Offc Action Outgoing

TO AVOID ABANDONMENT OF APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION, THE USPTO MUST RECEIVE APPLICANT’S COMPLETE RESPONSE TO THIS LETTER WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE ISSUE/MAILING DATE BELOW.

ISSUE/MAILING DATE:

The statement of use has been reviewed by the assigned trademark examining attorney. Applicant must respond timely and completely to the issue(s) below. 15 U.S.C. §1062(b); 37 C.F.R. §§2.62, 2.65(a); TMEP §§711, 718.03.

Mark Differs on Drawing and Specimen:

Registration is refused because the specimen does not show the applied-for mark in the drawing in use in commerce. 15 U.S.C. §§1051, 1127; 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv), 2.56(a); TMEP §§904, 904.07(a). Specifically, the specimen displays the mark as INVISIRAIL and INVISIPOST; however, the drawing displays the mark as INVISI.

The drawing shows the mark sought to be registered, and 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(a); TMEP §807.12(a). Because the mark in the drawing is not a substantially exact representation of the mark on the specimen, applicant has failed to provide the required evidence of use of the applied-for mark in commerce on or in connection with applicant’s goods and/or services. See TMEP §807.12(a).

An application based on Trademark Act Section 1(a) must include a specimen showing the applied-for mark in use in commerce for each international class of goods and/or services identified in the statement of use. 15 U.S.C. §1051(a)(1); 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv), 2.56(a); TMEP §§904, 904.07(a).

Examples of specimens for goods may include tags, labels, instruction manuals, containers, and photographs that show the mark on the actual goods or packaging, or displays associated with the actual goods at their point of sale. See TMEP §§904.03 et seq. Webpages may also be specimens for goods when they include a picture or textual description of the goods associated with the mark and the means to order the goods. TMEP §904.03(i).

Regarding whether applicant may submit an amended drawing in response to this refusal, applicant is advised that the drawing of a mark can be amended only if the amendment does not materially alter the mark as originally filed. 37 C.F.R. §2.72(a)(2); see TMEP §§807.12(a), 807.14 et seq. In this case, amending the mark in the drawing to conform to the mark on the specimen would be a material alteration and would not be accepted, because the difference between the mark in the specimen and the drawing is significant and each mark creates a different commercial impression. Specifically, the added portions “RAIL” and “POST” when joined with the prefix “INVISI” give the impression of invisible posts and rails, whereas “INVISI” alone seems short for “INVISIBLE” but does not create the impression of a specific invisible product or item.

Applicant may respond to this refusal by submitting a different specimen (a verified “substitute” specimen) that (a) was in actual use in commerce prior to the expiration of the deadline for filing the statement of use and (b) shows the mark in actual use in commerce for the goods identified in the statement of use.

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

For more information about this refusal and instructions on how to submit a verified “substitute” specimen online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form, please go to http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/law/J3_1.jsp.

In addition, please note the following refusal because the specimen does not show use of the mark on the goods from the application.

Specimen Refused – Does Not Show Use with Goods from Application:

Registration is refused because the specimen does not show the applied-for mark in use in commerce in connection with any of the goods in the statement of use. 15 U.S.C. §§1051, 1127; 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv), 2.56(a); TMEP §§904, 904.07(a). Specifically, the application is for metal fence posts and fittings and fence glass for use in the manufacture of fences. The specimen, however, shows a finished glass fencing product, not metal fences and not raw materials for use in the manufacture of products.

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

Declaration for a Substitute Specimen – TEAS:

To submit a verified specimen online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), applicant should do the following: (1) answer “yes” to the TEAS response form wizard question to “submit a new or substitute specimen,” (2) attach a jpg or pdf file of the specimen, (3) describe what the specimen consists of, and (4) select the statement that “The substitute (or new, if appropriate) specimen(s) was/were in use in commerce at least as early as the filing date of the application.” These steps appear on different pages of the TEAS response form.

Electronically Submitted Specimen:

If applicant files a response online using TEAS, the substitute specimen must be submitted in jpg or pdf format. 37 C.F.R. §2.56(d)(4); TMEP §904.02(a). The USPTO recommends that all black-and-white and color jpg images be scanned at no less than 300 dots per inch and no more than 350 dots per inch, with a length and width of no less than 250 pixels and no more than 944 pixels.

When validating an electronic submission through TEAS, applicant should ensure that the substitute specimen is attached to the submission. If the substitute specimen cannot be viewed from the “Validation Page,” the specimen failed to attach properly and will not be included with the response.

If applicant has questions regarding this Office action, please telephone or e-mail the assigned trademark examining attorney. All relevant e-mail communications will be placed in the official application record; however, an e-mail communication will not be accepted as a response to this Office action and will not extend the deadline for filing a proper response. See 37 C.F.R. §2.191; TMEP §§304.01-.02, 709.04-.05. Further, although the trademark examining attorney may provide additional explanation pertaining to the refusal(s) and/or requirement(s) in this Office action, the trademark examining attorney may not provide legal advice or statements about applicant’s rights. See TMEP §§705.02, 709.06.

/James MacFarlane/

Examining Attorney

Law Office 104

(571) 270-1512 (phone)

(571) 270-2512 (fax)

james.macfarlane@uspto.gov

TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER: Go to http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp. Please wait 48-72 hours from the issue/mailing date before using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), to allow for necessary system updates of the application. For technical assistance with online forms, e-mail TEAS@uspto.gov. For questions about the Office action itself, please contact the assigned trademark examining attorney. E-mail communications will not be accepted as responses to Office actions; therefore, do not respond to this Office action by e-mail.

All informal e-mail communications relevant to this application will be placed in the official application record.

WHO MUST SIGN THE RESPONSE: It must be personally signed by an individual applicant or someone with legal authority to bind an applicant (i.e., a corporate officer, a general partner, all joint applicants). If an applicant is represented by an attorney, the attorney must sign the response.

PERIODICALLY CHECK THE STATUS OF THE APPLICATION: To ensure that applicant does not miss crucial deadlines or official notices, check the status of the application every three to four months using the Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) system at http://tsdr.gov.uspto.report/. Please keep a copy of the TSDR status screen. If the status shows no change for more than six months, contact the Trademark Assistance Center by e-mail at TrademarkAssistanceCenter@uspto.gov or call 1-800-786-9199. For more information on checking status, see http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/process/status/.

TO UPDATE CORRESPONDENCE/E-MAIL ADDRESS: Use the TEAS form at http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/correspondence.jsp.