Offc Action Outgoing

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

 

 

 

OFFICE ACTION

 

TO AVOID ABANDONMENT, WE MUST RECEIVE A PROPER RESPONSE TO THIS OFFICE ACTION WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF OUR MAILING OR E-MAILING DATE. 

 

 

Serial Number  76/422251

 

The assigned examining attorney has reviewed the referenced application and determined the following.

 

DESCRIPTIVENESS

 

 The examining attorney refuses registration on the Principal Register because the proposed mark merely describes the goods/services.  Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1), 15 U.S.C. §1052(e)(1); TMEP §§1209 et seq.

 

A mark is merely descriptive under Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1), 15 U.S.C. §1052(e)(1), if it describes an ingredient, quality, characteristic, function, feature, purpose or use of the relevant goods/services.  In re Gyulay, 820 F.2d 1216, 3 USPQ2d 1009 (Fed. Cir. 1987);  In re Bed & Breakfast Registry, 791 F.2d 157, 229 USPQ 818 (Fed. Cir. 1986); In re MetPath Inc., 223 USPQ 88 (TTAB 1984); In re Bright‑Crest, Ltd., 204 USPQ 591 (TTAB 1979); TMEP §1209.01(b).

 

 

 

The applicant’s mark “CHAIR GHOUL” is merely descriptive because it describes the function of the goods. The applicant’s identification of goods is broad enough to include decorations that are in the shape of “ghouls” and that are intended to decorate chairs. As shown by the attached LEXIS/NEXIS evidence, it is not uncommon to market decorations specifically intended to be used on chairs. Also, the term “ghoul” is often used to refer to a type of Halloween decoration. See attached website evidence.

 

SUPPLEMENTAL REGISTER

 

Although the examining attorney has refused registration on the Principal Register, the applicant may amend the application to seek registration on the Supplemental Register.  Trademark Act Section 23, 15 U.S.C. §1091; 37 C.F.R. §§2.47 and 2.75(a); TMEP §§801.02(b), 815 and 816 et seq.

 

Please note that the mark in an application under Trademark Act Section 1(b), 15 U.S.C. §1051(b), is not eligible for registration on the Supplemental Register until an acceptable amendment to allege use under 37 C.F.R. §2.76 or statement of use under 37 C.F.R. §2.88 has been timely filed.  37 C.F.R. §2.47(c); TMEP §815.02, 816.02 and 1102.03.  When such an application is changed from the Principal Register to the Supplemental Register, the effective filing date of the application is the date of filing of the allegation of use.  37 C.F.R. §2.75(b); TMEP §§206.01 and 816.02.

 

SEARCH

 

The examining attorney has searched the Office records and has found no similar registered or pending mark which would bar registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d), 15 U.S.C. §1052(d).  TMEP §704.02.

 

 

 

 

/Teresa Rupp/

Teresa Rupp

Senior Trademark Attorney

Law Office 106

(703) 308 -9106 ext 147

Respond: ECOM106@uspto.gov

 

 

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.

 

To check the status of your application at any time, visit the Office’s Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval (TARR) system at http://tarr.gov.uspto.report/

 

For general and other useful information about trademarks, you are encouraged to visit the Office’s web site at http://www.gov.uspto.report/main/trademarks.htm

 

FOR INQUIRIES OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS OFFICE ACTION, PLEASE CONTACT THE ASSIGNED EXAMINING ATTORNEY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAIL-IT REQUESTED: NOVEMBER 1, 2002                         10083K

 

        CLIENT:

       LIBRARY: NEWS

          FILE: US

 

YOUR SEARCH REQUEST AT THE TIME THIS MAIL-IT WAS REQUESTED:

 CHAIR DECORATIONS

 

NUMBER OF STORIES FOUND WITH YOUR REQUEST THROUGH:

      LEVEL   1...      75

 

LEVEL    1 PRINTED

 

THE SELECTED  STORY NUMBERS:

11,73

 

DISPLAY FORMAT: 60 VAR KWIC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2002 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.   

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

 

January 19, 2002 Saturday Five Star Lift Edition

 

SECTION: LIFESTYLE; Pg. 16 

 

LENGTH: 774 words 

 

HEADLINE: EVEN CHAIRS GET DRESSED FOR THE BIG EVENT 

 

BYLINE: Barbara Hertenstein Post-Dispatch Home Editor 

 

BODY:

 

   ... silk, which coordinated with a gold organza table cover decorated with gold thread and pearls. 

 

   The generous arrangement of flowers on the chair back included white cattleya orchids, white Casablanca lilies, yellow message roses, gardenias and hydrangeas, contrasted with deep-green coffee plant leaves. 

 

   "This is something you might do for the bride and groom's chairs," Peterson says. "For the rest of the head table, we'd probably do something smaller, a bow or tie with one or two flowers." 

 

   Perhaps the most unusual chair decoration was created by Lisa Dwyer of Dream a Little Dream in Ballwin (636-256-3225). Dwyer put angel wings on the back of silver chairs. 

 

   "It was the first time I'd done it," she says. "I started with the centerpiece, angel wings sitting on clouds. Then I thought they'd look great on the chairs. 

 

   "I think angels are going to be a big thing this year. You could do this for a bridal shower or rehearsal dinner, something fun like that." 

 

   And the ...

Copyright 1988 Newsday, Inc.   

Newsday (New York, NY)

 

October 23, 1988, Sunday, ALL EDITIONS

 

SECTION: TRAVEL; Pg. 15 

 

LENGTH: 990 words 

 

HEADLINE: Easy Out: Buy the Souvenirs, Skip the Trip 

 

BYLINE: By Elizabeth Wissner-Gross 

 

BODY:

 

   ... can call ($10 minimum) to order T-shirts, sweatshirts, postcards, computer art videos ($30); Googolplex geometry toy ($50), Bushnell microscope with camera ($129), books, and heat sensitive and thermometer postcards. Information: (415) 563-7337. 

 

   Universal Studios: Through a four-page catalog, you can pick up a nine-inch Oscar ($6.95), T-shirts, mugs, ashtrays, keychains, King Kong and Woody Woodpecker souvenirs, an eight-inch-high director's chair decoration ($8.50), a video of the tour ($29.95) and posters. Information: (818) 777-1000. 

 

   Smithsonian Museums: Two new fall catalogs, each containing 60 pages, represent 11 museums in the nation's capital, including the Air and Space Museum, American History, Natural History and the Museum of African Art. Among the items are native American crafts, the video "To Fly," space suits for kids, model airplanes, space helmets, Einstein and dinosaur T-shirts, Christmas cards and African baskets, ...