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  76/454078

 

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

 

No conflicting marks

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.

 

Mark is primarily merely a surname

The examining attorney refuses registration on the Principal Register because the mark is primarily merely a surname.  Trademark Act Section 2(e)(4), 15 U.S.C. §1052(e)(4); TMEP §1211.  The examining attorney must consider the primary significance of the mark to the purchasing public to determine whether a term is primarily merely a surname.  In re Kahan & Weisz Jewelry Mfg. Corp., 508 F.2d 831, 184 USPQ 421 (C.C.P.A. 1975).  The proposed mark is WEBSTER.  The primary significance of the word WEBSTER is that of a surname.  Please see the attached evidence from Lexis and www.switchboard.com[1], establishing the surname significance of the mark.  TMEP §§1211 et seq.   Furthermore, it has no other meanings aside from the surname significance.  Because the mark is primarily merely a surname, registration is refused.

 

Surnames may be registrable under Section 2(f)

An applicant may register a surname under Trademark Act Section 2(f), 15 U.S.C. §1052(f), by establishing acquired distinctiveness.  The applicant may present any of the following to establish distinctiveness.  TMEP §§1211 and 1212.02(a). 

 

(1) The applicant may rely on a claim of ownership of one or more prior registrations on the Principal Register for a mark which is the same as the mark in this application for the same or related goods.  37 C.F.R. §2.41(b); TMEP §§1212.04 et seq.

 

(2) The applicant may provide a statement that the mark has become distinctive of the applicant’s goods/services by reason of substantially exclusive and continuous use in commerce by the applicant for the five years next preceding the date of the statement.  The applicant must verify this statement with an affidavit or a declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20.  37 C.F.R. §2.41(b); TMEP §§1212.05 et seq.

 

(3) The applicant may submit actual evidence of acquired distinctiveness.  37 C.F.R. §2.41(a); TMEP §§1212.06 et seq.

 

Although the examining attorney has refused registration, the applicant may respond to the refusal to register by submitting evidence and arguments in support of registration.  If the applicant has any questions or needs assistance in responding to this Office action, please telephone the assigned examining attorney.

 

 

 

/Eugenia K. Martin/

Eugenia K. Martin

Examining Attorney

Law Office 114

(703) 308-9114 x122

ecom114@uspto.gov

(703) 746-8114 (fax)

 

 

 

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: APRIL 24, 2003                           10083K

 

        CLIENT: WEBSTER

       LIBRARY: NEWS

          FILE: US

 

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

 (WEBSTER) AND (DATE AFT 3/01/2003)

 

NUMBER OF STORIES FOUND WITH YOUR REQUEST THROUGH:

      LEVEL   1...    5952

 

LEVEL    1 PRINTED

 

THE SELECTED  STORY NUMBERS:

6,8-9,12,25

 

DISPLAY FORMAT: 30 VAR KWIC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEND TO: MARTIN, EUGENIA

         TRADEMARK LAW LIBRARY

         2101 CRYSTAL PLAZA ARC

         MAILBOX 314

         ARLINGTON VIRGINIA 22202-4600

 

 

 

**********************************04538**********************************

Copyright 2003 Newsday, Inc.   

Newsday (New York)

 

April 24, 2003 Thursday  SUFFOLK EDITION

 

SECTION: SPORTS,

 

 Pg. A59 

 

LENGTH: 2946 words 

 

HEADLINE: HIGH SCHOOL PLUS 

 

BODY:

 

   ... 8 

 

   Goals - MC: Cerasi, Pernal. S: Dale 2, Witt 2, Perritt, Burwell, McGuire, Maehr. Saves - MC: Tracey 16. Sachem: Fautas 16. 

 

   Bellport 3342-12 

 

   North Babylon 3314-11 

 

   Goals - B: Webster 4, Hatzkorzian 3, Muglia 2, Rosero 2, Gajewski; NB: Harrington 6, Boyle 2, Scott, Cavalcance, Vignone. Saves - B: Hughes 17; NB: Palumbo 9. 

 

   Ward Melville 1040-5 

 

   Bay Shore 1203- ...

 

 

Copyright 2003 P.G. Publishing Co.   

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania)

 

April 24, 2003 Thursday  REGION EDITION

 

SECTION: MISCELLANEOUS,

 

 Pg.B-6 

 

LENGTH: 1731 words 

 

BODY:

 

   ... VIDA, George, died April 22. O'Brien's Funeral Home, Brighton Heights. (CO) 

 

    WARD, Cora Sue Reynolds Eilam, 66, of Coraopolis, formerly of Uniontown, Fayette County, died April 22. Copeland's Funeral Home, Coraopolis. (CO) 

 

    WEBSTER, Dorothy K. VanCleve, 90, of Upper St. Clair, died April 23. David J. Henney Funeral Home, South Park Township. (CO) 

 

    WEINER, Karl, 90, of Highland Park, died April 21. Ralph Schugar Chapel, ...

 

 

Copyright 2003 P.G. Publishing Co.   

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania)

 

April 24, 2003 Thursday  REGION EDITION

 

SECTION: SPORTS,

 

 Pg.D-4 

 

LENGTH: 788 words 

 

HEADLINE: DRAFT NO LONGER A HOLY EXPERIENCE 

 

BODY:

 

   ... a team could draft Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Jack Ham and Franco Harris in successive years and not have to worry about losing them. Gone are the days when a team could draft Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster in the same year and not have to worry about having enough money to pay them when they became fourth-year pros. 

 

    The Steelers, for example, have virtually ignored the quarterback position in the draft for almost a decade, not because they didn't think the position was  ...

 

 

Copyright 2003 Computer Information Network Inc.   

The Sports Network

 

April 24, 2003 Thursday  9:33 AM, EST

 

SECTION: European PGA Tour (Scoreboard) 

 

LENGTH: 372 words 

 

HEADLINE: $1,915,452 Canarias Open de Espana Leaderboard 

 

BODY:

________________________________________________________________________________

 

                                      ...

Steve Webster                            -5 (67=67)                 F

 

 

Copyright 2003 The Austin American Statesman  

Austin American-Statesman (Texas)

 

April 23, 2003, Wednesday

 

SECTION: Metro/State; Pg. B6 

 

LENGTH: 836 words 

 

HEADLINE: Kyle candidates spar over growth

Two seats up for grabs on City Council that has been split on water, development issues 

 

BYLINE: Jeremy Schwartz, AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF 

 

BODY:

 

   ... for two seats in the May 3 election, the campaign has been about mending such rifts as each candidate presents a vision of how best to deal with the future. 

 

   District 6 incumbent Debbie Muoz faces Planning and Zoning Commissioner Todd Webster, and at-large incumbent Lon Taylor squares off against Chris Nieto, who moved to Kyle six months ago. 

 

   Taylor, seeking his second term, said he wants to finish the work the current council began, which includes enforcing a ... 

 

   ... Tom Mattis, who has been criticized for what some residents perceive as an autocratic style. 

 

   "I don't think the split (on the council) is as divisive as everybody thinks," she said. "Everybody is on the same page in terms of where we want to go." 

 

   Her opponent, Webster, said he decided to run out of frustration with what he called the city's slow approach to revamping its subdivision ordinances. Webster advocates less density in subdivisions and wants developers to use drought-resistant native plants that don't use too much water. Webster, who lives east of I-35, also said he wants to give the east side more representation on the council. 

 

   "There needs to be more consensus building, true debate during council meetings," he said. "Everything now is colored with personality issues." 

 

   jschwartz£ ... 

 

   ... Council; member of executive steering committee for the Community Alliance for Northern Hays County; member of Hays school district's Partners in Education. 

 

   Worth noting: Does not accept the monthly stipend for City Council members. 

 

   Todd Webster

 

   Age: 34 

 

   Occupation: A public education policy director for the governor's office with the Texas Education Agency. 

 

   Education: Bachelor's degree, Ohio State University; law degree, St. Mary's University. 

 

   Experience: Two years on Kyle ... 

 

PERSON:  TODD WEBSTER (78%); LON TAYLOR (73%); CHRIS NIETO (67%); DEBBIE MUOZ (59%);