L. COSTAS PEPE AND HAZARD 225 ASYLUM ST FL 20 HARTFORD CT 06103-1516
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RETURN ADDRESS: Commissioner for Trademarks 2900 Crystal Drive Arlington, VA 22202-3514 ecom113@uspto.gov
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MARK: DOT TOP
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CORRESPONDENT’S REFERENCE/DOCKET NO: N/A
CORRESPONDENT EMAIL ADDRESS:
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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 76/149938
The assigned examining attorney has reviewed the statement of use filed on September 4, 2003 and has determined the following.
The drawing displays the mark as DOT TOP. However, this differs from the display of the mark on the specimen, where it appears as DOT TOP BY SILGAN. The applicant cannot amend the drawing to conform to the display on the specimen because the character of the mark would be materially altered. 37 C.F.R. §2.72(b); TMEP §§807.14, 807.14(a) and 807.14(a)(i).
Therefore, the applicant must submit a substitute specimen that shows use of the mark as it appears on the drawing. 37 C.F.R. §2.51; TMEP §807.14. The applicant must verify, with an affidavit or a declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20, 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. 37 C.F.R. §§2.59(b) and 2.72(b); TMEP §904.09.
The statement supporting use of the substitute specimen must read as follows:
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.
The applicant must sign this statement either in affidavit form or with a declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20; TMEP §§904.09 and 1109.09(b).
Disclaimer
Based on a review of the specimen submitted, the applicant must disclaim the descriptive wording “TOP” apart from the mark as shown. Trademark Act Section 6, 15 U.S.C. §1056; TMEP §§1213 and 1213.03(a). The wording is merely descriptive because the applicant’s “metal closures for containers” are in fact tops.
A disclaimer does not remove the disclaimed matter from the mark. It is simply a statement that the applicant does not claim exclusive rights in the disclaimed wording or design apart from the mark as shown in the drawing.
The computerized printing format for the Trademark Official Gazette requires a standard form for a disclaimer. TMEP §1213.08(a)(i). A properly worded disclaimer should read as follows:
No claim is made to the exclusive right to use “TOP” apart from the mark as shown.
See In re Owatonna Tool Co., 231 USPQ 493 (Comm’r Pats. 1983).
If the applicant has any questions or needs assistance in responding to this Office action, please telephone the assigned examining attorney.
/Julie A. Watson/
Examining Attorney
Law Office 113
(703) 308-9113 ex. 210
FAX (703) 746-8113
How to respond to this Office Action:
To respond formally using the Office’s Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), visit http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/index.html and follow the instructions.
To respond formally via E-mail, visit http://www.gov.uspto.report/web/trademarks/tmelecresp.htm and follow the instructions.
To respond formally via regular mail, your response should be sent to the mailing Return Address listed above and include the serial number, law office and examining attorney’s name on the upper right corner of each page of your response.