UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

 

 

EXAMINER’S AMENDMENT/PRIORITY 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.  If applicant responds to the issues below within two months of the above mailing or e-mailing date, this case will be given priority handling. 

 

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.

 

OFFICE RECORDS SEARCH:  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.

 

ADVISORY – AMENDMENTS TO GOODS/SERVICES:  If the identification of goods and/or services has been amended below, any future amendments must be in accordance with 37 C.F.R. §2.71(a) and TMEP §1402.07(e).

 

QUESTIONS:  Please contact the assigned trademark examining attorney with any questions.

 

 

Serial Number 77/003409

 

EXAMINER'S AMENDMENT

 

AMENDMENT(S) AUTHORIZED:  As authorized by Stu Sleppin on February 12, 2007, the application is amended as noted below.  If applicant disagrees with or objects to any of the amendments below, please notify the undersigned trademark examining attorney immediately.  Otherwise, no response is necessary.  TMEP §707.   

 

Amendment of Identification of Services – Class 42

 

The identification of services is amended to read as follows:  “Computer network design and computer software design for wired and wireless computer networks”  TMEP §1402.01(e).

 

Significance

 

The following statement is added to the record:

 

            The wording “SERVICEPDQ” has no meaning other than trademark significance.

                       

37 C.F.R. §2.61(b); TMEP §808.01(c).

 

 

 

PRIORITY ACTION

 

Applicant must respond to each refusal and/or requirement raised below.  If applicant responds to the issues below within two months of the above mailing or e-mailing date, this case will be given priority handling.  TMEP §§708.01 and 708.05.

 

Specimen Unacceptable – Does Not Show Use of Mark With Specified Services

 

The specimen is not acceptable because it is merely a rendering of the applied-for mark and does not show the applied-for mark in actual use in commerce in the sale or advertising of the services.  Section 45 of the Trademark Act requires use “in the sale or advertising of services.”  15 U.S.C. §1127; see 37 C.F.R. §2.56(b)(2).

 

An application based on Section 1(a) must include a specimen showing the applied-for mark in use in commerce for each class of services.  Trademark Act Sections 1, 2, 3 and 45, 15 U.S.C. §§1051-1053 and 1127; 37 C.F.R. §2.34(a)(1)(iv).

 

Therefore, applicant must submit the following:

 

(1)  A substitute specimen showing the mark in use in commerce for the services specified in the application; and

 

(2)  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 at least as early as the filing date of the application.”  37 C.F.R. §2.59(a); TMEP §904.09.  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).

 

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) and 2.35(b)(1); TMEP §806.01(b).

 

Pending a proper response, registration is refused because the specimen does not show the applied-for mark in use in commerce as a service mark.  15 U.S.C. §§1051-1053 and 1127; 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv) and 2.56.

 

TEAS PLUS APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT DOCUMENTS ELECTRONICALLY OR SUBMIT FEE:  TEAS Plus applicants should submit the following documents using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) at http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/index.html:  (1) written responses to Office actions; (2) preliminary amendments; (3) changes of correspondence address; (4) changes of owner’s address; (5) appointments and revocations of attorney; (6) amendments to allege use; (7) statements of use; (8) requests for extension of time to file a statement of use, and (9) requests to delete a §1(b) basis.  If any of these documents are filed on paper, they must be accompanied by a $50 per class fee.  37 C.F.R. §§2.6(a)(1)(iv) and 2.23(a)(i).  Telephone responses will not incur an additional fee.  NOTE:  In addition to the above, applicant must also continue to accept correspondence from the Office via e-mail throughout the examination process in order to avoid the additional fee.  37 C.F.R. §2.23(a)(2).

 

If applicant has questions about its application or needs assistance in responding to this Office action, please telephone the assigned trademark examining attorney directly at the number below.

 

 

/Jordan A. Baker/

Trademark Examining Attorney

Law Office 102

571-272-8844

jordan.baker@uspto.gov

 

 

 

 

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