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 76/522420

 

The assigned trademark examining attorney has reviewed the referenced application filed on June 16, 2003, and has determined the following.

 

Search Results

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

 

Mark does not Function as a Trademark: Improper Specimen of Use for Goods

 

The Examining Attorney refuses registration because the proposed mark does not function as a trademark.  Trademark Act Sections 1, 2 and 45, 15 U.S.C. §§1051, 1052 and 1127.  The proposed mark neither identifies and distinguishes the goods of the applicant from those of others nor indicates their source.  In Re Remington Products Inc., 3 USPQ2d 1714 (TTAB 1987).  TMEP §§1202 et seq.  Please note that the proposed mark does not function as a trademark because the specimen submitted with the application is unacceptable as evidence of actual trademark use; therefore, the proposed mark cannot identify and distinguish the applicant's goods from those of others nor indicate their source. 

 

The specimen is unacceptable as evidence of actual trademark use because it is merely business letterhead.  Letterhead, invoices, announcements, order forms, bills of lading, leaflets, brochures, publicity releases and other advertising material generally are not acceptable specimens for goods.  In re Bright of America, Inc., 205 USPQ 63 (TTAB 1979); TMEP §§904.05 and 904.07.  See In re Ultraflight Inc., 221 USPQ 903 (TTAB 1984). 

 

Accordingly, the applicant must submit a specimen showing the mark as it is used in commerce.  37 C.F.R. § 2.56.  Examples of acceptable specimens are tags, labels, containers, and photographs that show the mark on the goods or packaging.  TMEP §§904.04 et seq.  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 filing of the application.  37 C.F.R. §2.59(a); TMEP § 904.09.

 

If an amendment of the dates‑of‑use clause is necessary in order to state the correct dates of first use, the applicant must verify the amendment with an affidavit or a declaration in accordance with 37 C.F.R. §2.20.  37 C.F.R. §2.71(c); TMEP §903.05.

 

Pending an adequate response to the above, the examining attorney refuses registration under Trademark Act Sections 1, 2 and 45, 15 U.S.C. §§1051, 1052 and 1127, because the record does not show use of the proposed mark as a trademark.

 

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 chooses to respond to the refusal to register, the applicant must also respond to the following informalities.

 

Identification of Goods

 

The wording “accessories” in the identification of goods needs clarification because the nature of the goods is unclear.  In addition, such wording may include goods in more than one class of goods.  For instance, “foot orthotics” are goods properly classified in International Class 10.  Applicant may change this wording to the following, if accurate.  TMEP §1402.01.

 

Clothing, namely, leather and synthetic shoes and accessories, namely, [applicant must specify common commercial name of accessories, e.g., handbags, belts, hosiery, scarves] (International Class 25). 

 

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.

 

Combined Applications

 

If applicant prosecutes this application as a combined, or multiple-class application, then applicant must comply with each of the following for those goods and/or services based on an intent to use the mark in commerce under Trademark Act Section 1(b):

 

(1)   Applicant must list the goods and/or services by international class with the classes listed in ascending numerical order.  TMEP § 1403.01; and

 

(2)   Applicant must submit a filing fee for each international class of goods and/or services not covered by the fee already paid.  37 C.F.R. §2.86(a)(2); TMEP §§810.01 and 1403.01.

 

Fee Increase

Fee increase effective January 1, 2003

Effective January 1, 2003, the fee for filing an application for trademark registration will be increased to $335.00 per International Class.  The USPTO will not accord a filing date to applications that are filed on or after that date that are not accompanied by a minimum of $335.00. 

 

Additionally, the fee for amending an existing application to add an additional class or classes of goods/services will be $335.00 per class for classes added on or after January 1, 2003.

 

If the applicant has any questions concerning this Office action, please telephone the assigned examining attorney.

 

/ELIZABETH J. WINTER/

Trademark Examining Attorney

Law Office 113

(703) 285-1184; FAX (703) 746-6228

(703) 308-9113 ext. 480 (Thurs.)

 

 

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 to this Office action electronically, the applicant must:

 

o       include the serial number in the subject line;

o       send the response to ecom113@uspto.gov.  Responses sent to any other address will NOT be processed, and may result in ABANDONMENT of the application;

o       submit specimens and/or evidence as scanned images or digital photographs .JPG format only.  NO OTHER FORMATS WILL BE PROCESSED (TMEP §304.01);

o       respond within six-months from the Office action mailing date, or within the period stated in the Office action;

o       respond in English; and

o       sign the response electronically, e.g. /john smith/.  See 37 CFR §1.4(d)(1)(iii); TMEP §§304.08 and 804.05.

 

If the applicant wishes to receive future office actions by e-mail, the applicant must state in the response that “The applicant authorizes the USPTO to communicate with the applicant electronically at the following e-mail address: ____________.”  Note: only one e-mail address may be used for correspondence.  TMEP §804.07. 

 

The examining attorney will send correspondence only to the e-mail address listed in the application.  A request to change an e-mail address may be submitted by signed e-mail to one of the above e-mail addresses.

 

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.