Offc Action Outgoing

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

 

 

 

OFFICE 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. 

 

 

Serial Number  78/504154

 

The assigned trademark examining attorney has reviewed the referenced application and determined the following.

 

EARLIER FILED APPLICATION – POTENTIAL BASIS FOR REFUSAL OF REGISTRATION

 

The examining attorney has searched the Office records and has found no similar registered mark which bars registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d), 15 U.S.C. §1052(d).  TMEP §704.01.  Please note that the examining attorney has found a potentially conflicting pending application. The examining attorney encloses information regarding pending Application Serial No. 76/580810.  The effective filing date of the referenced application precedes applicant's filing date.  There may be a likelihood of confusion between the marks under Trademark Act Section 2(d), 15 U.S.C. § 1052(d).  If the referenced application matures into registration, registration may be refused in this case under Section 2(d).  37 C.F.R. §2.83; TMEP §§1208.01 and 1208.01(b).  Therefore, upon entry of a response to the Office action, action on this case may be suspended pending final disposition of the earlier-filed application.

 

If applicant believes there is no potential conflict between this application and the earlier-filed application, then applicant may present arguments relevant to the issue in a request to remove the application from suspension.  The election to file or not to file such a request at this time in no way limits applicant’s right to address this issue at a later point.

 

INFORMALITIES

 

Before the application can be considered further, the following informal issues must be addressed.

 

SIGNED DECLARATION REQUIRED

 

Applicant must submit a written statement attesting to the facts set forth in the application, and confirming that 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); 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(2)(i), (a)(3)(i) and (a)(4)(ii).  This statement must be dated and signed by a person authorized to sign under 37 C.F.R. §2.33(a) and verified with a notarized affidavit or signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20.  No signed verification was included with the application.

 

To satisfy this requirement, applicant may add the following declaration paragraph at the end of its response, properly signed and dated:

 

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 statements may jeopardize the validity of the application or any resulting registration, declares that he/she is properly authorized to execute this application on behalf of the applicant; he/she believes the applicant to be the owner of the trademark/service mark sought to be registered, or, if the application is being filed under 15 U.S.C. 1051(b), 1126(d) or 1126(e), he/she believes applicant to be entitled to use such mark in commerce; that the applicant has 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; that the facts set forth in the application are true and correct; to the best of his/her knowledge and belief no other person, firm, corporation, or association has the right to use the mark in commerce, either in the identical form thereof or in such near resemblance thereto as to be likely, when used on or in connection with the goods/services of such other person, to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive; and that all statements made of his/her own knowledge are true and all statements made on information and belief are believed to be true.

 

 

 

_____________________________

(Signature)

 

_____________________________

(Print or Type Name and Position)

 

_____________________________

(Date)

 

If the declaration is filed electronically through TEAS, then applicant should sign the declaration by entering a “symbol” that applicant has adopted as a signature (e.g., /john doe/, /drl/, and /544-4925/).  The Office will accept any combination of letters, numbers, spaces and/or punctuation marks as a valid signature if it is placed between two forward slash (“/”) symbols.  37 C.F.R. §§ 2.33(d) and 2.193(c)(1)(iii); TMEP §§304.08 and 804.05.

 

IDENTIFICATION OF THE GOODS INDEFINITE

 

The identification of goods needs clarification because it is indefinite.  Applicant must clarify the identification of goods to specify the common commercial or generic name for the lawn and garden, striking, pruning and hand operated tools, e.g., garden trowels.  If there is no common commercial or generic name, then applicant must describe the product and intended consumer as well as its main purpose and intended uses.  TMEP § 1402.01.  Applicant must also clarify that these are all hand operated tools.  Note that power operated tools are in Class 7.

 

As in copending Serial No. 78/343413 (attached), applicant may amend this wording to the following, if accurate: 

 

HAND-OPERATED LAWN AND GARDEN TOOLS, NAMELY, GARDEN TROWELS, CULTIVATORS, LAWN EDGERS, LAWN WEEDERS, SOD LIFTERS, WEED CUTTERS, GRASS TRIMMERS, AND BULB PLANTERS; STRIKING TOOLS, NAMELY, MATTOCKS, PICKS, WOOD-SPLITTING WEDGES, MAULS, HEAVY HAMMERS, SLEDGE HAMMERS, DIGGING AND PRYING BARS; PRUNING TOOLS, NAMELY, VEGETATION KNIVES AND SHEARS, AND PRUNING SAWS; SCRAPERS; HAND-OPERATED TOOLS, NAMELY, SHOVELS, SPADES, RAKES, HOES, SCOOPS, AND POSTHOLE DIGGERS, SNOW SHOVELS AND SNOW PUSHERS

 

In the identification, Applicant must use the common commercial names for the goods, be as complete and specific as possible and avoid the use of indefinite words and phrases.  If applicant chooses to use indefinite terms, such as "accessories," "components," "devices," "equipment," "materials," "parts," "systems" and "products," then those words must be followed by the word "namely" and the goods listed by their common commercial names or generic names.  TMEP §§1402.01 and 1402.03(a).

 

For assistance with identifying 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.

 

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.

 

RESPONSE

 

If applicant has any questions regarding any of the issues set forth in this Office action, applicant may telephone the trademark examining attorney.

 

NOTICE:  FEE CHANGE   

 

Effective January 31, 2005 and pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, Pub. L. 108-447, the following are the fees that will be charged for filing a trademark application:

 

(1) $325 per international class if filed electronically using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS); or 

 

(2)   $375 per international class if filed on paper

 

These fees will be charged not only when a new application is filed, but also when payments are made to add classes to an existing application. If such payments are submitted with a TEAS response, the fee will be  $325 per class, and if such payments are made with a paper response, the fee will be $375 per class.

 

The new fee requirements will apply to any fees filed on or after January 31, 2005.

 

NOTICE:  TRADEMARK OPERATION RELOCATION

 

The Trademark Operation has relocated to Alexandria, Virginia.  Effective October 4, 2004, all Trademark-related paper mail (except documents sent to the Assignment Services Division for recordation, certain documents filed under the Madrid Protocol, and requests for copies of trademark documents) must be sent to:

 

Commissioner for Trademarks

P.O. Box 1451

Alexandria, VA  22313-1451

 

Applicants, attorneys and other Trademark customers are strongly encouraged to correspond with the USPTO online via the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), at http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/index.html.

 

 

/Douglas M. Lee/

Trademark Examining Attorney

Law Office 108

Tel. (571) 272-9343

Fax. (571) 273-9108

douglas.lee4@uspto.gov

 

 

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS OFFICE ACTION:

• ONLINE RESPONSE:  You may respond formally using the Office’s Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) Response to Office Action form (visit http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/index.html and follow the instructions, but if the Office Action issued via email you must wait 72 hours after receipt of the Office Action to respond via TEAS).
• 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 in your response.

 

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

 

FOR INQUIRIES OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS OFFICE ACTION, PLEASE CONTACT THE ASSIGNED EXAMINING ATTORNEY SPECIFIED ABOVE.