To: | DIRECTV, Inc. (tsuzuki@directv.com) |
Subject: | U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 77947746 - DIRECTV. IT'LL CHANGE YOUR LIFE - N/A |
Sent: | 6/10/2010 12:05:39 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 Attachment - 11 Attachment - 12 Attachment - 13 Attachment - 14 Attachment - 15 Attachment - 16 Attachment - 17 Attachment - 18 Attachment - 19 |
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
SERIAL NO: 77947746
MARK: DIRECTV. IT'LL CHANGE YOUR LIFE
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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: DIRECTV, 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: 6/10/2010
The referenced application has been reviewed by the assigned trademark examining attorney. Applicant must respond timely and completely to the issue(s) below. 15 U.S.C. §1062(b); 37 C.F.R. §§2.62(a), 2.65(a); TMEP §§711, 718.03.
SEARCH RESULTS
The trademark examining attorney has searched the Office’s database of registered and pending marks and has found no conflicting marks that would bar registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d). TMEP §704.02; see 15 U.S.C. §1052(d).
Therefore, the specimen as submitted does not clearly show the applied-for mark in use in commerce for the identified goods and/or services. An application based on Trademark Act Section 1(a) 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 and 45, 15 U.S.C. §§1051, 1127; 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv), 2.56(a); TMEP §§904, 904.07(a).
If applicant files a response online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), the substitute specimen must be submitted in jpg or pdf format. 37 C.F.R. §2.56(d)(4); TMEP §904.02(a). The Office recommends that all black-and-white and color jpg images be scanned at no less than 300 dots per inch and no more than 350 dots per inch, with a length and width of no less than 250 pixels and no more than 944 pixels.
When validating an electronic submission through TEAS, applicant should ensure that the substitute specimen is attached to the submission. If the substitute specimen cannot be viewed from the “Validation Page,” the specimen failed to attach properly and will not be included with the response.
Therefore, applicant must satisfy one of the following:
(1) Submit online via the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), or by regular mail, a true and unaltered copy of the originally submitted specimen, and a statement by the person who transmitted the application to the Office that the resubmitted specimen is a true copy of the specimen that was originally filed with the application. As noted above, if the applicant chooses to resubmit the original specimen electronically, then the applicant must do so in the correct format so that the examiner may view the specimen using the Office’s electronic system. TMEP §904.02(a); see TMEP §904.02(b).; or
(2) Submit a substitute specimen showing the mark in use in commerce for each class of goods and/or services specified in the application, and 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 §§904.02(a), 904.05; see 37 C.F.R. §2.193(e)(1); TMEP §904.02(b). If submitting a substitute specimen requires an amendment to the dates of use, applicant must also verify the amended dates. 37 C.F.R. §2.71(c); TMEP §904.05.
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. Examples of specimens for services are signs, photographs, brochures, website printouts or advertisements that show the mark used in the actual sale or advertising of the services. See TMEP §§1301.04 et seq.
If applicant cannot satisfy one of the above requirements, applicant may amend the application from a use in commerce basis under Section 1(a) to an intent to use basis under Section 1(b), for which no specimen is required. See TMEP §806.03(c). However, if applicant amends the basis to Section 1(b), registration will not be granted until applicant later amends the application back to use in commerce by filing an acceptable allegation of use with a proper specimen. See 15 U.S.C. §1051(c), (d); 37 C.F.R. §§2.76, 2.88; TMEP §1103.
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 and/or services listed in the application as of the filing date of the application.” 37 C.F.R. §2.34(a)(2); TMEP §806.01(b); see 15 U.S.C. §1051(b); 37 C.F.R. §§2.35(b)(1), 2.193(e)(1).
Pending receipt of a proper response, registration is refused because the specimen does not show the applied-for mark in use in commerce as a trademark and/or service mark. Trademark Act Sections 1 and 45, 15 U.S.C. §§1051, 1127; 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv), 2.56(a); TMEP §§904, 904.07(a).
DECLARATION
_____________________________
(Signature)
_____________________________
(Print or Type Name and Position)
_____________________________
(Date)
If applicant experiences difficulty in submitting the required substitute specimen, supporting statement and/or declaration, please e-mail TEAS@uspto.gov for technical assistance regarding the TEAS response form.
CLAIM OWNERSHIP
Applicant is the owner of U.S. Registration Nos. 2503432, 2698197, 3415633 and others.
IDENTIFICATION OF GOODS
The applicant may amend to the following, if accurate:
Class 9: Computer software for operating telecommunications products, namely, set-top boxes primarily comprised of a receiver and circuitry; Computer software for operating telecommunications products, namely, digital video recorders; Computer software for use in accessing and viewing interactive television program guides via global computer networks, wireless networks and electronic communication networks; Computer software for the remote programming of audio and video devices via global computer networks, wireless networks and electronic communication networks; Computer software for the reproduction, processing and streaming of audio, video and multimedia content.
The applicant is advised that the above suggestions may not be a complete listing of acceptable specifications available to the applicant, but are instead provided only as suggestions. It is the applicant's duty to properly identify and classify the goods and services. TMEP Section 1402.01(e).
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. See TMEP §1402.04.
Please also note that the applicant may not use the indefinite wording “and/or,” “or,” or “etc.” in its identification of goods/services. The applicant must use the more definite word “and” when listing more than one item. The applicant may not use parentheticals in its description of goods/services. The examining attorney may have used them above merely to indicate wording that requires further amendment.
NOTE: APPLICABLE LEGAL AUTHORITIES
The following legal authorities govern the processing of trademark and service mark applications by the Office: The Trademark Act of 1946, 15 U.S.C. §§1051 et seq.; The Trademark Rules of Practice, 37 C.F.R. Part 2; and the Office’s Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP) (5th ed. 2007). These legal resources are available online at http://www.gov.uspto.report/main/trademarks.htm.
“TMEP” refers to the Office’s Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (5th ed. 2007), available on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website at www.gov.uspto.report/main/trademarks.htm. The TMEP is a detailed administrative manual written by the Office to explain the laws and procedures that govern the trademark/service mark application, registration and post registration processes.
The Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval (TARR) database on the USPTO website at http://tarr.uspto.gov provides detailed, up to the minute information about the status and prosecution history of trademark/service mark applications and registrations. To access the TARR database, applicant will need to provide an application serial number or registration number. The TARR database is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
/Elissa Garber Kon/
Examining Attorney, Law Office 106
Phone: (571) 272-9181
Fax: (571) 273-9106
Email: elissagarber.kon@uspto.gov
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.