Offc Action Outgoing

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

 

 

 

OFFICE ACTION

 

TO AVOID ABANDONMENT, THE OFFICE MUST RECEIVE A PROPER RESPONSE TO THIS OFFICE ACTION WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE ISSUE/MAILING DATE.

 

ISSUE/MAILING DATE:

 

The assigned examining attorney has reviewed the statement of use filed on July 23, 2007 and has determined the following.

 

Mark Differs on Drawing and Specimen

The mark depicted on the specimen disagrees with the mark on the drawing.  In this case, the specimen displays the mark as two separate terms, PRO STACK, while the drawing shows the mark as one term, PROSTACK.

 

The mark shown on the drawing must be a substantially exact representation of the mark as used on or in connection with the goods and/or services, as shown by the specimen.  37 C.F.R. §2.51(b); see C.F.R. §2.72(a)(1). 

 

Therefore, applicant must submit one of the following:

 

(1)   A new drawing of the mark that agrees with the mark on the specimen but does not materially alter the original mark.  37 C.F.R. §2.72(b); TMEP §§807.13, 807.13(a), 807.14 et seq.; or

 

(2)   A substitute specimen showing the mark as it appears on the drawing, and the following statement, verified with an affidavit or signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20: “The substitute specimen was in use in commerce prior to the expiration of the time allowed applicant for filing a statement of use.”  37 C.F.R. §2.59(b)(2); TMEP §904.05.  If submitting a specimen requires an amendment to the dates of use, applicant must also verify the amended dates.  37 C.F.R. §2.71(c).

 

Applicant may not withdraw the statement of use.  37 C.F.R. §2.88(g); TMEP §1109.17.

 

Disclaimer Advisory

The applicant will please note, if the applicant amends the drawing as two separate terms to match the specimen, the following disclaimer requirement is made.

 

Applicant must disclaim the descriptive word “STACK” apart from the mark as shown because the term merely describes a characteristic or feature of eth identified goods. Trademark Act Section 6, 15 U.S.C. §1056; TMEP §§1213 and 1213.03(a).  The word “stack” refers to “an orderly pile, especially one arranged in layers.” Please see the attached definition from The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. In the instant case, the concrete blocks are able to stack. The term has an immediate connotation in relation to the identified goods.

 

The Office can require an applicant to disclaim exclusive rights to an unregistrable part of a mark, rather than refuse registration of the entire mark.  Trademark Act Section 6(a), 15 U.S.C. §1056(a).  Under Trademark Act Section 2(e), 15 U.S.C. §1052(e), the Office can refuse registration of the entire mark where it is determined that the entire mark is merely descriptive, deceptively misdescriptive, or primarily geographically descriptive of the goods.  Thus, the Office may require the disclaimer of a portion of a mark which, when used in connection with the goods or services, is merely descriptive, deceptively misdescriptive, primarily geographically descriptive, or otherwise unregistrable (e.g., generic).  TMEP §1213.03(a).  If an applicant does not comply with a disclaimer requirement, the Office may refuse registration of the entire mark.  TMEP §1213.01(b).

 

A “disclaimer” is thus a written statement that an applicant adds to the application record that states that applicant does not have exclusive rights, separate and apart from the entire mark, to particular wording and/or to a design aspect.  The appearance of the applied-for mark does not change.

 

A disclaimer does not physically remove the disclaimed matter from the mark, but rather is a written statement that applicant does not claim exclusive rights to the disclaimed wording and/or design separate and apart from the mark as shown in the drawing.

 

The following cases explain the disclaimer requirement more fully:  Dena Corp. v. Belvedere Int’l Inc., 950 F.2d 1555, 21 USPQ2d 1047 (Fed. Cir. 1991); In re Kraft, Inc., 218 USPQ 571 (TTAB 1983); In re EBS Data Processing, Inc., 212 USPQ 964 (TTAB 1981); In re National Presto Industries, Inc., 197 USPQ 188 (TTAB 1977).

 

The computerized printing format for the Office’s Trademark Official Gazette requires a standardized format for a disclaimer.  TMEP §1213.08(a)(i).  The following is the standard format used by the Office:

 

No claim is made to the exclusive right to use “STACK” apart from the mark as shown.

 

See In re Owatonna Tool Co., 231 USPQ 493 (Comm’r Pats. 1983).

 

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

 

 

 

/Asmat Khan/

Asmat Khan

Trademark Attorney

Law Office 114

(571) 272-9453

 

 

RESPOND TO THIS ACTION: If there are any questions about the Office action, please contact the assigned examining attorney. A response to this Office action should be filed using the form available at http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/eTEASpageD.htm. If notification of this Office action was received via e-mail, no response using this form may be filed for 72 hours after receipt of the notification. Do not attempt to respond by e-mail as the USPTO does not accept e-mailed responses.

 

If responding by paper mail, please include the following information: the application serial number, the mark, the filing date and the name, title/position, telephone number and e-mail address of the person signing the response.  Please use the following address: Commissioner for Trademarks, P.O. Box 1451, Alexandria, VA 22313-1451.

 

STATUS CHECK: Check the status of the application at least once every six months from the initial filing date using the USPTO Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval (TARR) online system at http://tarr.uspto.gov.  When conducting an online status check, print and maintain a copy of the complete TARR screen.  If the status of your application has not changed for more than six months, please contact the assigned examining attorney.