To: | Bin, Liew (marketing@bagman.com.my) |
Subject: | U.S. Trademark Registration No. 3632368 - TERMINUS - N/A |
Sent: | 06/15/19 09:33:17 AM |
Sent As: | prg@uspto.gov |
Attachments: |
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Office Action (Official Letter) About Owner’s Trademark Registration
U.S. Registration No. 3632368
Mark: TERMINUS
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Correspondence Address: Bin, Liew; Brilliant Merchandising Sdn |
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Owner: Bin, Liew
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Reference/Docket No. N/A
Correspondence Email Address: |
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The USPTO must receive the owner’s response to this letter within the time period specified below. Respond using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS). A link to the appropriate TEAS response form appears below.
Issue date: June 15, 2019
The Combined Section 8 Affidavit & Section 9 Renewal Application was received on May 5, 2019. The Section 9 portion of the combined filing can be granted. However, the Section 8 portion is not accepted for the reason(s) set forth below.
I. SPECIMEN DEFICIENCY – ADVERTISING MATERIAL
Material that functions merely to tell prospective purchasers about the goods, or to promote the sale of the goods, is unacceptable to show trademark use. TMEP §904.04(b). Invoices, business cards, announcements, price lists, listings in trade directories, order forms, bills of lading, leaflets, brochures, advertising circulars and other printed advertising material, while normally acceptable for showing use in connection with services, generally are not acceptable specimens for showing trademark use in connection with goods. See In re MediaShare Corp., 43 USPQ2d 1304, 1307 (TTAB 1997); In re Schiapparelli Searle, 26 USPQ2d 1520, 1522 (TTAB 1993); TMEP §904.04(b)-(c).
Therefore, the owner must submit the following:
(1) A substitute specimen showing current use of the registered mark in commerce for each class of goods specified in the registration; 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 during the relevant period for filing the 10-year Section 8.” 37 C.F.R. §2.161(g); TMEP §1604.12(c).
Examples of specimens for goods are tags, labels, instruction manuals, containers, 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.
II. SAMPLE DECLARATION
The owner was using the mark in commerce on or in connection with the goods and/or services identified in the registration for which use of the mark in commerce is claimed, as evidenced by the submitted specimen, during the relevant period for filing the 10-year Section 8, that is, within the one year before the end of a 10-year period after the date of registration, or during the ensuing grace period.
Renewal of the registration is requested.
The undersigned, being hereby warned that willful false statements and the like so made are punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both, under 18 U.S.C. §1001, and that such willful false statement may jeopardize the validity of this document, declares that s/he is properly authorized to execute this document on behalf of the owner, and all statements made of his/her own knowledge are true and that all statements made on information and belief are believed to be true.
__________________________
Signature of Authorized Person
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Type or Print Name
__________________________
Date
(1) A person with legal authority to bind the owner;
(2) A person with firsthand knowledge of the facts and actual or implied authority to act on behalf of the owner; and
(3) An attorney as defined in 37 C.F.R. §11.1 who has actual or implied written or verbal power of attorney from the owner.
37 C.F.R. §2.161(b); TMEP §§804.04 and 1604.08(a).
III. SIGNATURE ON RESPONSE - ADVISORY
The only attorneys who can practice before the USPTO in trademark matters are (1) attorneys in good standing with a bar of the highest court of any U.S. state (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and other federal territories and possessions) or (2) Canadian agents/attorneys who have received reciprocal recognition by the USPTO under 37 C.F.R. §11.14(c), and who are representing trademark owners located in Canada. See 37 C.F.R. §§11.1 and 11.14. Foreign attorneys (other than authorized Canadian attorneys) cannot sign responses or otherwise represent registrants before the USPTO. See 37 C.F.R. §11.14(c).
If the owner is not represented by an attorney, the response must be signed by the owner or by someone with legal authority to bind the owner (i.e., a corporate officer of a corporate owner, the equivalent of an officer for unincorporated organizations or limited liability company owners, a general partner of a partnership owner, each owner for registrations with multiple individual owners, etc.). 37 C.F.R. §§2.163(b), 2.184(b)(2); see TMEP §§712-712.01(a)(viii).
A non-attorney who is authorized to verify facts on behalf of an owner under 37 C.F.R. §2.33(a)(2) (such as trademark administrators, accountants, business managers, administrative assistants, and personal assistants) cannot sign responses to Office actions unless he or she also has legal authority to bind the owner. See TMEP §§712.03 and 804.04.
IV. RESPONSE GUIDELINES
DEFICIENCY SURCHARGE REQUIRED: The owner must submit a $100 deficiency surcharge with its response to this Office action if the response is submitted online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (“TEAS”). A $200 deficiency surcharge must be submitted if the response is submitted on paper. 37 C.F.R. §§2.6, 2.164(a)(1) and 2.185(a)(1).
How to respond. Click to file a Response to Post-Registration Office action.
Direct questions about this Office action to the Post Registration staff member below.
/Shawnee Letsa/
Trademark Specialist
Post Registration Division
571-272-9626 Direct
571-273-9626 Fax
Shawnee.letsa@uspto.gov
RESPONSE GUIDANCE
USC0 US Counsel Advisory
In spring 2019, the USPTO is likely to issue proposed changes to the federal trademark regulations to require trademark applicants, registrants, and parties to Trademark Trial and Appeal Board proceedings who are foreign-domiciled (have a permanent legal residence or a principal place of business outside of the United States), including Canadian filers, to have an attorney who is licensed to practice law in the United States represent them at the USPTO. In addition, U.S.-licensed attorneys representing a trademark applicant, registrant, or party will generally be required to provide their bar membership information, a statement attesting to their good standing in that bar, and their postal/email addresses in trademark-related submissions. All U.S.-licensed attorneys who practice before the USPTO are subject to the rules in 37 C.F.R. Part 11 governing representation of others, including the USPTO’s Rules of Professional Conduct.