Offc Action Outgoing

Applicant may respond directly to this provisional refusal Office action, or applicant’s attorney may respond on applicant’s behalf. However, the only attorneys who can practice before the USPTO in trademark matters are as follows:

(1) Attorneys in good standing with a bar of the highest court of any U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other federal territories and possessions of the United States; and

(2) Canadian agents/attorneys whorepresent applicants residing in Canada and who have received reciprocal recognition by the USPTO under 37 C.F.R. §10.14(c).

37 C.F.R. §§10.1(c), 10.14; TMEP §602.

Foreign attorneys are not permitted to practice before the USPTO, other than properly authorized Canadian attorneys. TMEP §602.06(b). Filing written communications, authorizing an amendment to an application, or submitting legal arguments in response to a requirement or refusal constitutes representation of a party in a trademark matter. A response signed by an unauthorized foreign attorney is considered an incomplete response. See TMEP §§602.03, 712.03.

THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN PROVISIONALLY REFUSED AS FOLLOWS:

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, 2.65(a); TMEP §§711, 718.03.

Search Results

The Office records have been searched and there are no similar registered or pending marks that would bar registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d), 15 U.S.C. §1052(d). TMEP §704.02.

Identification of Goods

The identification of goods is indefinite and must be clarified because the nature of some of the goods is unclear. See TMEP §1402.01. In the identification of goods, applicant must use the common commercial or generic names for the goods, be as complete and specific as possible, and avoid the use of indefinite words and phrases. If applicant uses indefinite words such as “accessories,” “components,” “devices,” “equipment,” “materials,” “parts,” “systems” or “products,” such words must be followed by “namely,” followed by a list of the specific goods identified by their common commercial or generic names. See TMEP §§1402.01, 1402.03(a).

Applicant may adopt the following identification, if accurate:

Class 10:

Surgical apparatus and instruments, namely, [specify items by common commercial name e.g. forceps, scalpels, saws, drills etc.]; artificial limbs; orthopedic articles, namely, [specify items by common commercial name e.g. braces, joint implants, splints etc.]; bone distraction apparatus, namely, implantable and electromechanically operated devices for use in stretching and lengthening bones.

Although identifications of goods may be amended to clarify or limit the goods, adding to or broadening the scope of the goods is not permitted. 37 C.F.R. §2.71(a); see TMEP §§1402.06 et seq., 1402.07. Therefore, applicant may not amend the identification to include goods that are not within the scope of the goods set forth in the present identification.

Entity and Citizenship

The application does not include applicant’s “Legal Nature” and “Legal Nature: Place Incorporated.” Applicant must specify its entity type (“Legal Nature”) and citizenship (“Place Incorporated”). 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(3); TMEP §§803.03, 803.04.

Acceptable entity types include an individual, a partnership, a corporation, or a joint venture. See 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(3); TMEP §§803.03 et seq.

If applicant’s entity type is an individual, applicant must indicate his or her national citizenship for the record. 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(3)(i); TMEP §803.04. If applicant’s entity type is a corporation or association, applicant must set forth the country under whose laws applicant is organized or incorporated. 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(3)(ii); TMEP §§803.03(c), 803.04. If applicant’s entity type is a partnership or joint venture, applicant must specify the country under whose laws the partnership or joint venture is organized. 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(3)(ii)-(iii); TMEP §§803.03(b), 803.04.

If applicant has questions about its application or needs assistance in responding to this Office action, please telephone the assigned trademark examining attorney.

/Karen Bracey/

Examining Attorney

Law Office 116

571-272-9132

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 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.