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  76/470001

 

This Office Action is written in response to the applicant’s letter filed on June 4, 2004.  The examining attorney has reviewed the response and determined the following:

 

The amended drawing is not accepted.  It is a material alteration of the drawing originally filed.

 

The applicant’s arguments with respect to the likelihood of confusion with Registration Nos. 2302768, 2391660 and 2391655 were not persuasive.  Accordingly the refusal is maintained and continued as set forth in the Final Office Action issued on December 2, 2003.  The finality of that refusal is withdrawn, however, because the applicant has raised a new issue with the drawing.

 

INFORMALITIES

 

The applicant must respond to the following informalities within six months or the application will be abandoned:

 

Drawing Amendment – Material Alteration

 

The original drawing shows the mark as CUPS TO GO in a stylized font with the design of a cup lid.  The amended drawing shows the mark as TOP CREST CUPS TO GO in a stylized font with the design of a cup lid.  The proposed amendment of the drawing is unacceptable because it would materially alter the essence or character of the mark.  37 C.F.R. §2.72; TMEP §§807.14, 807.14(a) and 807.14(a)(i).  See In re Who? Vision Systems, Inc., 57 USPQ2d 1211 (TTAB 2000) (amendment from TACILESENSE to TACTILESENSE found to be material alteration); In re CTB Inc., 52 USPQ2d 1471 (TTAB 1999) (proposed amendment of “TURBO AND DESIGN” to typed word “TURBO” is material alteration); In re Meditech International Corp., 25 USPQ2d 1159, 1160 (TTAB 1990) (“[a] drawing consisting of a single blue star, as well as a drawing consisting of a number of blue stars, would both be considered material alterations vis-à-vis a drawing consisting of the typed words ‘DESIGN OF BLUE STAR’”); In re Wine Society of America Inc., 12 USPQ2d 1139 (TTAB 1989) (proposed amendment to replace typed drawing of “THE WINE SOCIETY OF AMERICA” with a special form drawing including those words with a crown design and a banner design bearing the words “IN VINO VERITAS” held to be a material alteration); In re Nationwide Industries Inc., 6 USPQ2d 1882 (TTAB 1988) (addition of house mark “SNAP” to product mark “RUST BUSTER” held a material alteration).

 

The mark in a drawing cannot be amended if the change would materially alter the mark.  TMEP §807.14(a).  The Office determines whether a proposed amendment materially alters a mark by comparing the proposed amendment with the drawing of the mark filed with the original application.  37 C.F.R. §2.72; TMEP §807.14(a)(i).

 

If republication of the amended mark would be necessary in order to provide proper notice to third parties for opposition purposes, then the mark has been materially altered and the amendment is not permitted.  In re Who? Vision Systems Inc., 57 USPQ2d 1211, 1218 (TTAB 2000).  “The modified mark must contain the essence of the original mark, and the new form must create the impression of being essentially the same mark.”  Visa International Service Association v. Life Code Systems, Inc., 220 USPQ 740, 743 (TTAB 1983).  “That is, the new and old forms of the mark must create essentially the same commercial impression.”  In re Nationwide Industries Inc., 6 USPQ2d 1882, 1885 (TTAB 1988).

 

NOTICE:  TRADEMARK OPERATION RELOCATING OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER  2004

 

The Trademark Operation is relocating to Alexandria, Virginia, in October and November 2004.  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, registration owners, attorneys and other Trademark customers are strongly encouraged to correspond with the USPTO online via the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), at www.uspto.gov.

 

My Law Office will move on October 18, 2004.  To reach me by phone after that date call (571) 272-9133.

 

Applicant’s Response

 

No set form is required for response to this Office action.  The applicant must respond to each point raised.  Additional information is available on-line at the Patent and Trademark Office site on the global computer network.  The site is located at WWW.USPTO.GOV.

 

/wgb/

William Breckenfeld

Trademark Attorney

Law Office 116

703-308-9113 x158 (calls forwarded)

631-329-0175

703-746-8116 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 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.