UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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SERIAL NO: 76/583999
APPLICANT: COCHLEAR LIMITED
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CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS: |
RETURN ADDRESS: Commissioner for Trademarks P.O. Box 1451 Alexandria, VA 22313-1451
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MARK: COCHLEAR
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CORRESPONDENT’S REFERENCE/DOCKET NO: COCH-0014-1
CORRESPONDENT EMAIL ADDRESS: |
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 76/583999
The assigned trademark examining attorney has reviewed the referenced application and has determined the following.
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 Is Merely Descriptive – Section 2(e)(1)
The examining attorney refuses registration on the Principal Register because the proposed mark merely describes the goods. Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1), 15 U.S.C. §1052(e)(1); TMEP §§1209 et seq.
A mark is merely descriptive under Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1), 15 U.S.C. §1052(e)(1), if it describes an ingredient, quality, characteristic, function, feature, purpose or use of the relevant goods and/or services. In re Gyulay, 820 F.2d 1216, 3 USPQ2d 1009 (Fed. Cir. 1987); In re Bed & Breakfast Registry, 791 F.2d 157, 229 USPQ 818 (Fed. Cir. 1986); In re MetPath Inc., 223 USPQ 88 (TTAB 1984); In re Bright‑Crest, Ltd., 204 USPQ 591 (TTAB 1979); TMEP §1209.01(b). A mark that describes an intended user of a product or service is also merely descriptive within the meaning of Section 2(e)(1). Hunter Publishing Co. v. Caulfield Publishing Ltd., 1 USPQ2d 1996 (TTAB 1986); In re Camel Mfg. Co., Inc., 222 USPQ 1031 (TTAB 1984); In re Gentex Corp., 151 USPQ 435 (TTAB 1966).
The applicant applied to register the mark COCHLEAR for batteries, rechargeable electric batteries, battery chargers and battery rechargers. The proposed mark merely corresponds to wording which is not arbitrary, but bears a logical relationship to the goods provided by the applicant. The term COCHLEAR refers to a portion of the ear, a type of hearing aid or implant, and a type of battery for the aids or implants. In fact, it appears that the term may be generic for a type of battery for the hearing aids. See the attached definition and several articles obtained via searches on the Google search engine for a) “cochlear” and “hearing aid” and b) “cochlear battery.”
It appears that applicant is providing batteries, chargers and rechargers to be used in connection with cochlear hearing aids and/or implants. Thus, the term COCHLEAR, immediately names a feature of the goods and does nothing else. Accordingly, the mark is refused registration on the Principal Register under Section 2(e)(1).
Although the trademark examining attorney has refused registration, applicant may respond to the refusal to register by submitting evidence and arguments in support of registration. If applicant chooses to respond to the refusal(s) to register, then applicant must also respond to the following requirement(s).
Information Request
Applicant must indicate whether its batteries, chargers, and rechargers will be used in connection with cochlear hearing aids or implants.
Trademark Rule 2.61(b) states, “The examiner may require the applicant to furnish such information and exhibits as may be reasonably necessary to the proper examination of the application.” The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board has upheld a refusal of registration based on the applicant’s failure to provide information requested under this rule. In re Babies Beat Inc., 13 USPQ2d 1729 (TTAB 1990)(failure to submit patent information regarding configuration).
Applicant submitted a declaration with the application. However, the application was filed under Section 1(b), intent-to-use and the declaration included in the application indicated that applicant was the owner of the mark and that the mark was “in use in commerce.”
Therefore, applicant must submit a new written statement attesting to the facts set forth in the application, and confirming that applicant had a bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce on or in connection with the goods or services listed in the application as of the application filing date. 15 U.S.C. §1051(b)(3)(B); 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(2)(i), (a)(3)(i) and (a)(4)(ii). This statement must be dated and signed by a person authorized to sign under 37 C.F.R. §2.33(a) and verified with a notarized affidavit or signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20. No signed verification was included with the application.
To satisfy this requirement, applicant may add the following declaration paragraph at the end of its response, properly signed and dated:
The undersigned, being hereby warned that willful false statements and the like so made are punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both, under 18 U.S.C. 1001, and that such willful false statements may jeopardize the validity of the application or any resulting registration, declares that he/she is properly authorized to execute this application on behalf of the applicant; he/she believes the applicant to be the owner of the trademark/service mark sought to be registered, or, if the application is being filed under 15 U.S.C. 1051(b), 1126(d) or 1126(e), he/she believes applicant to be entitled to use such mark in commerce; that the applicant has a bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce on or in connection with the goods or services listed in the application as of the application filing date; that the facts set forth in the application are true and correct; to the best of his/her knowledge and belief no other person, firm, corporation, or association has the right to use the mark in commerce, either in the identical form thereof or in such near resemblance thereto as to be likely, when used on or in connection with the goods/services of such other person, to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive; and that all statements made of his/her own knowledge are true and all statements made on information and belief are believed to be true.
_____________________________
(Signature)
_____________________________
(Print or Type Name and Position)
_____________________________
(Date)
If the declaration is filed electronically through TEAS, then applicant should sign the declaration by entering a “symbol” that applicant has adopted as a signature (e.g., /john doe/, /drl/, and /544-4925/). The Office will accept any combination of letters, numbers, spaces and/or punctuation marks as a valid signature if it is placed between two forward slash (“/”) symbols. 37 C.F.R. §§ 2.33(d) and 2.193(c)(1)(iii); TMEP §§304.08 and 804.05.
If applicant has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned.
/mld/
Maureen L. Dall
Trademark Attorney, Law Office 110
Phone: 571-272-9714
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.
How to respond to this Office Action:
You may respond formally using the Office's Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) Response to Office Action form (visit http://eteas.gov.uspto.report/V2.0/oa242/WIZARD.htm and follow the instructions therein, but you must wait until at least 72 hours after receipt if the office action issued via e-mail). PLEASE NOTE: Responses to Office Actions on applications filed under the Madrid Protocol (Section 66(a)) CANNOT currently be filed via TEAS.
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.