Examiners Amendment Priority

OFFICE SEARCH: 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.

AMENDMENT: In accordance with the authorization granted by Scott W. Mueller, 518.724.6455 x.3217 on December 16, 2008, the application has been amended as indicated below. Please advise the undersigned immediately if there is an objection to the amendment. Otherwise, no response is necessary. TMEP §707.

If the identification of goods or services has been amended, please note that any future amendments must be in accordance with 37 C.F.R. 2.71(a); TMEP section 1402.07(e).

RECITATION OF SERVICES

The recitation of services is amended to read as follows:

· Maintenance and repair of business office machines and equipment, in International Class 037

The online searchable Manual of Acceptable Identifications of Goods and Services at http://tess2.gov.uspto.report/netahtml/tidm.html.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MARK 37 C.F.R. §2.37; TMEP §§808 et seq.

Applicant will be submitting a black and white drawing page. Therefore the description of the mark has been corrected to exclude the mention of color.

· The mark consists of the word NATIONAL with a three lined wing design horizontally stacked over the "O".

PRIORITY ACTION

The following issues were discussed with the person listed above.

Substitute Drawing Page

Applicant will be submitting a black and white substitute drawing page.

SPECIMEN

Applicant will be submitting a substitute specimen to support the recitation of services (maintenance and repair of business office machines and equipment).

A service mark specimen must show use of the mark “in the sale or advertising of services.” 15 U.S.C. §1127; 37 C.F.R. §2.56. Indeed, “[w]hile the nature of the services does not need to be specified in the specimens, there must be something which creates in the mind of the purchaser an association between the mark and the service activity.” In re Adair, 45 USPQ2d 1211, 1215 (TTAB 1997) (quoting In re Johnson Controls Inc., 33 USPQ2d 1318, 1320 (TTAB 1994)). There must be sufficient reference to the services in the specimen to create this association. In re Monograms Am., Inc., 51 USPQ2d 1317, 1318 (TTAB 1999); TMEP §§1301.04 et seq.

Applicant will submit the following:

(1) An acceptable substitute specimen showing use of the mark for the recited services; and

(2) The following statement, verified with an affidavit or signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20: “The specimen was in use in commerce at least as early as the filing date of the application.” 37 C.F.R. §2.59(a); 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).

The following is a sample declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20 with a supporting statement for a substitute specimen:

The undersigned being warned that willful false statements and the like are punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both, under 18 U.S.C. §1001, and that such willful false statements and the like may jeopardize the validity of the application or document or any registration resulting there from, declares that the substitute specimen was in use in commerce at least as early as the filing date of the application; 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)

Examples of 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 applicant cannot satisfy the above requirements, applicant may amend the Section 1(a) filing basis (use in commerce) to Section 1(b) (intent to use basis), for which no specimen is required. However, should applicant amend the basis to Section 1(b), registration cannot be granted until applicant later amends the application back to use in commerce by filing an acceptable allegation of use with a proper specimen. 15 U.S.C. §1051(c); 37 C.F.R. §§2.76, 2.88; TMEP Chapter 1100.

In order to amend to Section 1(b), applicant must submit the following statement, verified with an affidavit or signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20: “Applicant has had a bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce on or in connection with the services listed in the application as of the filing date of the application.” 15 U.S.C. §1051(b); 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(2), 2.35(b)(1); TMEP §806.03(c).

Pending a proper response, registration is refused because the specimen does not show the applied-for mark in use in commerce as a trademark or service mark for the identified goods or services. 15 U.S.C. §§1051, 1127; 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv), 2.56; TMEP §§904, 904.07(a).

/Linda E. Blohm/ Trademark Examining Attorney

571.272.9129, Law Office 110

Facsimile 571.273.9110

For any questions, please contact the assigned trademark examining attorney.

RESPOND TO THIS ACTION: Applicant should file a response to this Office action online using the form at http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/eTEASpageD.htm, waiting 48-72 hours if applicant received notification of the Office action via e-mail. For technical assistance with the form, please e-mail TEAS@uspto.gov. Do not respond to this Office action by e-mail; 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.