UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
SERIAL NO: 76/518472
APPLICANT: Shimazaki, J. John
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CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS: J. JOHN SHIMAZAKI 47799 MACGILL CT POTOMAC FALLS VA 20165-4772
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RETURN ADDRESS: Commissioner for Trademarks 2900 Crystal Drive Arlington, VA 22202-3514 ecom116@uspto.gov
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MARK: MISTER COOL CUBE
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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 76/518472
The assigned examining attorney has reviewed the referenced application and determined the following.
Although the examining attorney has searched the Office records and has found no similar registered mark which would bar registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d), 15 U.S.C. §1052(d), the examining attorney encloses information regarding pending Application Serial Nos. 78131052 and 78243002. 37 C.F.R. §2.83.
There may be a likelihood of confusion between the applicant’s mark and the marks in the above noted applications under Section 2(d) of the Act. The filing dates of the referenced applications precede the applicant’s filing date. If one or more of these earlier‑filed applications matures into a registration, the examining attorney may refuse registration under Section 2(d).
Action on this application will be suspended pending the disposition of Application Serial Nos. 78131052 and 78243002, upon receipt of the applicant's response resolving the following informalities.
The lining shown in the drawing appears to be a feature of the mark and not intended to indicate color. The applicant must insert a statement to that effect. 37 C.F.R. §2.37; TMEP §807.09(e).
Trademark Act Section 6(a), 15 U.S.C. §1056(a), permits the Office to require a disclaimer of an unregistrable component of a mark. Trademark Act Section 2(e), 15 U.S.C. §1052(e), bars the registration of a mark which is merely descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive, or primarily geographically descriptive of the goods. Therefore, the examining attorney may require the disclaimer of a portion of a mark which, when used in connection with the goods or services, is merely descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive, or primarily geographically descriptive. If an applicant does not comply with a disclaimer requirement, the examining attorney may refuse registration of the entire mark. TMEP §1213.01(b).
The applicant must disclaim the descriptive wording “CUBE” 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 goods are used for CUBEs.
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 CUBE apart from the mark as shown.
See In re Owatonna Tool Co., 231 USPQ 493 (Comm’r Pats. 1983).
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 identification of goods is unacceptable as indefinite. The applicant must identify the good with greater specificity and indicate the common commercial names of the “related accessories.” The applicant may amend this wording to “thermal insulated beverage containers; portable ice chests for food and beverages; portable ice coolers; portable beverage coolers; bottles, sold empty, for cooling beverages; ice containers, namely, ice cube molds; thermal insulated container holders for food or beverages; and related accessories, namely, [indicate common commercial names of the goods, e.g., ice buckets, ice scoops],” if accurate. TMEP §1402.01.
Please note that, while an application may be amended to clarify or limit the identification, additions to the identification are not permitted. 37 C.F.R. §2.71(a); TMEP §1402.06. Therefore, the applicant may not amend to include any goods that are not within the scope of goods set forth in the present identification.
For assistance regarding an acceptable listing of goods and/or services, please see the on‑line searchable Manual of Acceptable Identifications of Goods and Services, at http://www.gov.uspto.report/web/offices/tac/doc/gsmanual/.
Response Guidelines
No set form is required for response to this Office action. The applicant must respond to each point raised. The applicant should simply set forth the required changes or statements and request that the Office enter them. The applicant must sign the response. In addition to the identifying information required at the beginning of this letter, the applicant should provide a telephone number to speed up further processing.
If the applicant has any questions or needs assistance in responding to this Office action, please telephone the assigned examining attorney.
/Cynthia Sloan/
Examining Attorney
Law Office 116
Ph 703.306.7921
Fx 703.746.8116
ecom116@uspto.gov
http://www.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.
FOR INQUIRIES OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS OFFICE ACTION, PLEASE CONTACT THE ASSIGNED EXAMINING ATTORNEY.