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  76/579545

 

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

 

No Conflicting Marks Found

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. Section 1052(d).  TMEP section 704.02.

 

Duplicate Registration - Refusal

The application is refused because registration would result in a duplicate registration.  The Office will not issue two or more identical registrations.  When an application is a duplicate of a registration owned by the applicant, and Office records show that the registration is still active, the examining attorney must refuse registration.  TMEP §703.   The Office records indicate that the applicant is owner of Registration No. 1838814.  See attachment.  Therefore, registration must be refused.

 

Response

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 issues.

 

Entity Unclear

Applicant’s entity type requires clarification.  In the “Applicant’s Entity Type” section of the application, applicant identifies itself as both an individual and as a corporation.  The applicant must clarify, for the record.

 

Applicant must specify the type of entity applying, e.g., a corporation, an unincorporated association, a partnership or a joint venture.  In addition, applicant must specify the U.S. state under which it is organized or, if a foreign entity, the country in which it is organized.  37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(3); TMEP §§803.03 et seq.

 

Recitation of Service - Indefinite

The recitation of services is unacceptable as indefinite because association services are properly classified in International Class 35.  The applicant may refer to the attached printouts from the Trademark ID Manual and must amend the recitation.  For additional 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/.  TMEP §1402.11.

 

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 or services that are not within the scope of the goods and services recited in the present identification.

 

Specimen Not Acceptable to Show Use on Services

Applicant must submit (1) a substitute specimen showing the mark as it is used in commerce in the sale or advertising of the services, and (2) a statement that “the substitute specimen was in use in commerce at least as early as the filing date of the application,” verified with a notarized affidavit or a signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20.  37 C.F.R. §§2.56 and 2.59(a); TMEP §904.09.

 

The current specimen of record comprises letterhead and a federal regulatory guide.  They are unacceptable as evidence of actual service mark use because they do not refer to the services of record.  Examples of acceptable specimens for services are signs, photographs, brochures, website printouts or advertisements that show the mark used in the sale or advertising of the services.  TMEP §§1301.04 et seq.

 

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

 

If the applicant has any questions or needs assistance in responding to this Office action, please telephone the assigned examining attorney.

 

 

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.

 

To reach the undersigned attorney by telephone after October 19, 2004, please call (571) 272-9227.  Thank you.

 

 

/Cheryl L. Steplight/

Trademark Attorney

Law Office 103

703.308.9103 x198

703.746.8103 (fax)

 

 

 

How to respond to this Office Action:

 

You may respond using the Office's Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) (visit http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/index.html and follow the instructions therein), but you must wait until at least 72 hours after receipt of the e-mailed office action. PLEASE NOTE:  For those with applications filed pursuant to Section 66(a) of the Trademark Act, all responses to Office actions that include amendments to the identifications of goods and/or services must be filed on paper, using regular mail (or hand delivery) to submit such response. TEAS cannot be used under these circumstances. If the response does not include an amendment to the goods and/or services, then TEAS can be used to respond to the Office action.

 

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.