To: | WhatsApp Inc. (jan.koum@gmail.com) |
Subject: | U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 77703877 - WHATSAPP - N/A |
Sent: | 6/28/2009 9:44:01 PM |
Sent As: | ECOM106@USPTO.GOV |
Attachments: | Attachment - 1 Attachment - 2 Attachment - 3 Attachment - 4 Attachment - 5 Attachment - 6 Attachment - 7 Attachment - 8 Attachment - 9 Attachment - 10 |
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
SERIAL NO: 77/703877
MARK: WHATSAPP
|
|
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
|
APPLICANT: WhatsApp Inc.
|
|
CORRESPONDENT’S REFERENCE/DOCKET NO: CORRESPONDENT E-MAIL ADDRESS: |
|
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: 6/28/2009
The referenced application has been reviewed by the assigned trademark examining attorney. Applicant must respond timely and completely to the issues below. 15 U.S.C. §1062(b); 37 C.F.R. §§2.62, 2.65(a); TMEP §§711, 718.03.
TRADEMARK ACT SECTION 2(d) REFUSALS – LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION
In the case at hand, the applicant seeks registration of WHATSAPP, in standard character form, for use on or in connection with the services of an application service provider, namely, providing, hosting, managing, developing, and maintaining applications, software, web sites, and databases in the fields of personal productivity, wireless communication, mobile information access, and remote data management for wireless delivery of content to handheld computers, laptops and mobile electronic devices.
The cited marks are WHAT’S UP, in standard character form, for use on or in connection with, in part, telecommunication services, namely, transmission of information, data, images and sounds, via computer terminals, and the Internet; electronic mail services, and design and development of computer hardware and software; and WAZAP, in standard character form, for, in part, computer-based and electronic entertainment apparatus, included in this class, namely, non-portable, portable and pocket computers, portable telephones, fixed and portable electronic personal organizers; video game programs, telematic and electronic games particularly for non-portable, portable and pocket computers, portable telephones, fixed and portable organizers; presentation of games and game systems for advertising and sale purposes, namely, computer, video, internet, intranet, online, 3D and cell phone games, telecommunications access services; communication between computer terminals; e-mail services; providing access to world-wide data networks; providing telecommunication access to the Internet or to databases, particularly concerning on-line game systems, video games, Internet games, intranet games, 3D games, computer games and cell phone games; Internet and on-line services, namely, electronic transmission of news, sound and images as well as delivering information by analog or digital data transmission; operating search engines in the Internet; providing access to portals in the Internet; rental of access time to global computer networks featuring databases, development, updating and designing of computer software, particularly for computer and video games; rental and maintenance of computer software; programming, design, drafting, development, further development, installation and maintenance of games and game systems, particularly computer, video, Internet, intranet, on-line, 3D and cell phone games; developing, drafting, operating and hosting of websites; Internet advice, namely, consultancy in the field of software design for use with the internet, electronic game programming; computer software technical support services, namely, troubleshooting of computer software problems; maintenance and installation of software; conceptual development, creation and maintenance of an Internet portal for games, particularly electronic games; programming of an Internet portal for games, particularly electronic games; realisation of electronic games in data networks, particularly computer games, Internet games, Intranet games, 3D games, video games, handy games, on-line game systems, also via the Internet; providing information in the Internet on computer games, Internet games, intranet games, 3D games, video games and cell phone games; providing information on a multi-media platform for performing computer games, Internet games, intranet games, video games and cell phone games.
The proposed and cited marks could be pronounced in an identical manner. Similarity in sound alone may be sufficient to support a finding of likelihood of confusion. RE/MAX of Am., Inc. v. Realty Mart, Inc., 207 USPQ 960, 964 (TTAB 1980); Molenaar, Inc. v. Happy Toys Inc., 188 USPQ 469, 471 (TTAB 1975); see TMEP §1207.01(b)(iv). Note that there is no correct pronunciation of a trademark because it is impossible to predict how the public will pronounce a particular mark. In re Great Lakes Canning, Inc., 227 USPQ 483, 484 (TTAB 1985); TMEP §1207.01(b)(iv); see In re Energy Telecomm. & Elec. Assoc., 222 USPQ 350, 351 (TTAB 1983). The marks in question could clearly be pronounced the same; such similarity in sound alone may be sufficient to support a finding of likelihood of confusion. See RE/MAX of Am., Inc. v. Realty Mart, Inc., 207 USPQ 960, 964 (TTAB 1980); Molenaar, Inc. v. Happy Toys Inc., 188 USPQ 469, 471 (TTAB 1975); TMEP §1207.01(b)(iv).
Moreover, the proposed mark is used on services that are highly related, or even identical, to services offered under each of the cited marks. If the services of the respective parties are “similar in kind and/or closely related,” the degree of similarity between the marks required to support a finding of likelihood of confusion is not as great as would be required with diverse services. In re J.M. Originals Inc., 6 USPQ2d 1393, 1394 (TTAB 1987); see Shen Mfg. Co. v. Ritz Hotel Ltd., 393 F.3d 1238, 1242, 73 USPQ2d 1350, 1354 (Fed. Cir. 2004); TMEP §1207.01(b).
PRIOR PENDING APPLICATION
If the applicant believes there is no potential conflict between this application and the earlier-filed application, then the applicant may present arguments relevant to the issue in a response to this Office action. The election not to submit arguments at this time in no way limits the applicant’s right to address this issue at a later point.
RESPONSE GUIDELINES
There is no required format or form for responding to an Office action. The Office recommends applicants use the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) to respond to Office actions online at http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/index.html. However, if the applicant responds on paper via regular mail, the response should include the title “Response to Office Action” and the following information: (1) the name and law office number of the examining attorney, (2) the serial number and filing date of the application, (3) the mailing date of this Office action, (4) the applicant’s name, address, telephone number and e-mail address (if applicable), and (5) the mark. 37 C.F.R. §2.194(b)(1); TMEP §302.03(a).
The response should address each refusal and/or requirement raised in the Office action. If a refusal has issued, the applicant can argue against the refusal; i.e., the applicant can submit arguments and evidence as to why the refusal should be withdrawn and the mark should register. To respond to requirements, the applicant should set forth in writing the required changes or statements and request that the Office enter them into the application record.
The response must be personally signed or the electronic signature manually entered by the applicant or someone with legal authority to bind the applicant (i.e., a corporate officer of a corporate applicant, the equivalent of an officer for unincorporated organizations or limited liability company applicants, a general partner of a partnership applicant, each applicant for applications with multiple individual applicants). TMEP §§605.02, 712.
If the applicant has any questions or needs assistance in responding to this Office action, please telephone the assigned examining attorney.
/Martha L. Fromm/
Martha L. Fromm
Trademark Attorney
Law Office 106
Phone: (571) 272-9320
Fax: (571) 273-9106 (formal responses)
RESPOND TO THIS ACTION: Applicant should file a response to this Office action online using the form at http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/eTEASpageD.htm, waiting 48-72 hours if applicant received notification of the Office action via e-mail. For technical assistance with the form, please e-mail TEAS@uspto.gov. For questions about the Office action itself, please contact the assigned examining attorney. Do not respond to this Office action by e-mail; 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.