UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

 

 

 

OFFICE ACTION

 

RESPONSE TIME LIMIT:  TO AVOID ABANDONMENT, THE OFFICE MUST RECEIVE A PROPER RESPONSE TO THIS OFFICE ACTION WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE MAILING OR E-MAILING DATE. 

 

MAILING/E-MAILING DATE INFORMATION:  If the mailing or e-mailing date of this Office action does not appear above, this information can be obtained by visiting the USPTO website at http://tarr.gov.uspto.report/, inserting the application serial number, and viewing the prosecution history for the mailing date of the most recently issued Office communication.

 

Serial Number  76/646935

 

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

 

SEARCH OF OFFICE RECORDS

 

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.

REGISTRATION

 

Descriptiveness

 

The examining attorney refuses registration on the Principal Register because the proposed mark merely describes the applicant’s goods.  Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1), 15 U.S.C. Section 1052(e)(1); TMEP section 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.  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 section 1209.01(b).

 

The proposed mark merely describes a features of the applicant’s goods; specifically, that the applicant offers a “Scan,” machine for testing and diagnosing “Immuno,” or immunity related illnesses.

 

immuno-

 

prefix 

 

Definitions:

 

immune, immunity

immunodeficiency

 

scan

 

1. image of body: an image of an internal body part taken using a scanner

 

2. brief perusal: a quick look at or through something

 

3. act of scanning: the act or process of scanning something

 

4. sweep of radar beam: a single sweep of a radar or sonar beam across a region

 

Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

 

 

Furthermore,  the fact that the applicant has combined two terms, in this case a prefix, “Immuno,” and the term “Scan,” does not remove the descriptive nature of the mark.  A mark that combines descriptive terms may be registrable if the composite creates a unitary mark with a separate, nondescriptive meaning.  However, if each component retains its descriptive significance in relation to the goods or services, the combination results in a composite that is itself descriptive.  In re Tower Tech, Inc., 64 USPQ2d 1314 (TTAB 2002) (SMARTTOWER merely descriptive of “commercial and industrial cooling towers and accessories therefor, sold as a unit”); In re Sun Microsystems Inc., 59 USPQ2d 1084 (TTAB 2001) (AGENTBEANS merely descriptive of computer software for use in development and deployment of application programs on global computer network); In re Putman Publishing Co., 39 USPQ2d 2021 (TTAB 1996) (FOOD & BEVERAGE ONLINE held to be merely descriptive of news and information service for the food processing industry); In re Copytele Inc., 31 USPQ2d 1540 (TTAB 1994) (SCREEN FAX PHONE merely descriptive of “facsimile terminals employing electrophoretic displays”); In re Entenmann’s Inc., 15 USPQ2d 1750 (TTAB 1990), aff’d per curiam, 928 F.2d 411 (Fed. Cir. 1991) (OATNUT held to be merely descriptive of bread containing oats and hazelnuts).

 

The proposed mark is merely descriptive of the applicant’s goods.  The proposed mark does not serve as a source identifier of the goods.

 

Registration of the proposed mark must therefore be refused.   The applicant may, however, offer evidence in support of registration.

 

The applicant may also overcome the refusal as indicated below:

 

Amendment to the Supplemental Register

 

Please note that the mark in an application under Trademark Act Section 1(b), 15 U.S.C. Section 1051(b), may be eligible for registration on the Supplemental Register once an acceptable amendment to allege use under 37 C.F.R. Section 2.76 or statement of use under 37 C.F.R. Section 2.88 has been timely filed.  37 C.F.R. Section 2.47(c); TMEP section 1105.01(a)(vii). When such an application is changed from the Principal Register to the Supplemental Register, the effective filing date of the application is the date of filing of the allegation of use.  37 C.F.R. Section 2.75(b); TMEP section 708.01.

 

INFORMALITIES

 

The applicant must also respond to the following informalities within six months from the date of this notice:

 

Specimen

 

Applicant must submit (1) a substitute specimen showing the mark as it is used in commerce on the goods or on packaging for the goods, and (2) a statement that “the substitute specimen was in use in commerce prior to the filing of the amendment to allege use,” verified with an affidavit or a declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20.  37 C.F.R. §§2.56, 2.59(b)(1) and 2.76(b)(2); TMEP §§904.09 and 1104.09(e).

 

The current specimen of record comprises the front cover of a safety manual and is unacceptable as evidence of actual trademark use because it is not technically a user instructional manual.  Examples of acceptable specimens for goods are tags, labels, instruction manuals, containers, photographs that show the mark on the goods or packaging, or displays associated with the goods at their point of sale.  TMEP §§904.04 et seq.

Identification of Goods

 

The identification of goods is unacceptable as indefinite.  The applicant may adopt the following identification, if accurate:  Reagents for use in scientific apparatus for chemical or biological analysis, (in International Class 1);  Reagents for use in immunological detection of biological materials, (in International Class 5); Instruments and supplies namely, [the applicant must specify the nature of the goods listing the common commercial name and classification of the goods], (in International Class 5); (in International Class 10; .  TMEP §1402.01.

 

Identification Limited to Clarification and Limitation

 

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 a detailed discussion of this Office's authority and rationale for requiring a specific identification of goods or services in an application, see Skoler, Trademark Identification ‑ Much Ado About Something?, 76 Trademark Rep. 224 (1986).

 

Additional Fees may be Required

 

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

 

(1)   Applicant must list the goods/services by international class with the classes listed in ascending numerical order;

 

(2)   Applicant must submit a filing fee for each international class of goods and/or services not covered by the fee already paid (current fee information should be confirmed at http://www.uspto.gov); and

 

(3)   For each additional class of goods and/or services, applicant must submit:

 

(a)    dates of first use of the mark anywhere and dates of first use of the mark in commerce, or a statement that the dates of use in the initial application apply to that class; the dates of use, both anywhere and in commerce, must be at least as early as the filing date of the application;

 

(b)   one specimen showing use of the mark for each class of goods and/or services; the specimen must have been in use in commerce at least as early as the filing date of the application;

 

(c)    a statement that “the specimen was in use in commerce on or in connection with the goods and/or services listed in the application at least as early as the filing date of the application;” and

 

(d)   verification of the statements in 3(a) and 3(c) in an affidavit or a signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20.  (NOTE:  Verification is not required where (1) the dates of use for the added class are stated to be the same as the dates of use specified in the initial application, or (2) the original specimens are acceptable for the added class.)

 

37 C.F.R. §§2.6, 2.34(a), 2.59, 2.71(c), and 2.86(a); TMEP §§810, 904.09, 1403.01 and 1403.02(c).

 

Applicant's Response

 

No set form is required for response to this Office action.  The applicant must respond to each point raised.  If the applicant has any questions or needs assistance in responding to this Office action, please telephone the assigned examining attorney.  The applicant may also visit the Patent and Trademark Office’s home page at www.uspto.gov.

 

PLEASE NOTE:  Because it delays processing, submission of duplicate papers is discouraged.  Unless specifically requested to do so by the Office, parties should not mail follow up copies of documents transmitted by fax or electronic mail.  TMEP 702.04(e); Cf.  ITC Entertainment Group Ltd. V. Nintendo of America Inc. 45 USPQ2d 2021 (TTAB 1998).

 

To submit a fax response to this Office action after that date, send your response to the Law Office fax number, namely (571) 273-9106.

 

 

 

                                    /pbm/

Paula B. Mays

Trademark Examining Attorney

Law Office 106

Telephone: (571) 272 9258

Fax:  (571) 273-9106

 

 

 

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS OFFICE ACTION:

• ONLINE RESPONSE:  You may respond using the Office’s Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) Response to Office action form available on our website at http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/index.html.  If the Office action issued via e-mail, you must wait 72 hours after receipt of the Office action to respond via TEAS.  NOTE:  Do not respond by e-mail.  THE USPTO WILL NOT ACCEPT AN E-MAILED RESPONSE.
• REGULAR MAIL RESPONSE:  To respond by regular mail, your response should be sent to the mailing return address above, and include the serial number, law office number, and examining attorney’s name.  NOTE:  The filing date of the response will be the date of receipt in the Office, not the postmarked date.  To ensure your response is timely, use a certificate of mailing.  37 C.F.R. §2.197.

 

STATUS OF APPLICATION: To check the status of your application, visit the Office’s Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval (TARR) system at http://tarr.uspto.gov.

 

VIEW APPLICATION DOCUMENTS ONLINE: Documents in the electronic file for pending applications can be viewed and downloaded online at http://portal.gov.uspto.report/external/portal/tow.

 

GENERAL TRADEMARK INFORMATION: For general information about trademarks, please visit the Office’s website at http://www.gov.uspto.report/main/trademarks.htm