UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION
U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 76714866
MARK: PREME-LOC
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CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS: |
CLICK HERE TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER: http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp
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APPLICANT: Free Free Industrial Corp.
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CORRESPONDENT’S REFERENCE/DOCKET NO: CORRESPONDENT E-MAIL ADDRESS: |
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FINAL OFFICE ACTION
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.
This letter is in response to the applicant’s communication filed on January 31, 2014. Therein the applicant submitted specimens of use.
Additionally, the requirement for the date of first use anywhere is now made FINAL for the reasons set forth below. 37 C.F.R. §2.64(a); 15 U.S.C. §1051(a)(2); 37 C.F.R. §2.34(a)(1)(ii)-(iii); TMEP §§903, 903.03.
Registration Refusal
Specimen Does Not Show Mark With Any Of The Goods Specified In The 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 specified in the application. 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 specimens show a corner soap dish and a metal storage basket. Neither of these goods represent the goods identified in the application. The application identified the following goods: tableware, bath ware, and kitchenware, namely, portable beverage coolers, beverage ware, coolers for wine, cocktails and wine shakers, canister sets, spice shakers, salad bowls, goblets, punch bowls and cups, acrylic insulation jars and all-purpose household acrylic jars used to store dry food goods such as cereal, chips, pasta, sugar, cookies, flour, bagels and the like. And plates.
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 application or amendment to allege 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).
Overcoming the Refusal
Applicant may respond to this refusal by satisfying one of the following:
(1) Submit a different specimen (a verified “substitute” specimen) that (a) was in actual use in commerce at least as early as the filing date of the application or prior to the filing of an amendment to allege use and (b) shows the mark in actual use in commerce for the goods and/or services identified in the application.
(2) Amend the filing basis to intent to use under Section 1(b), for which no specimen is required. This option will later necessitate additional fee(s) and filing requirements such as providing a specimen at a subsequent date.
For an overview of both response options referenced above and instructions on how to satisfy either option online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form, please go to http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/law/specimen.jsp.
Date of First Use Anywhere Omitted
Therefore, applicant must specify the date of first use of the mark anywhere. If the date of first use anywhere differs from the date of first use in commerce, applicant must verify the date of first use anywhere with an affidavit or signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20. See 37 C.F.R. §§2.71(c), 2.193(e)(1); TMEP §903.04. However, if the date of first use anywhere is the same as the date of first use in commerce, applicant need not verify the date of first use anywhere. TMEP §903.04.
If the applicant needs to provide a declaration to support the date of first use anywhere, then the applicant may use one of the declarations below.
TEAS Declaration
Applicant may submit a declaration online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) response to Office action form at http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp. When in the screen of the TEAS response form wizard, answer “yes” to the wizard question relating to submitting a “signed declaration,” and follow the instructions within the form for signing. See 37 C.F.R. §§2.20, 2.33(a)-(b)(1), 2.193(a)-(e)(1); TMEP §§611.01(c), 804.01(b).
Paper Declaration
_____________________________
(Signature)
_____________________________
(Print or Type Name and Position)
_____________________________
(Date)
Proper Response to Final Office Action
(1) A response that fully satisfies all outstanding requirements;
(2) An appeal to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, with the appeal fee of $100 per class.
37 C.F.R. §2.64(a); TMEP §714.04; see 37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(18); TBMP ch. 1200.
In certain rare circumstances, an applicant may respond by filing a petition to the Director pursuant to 37 C.F.R. §2.63(b)(2) to review procedural issues. 37 C.F.R. §2.64(a); TMEP §714.04; see 37 C.F.R. §2.146(b); TBMP §1201.05; TMEP §1704 (explaining petitionable matters). The petition fee is $100. 37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(15).
If applicant does not respond within six months of the mailing date of this final Office action, the application will be abandoned. 15 U.S.C. §1062(b); 37 C.F.R. §2.65(a).
Response to Office Action
If applicant does not respond to this Office action within six months of the issue/mailing date, or responds by expressly abandoning the application, the application process will end, the trademark will fail to register, and the application fee will not be refunded. See 15 U.S.C. §1062(b); 37 C.F.R. §§2.65(a), 2.68(a), 2.209(a); TMEP §§405.04, 718.01, 718.02. Where the application has been abandoned for failure to respond to an Office action, applicant’s only option would be to file a timely petition to revive the application, which, if granted, would allow the application to return to live status. See 37 C.F.R. §2.66; TMEP §1714. There is a $100 fee for such petitions. See 37 C.F.R. §§2.6, 2.66(b)(1).
For attorney referral information, applicant may consult the American Bar Association’s Consumers’ Guide to Legal Help at http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/findlegalhelp/home.cfm, an attorney referral service of a state or local bar association, or a local telephone directory. The USPTO may not assist an applicant in the selection of a private attorney. 37 C.F.R. §2.11.
If applicant has questions regarding this Office action, please telephone or e-mail the assigned trademark examining attorney.
/Kathryn E. Coward/
Trademark Examining Attorney
United States Patent & Trademark Office
Law Office 115
(571)-272-9468
Kathryn.coward@uspto.gov
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.
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.