To: | Middleby Marshall Inc. (officeactions@brinkshofer.com) |
Subject: | TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 77116084 - PLATINUM - 12361 |
Sent: | 6/19/2007 4:38:33 PM |
Sent As: | ECOM103@USPTO.GOV |
Attachments: |
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
SERIAL NO: 77/116084
MARK: PLATINUM
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CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS: |
RESPOND TO THIS ACTION: http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/eTEASpageD.htm
GENERAL TRADEMARK INFORMATION: http://www.gov.uspto.report/main/trademarks.htm
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APPLICANT: Middleby Marshall Inc.
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CORRESPONDENT’S REFERENCE/DOCKET NO: CORRESPONDENT E-MAIL ADDRESS: |
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TO AVOID ABANDONMENT, THE OFFICE MUST RECEIVE A PROPER RESPONSE TO THIS OFFICE ACTION WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE ISSUE/MAILING DATE.
ISSUE/MAILING DATE: 6/19/2007
The assigned examining attorney has reviewed the referenced application and determined the following.
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. §1052(d). TMEP §704.02.
The application was not signed and verified, which are application requirements. 15 U.S.C. §§1051(a)-(b), 1126(d)-(e), 1141f(a); 37 C.F.R. §§2.33-2.34. Therefore, applicant must verify, in an affidavit or signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20, the facts set forth in the application.
If the application is based on use in commerce under Trademark Act Section 1(a), the verified statement must include the following allegation: “The mark is in use in commerce and was in use in commerce on or in connection with the goods or services listed in the application as of the application filing date.” 15 U.S.C. §1051(a)(3)(C); 37 C.F.R. §2.34(a)(1)(i); TMEP §804.02.
If the application is based on an intent to use the mark in commerce under Trademark Act Section 1(b) or based on a foreign registration under Section 44, the verified statement must include the following allegation: “Applicant had a bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce on or in connection with the goods or services listed in the application as of the application filing date.” 15 U.S.C. §§1051(b)(3)(B), 1126(d) and (e); 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(2)(i), 2.34(a)(3)(i) and 2.34(a)(4)(ii); TMEP §§804.02, 806.01(b)-(d).
Applicant must specify the date the application declaration was signed. TMEP §804.01(b).
The identification of goods is unacceptable as indefinite. TMEP §1402.01. The applicant may adopt the following identification:
In Class 11: Ranges [specify e.g. cooking ranges, electric ranges] and ovens [specify the type e.g. electric toaster ovens, gas cooking ovens for household purposes]
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 or services that are not within the scope of the goods and services recited in the present identification.
For assistance with identifying and classifying goods and/or services in trademark applications, please see the online searchable Manual of Acceptable Identifications of Goods and Services at http://tess2.gov.uspto.report/netahtml/tidm.html.
The application is incomplete because it does not include the required specimen showing use of the applied-for mark in commerce for the goods and/or services identified in the application. An application based on Section 1(a) of the Trademark Act must include a specimen showing the applied-for mark in use in commerce for each class of goods and/or services. Trademark Act Sections 1(a) and 45, 15 U.S.C. §§1051(a) and 1127; 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv) and 2.56; TMEP §904.
Therefore, applicant must submit the following:
(1) A specimen (i.e., an example of how applicant actually uses its mark in commerce) for each class of goods and/or services based on use in commerce; 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. §2.56(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 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. 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 goods or 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 §806.03(c).
Pending a proper response, registration is refused because applicant has not provided evidence of use in commerce of the applied-for mark. 15 U.S.C. §§1051(a), 1127; 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv) and 2.56.
If the applicant has any questions or needs assistance in responding to this Office action, please telephone the assigned examining attorney.
/Kevon L. Chisolm/
Trademark Attorney
Law Office 103
(571)-272-9270
RESPOND TO THIS ACTION: If there are any questions about the Office action, please contact the assigned examining attorney. A response to this Office Action should be filed using the Office’s Response to Office action form available at http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/eTEASpageD.htm. If notification of this Office action was received via e-mail, no response using this form may be filed for 72 hours after receipt of the notification. Do not attempt to respond by e-mail as 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.