UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION
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U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 79166182
MARK: CHIQ
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CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS: |
CLICK HERE TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER: http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp
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APPLICANT: SICHUAN CHANGHONG ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
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CORRESPONDENT’S REFERENCE/DOCKET NO: CORRESPONDENT E-MAIL ADDRESS: |
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OFFICE ACTION
INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION NO. 1249556
STRICT DEADLINE TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTIFICATION: TO AVOID ABANDONMENT OF THE REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF PROTECTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION, THE USPTO MUST RECEIVE A COMPLETE RESPONSE TO THIS PROVISIONAL FULL REFUSAL NOTIFICATION WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE “DATE ON WHICH THE NOTIFICATION WAS SENT TO WIPO (MAILING DATE)” LOCATED ON THE WIPO COVER LETTER ACCOMPANYING THIS NOTIFICATION.
In addition to the Mailing Date appearing on the WIPO cover letter, a holder (hereafter “applicant”) may confirm this Mailing Date using the USPTO’s Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) system at http://tsdr.gov.uspto.report/. To do so, enter the U.S. application serial number for this application and then select “Documents.” The Mailing Date used to calculate the response deadline for this provisional full refusal is the “Create/Mail Date” of the “IB-1rst Refusal Note.”
This is a PROVISIONAL FULL REFUSAL of the request for extension of protection of the mark in the above-referenced U.S. application. See 15 U.S.C. §1141h(c). See below in this notification (hereafter “Office action”) for details regarding the provisional full refusal.
OFFICE 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).
SUMMARY OF ISSUES
IDENTIFICATION OF GOODS MUST BE CLARIFIED
The identification of goods is indefinite and must be clarified as indicated below. See TMEP §1402.01. In particular, applicant must indicate the nature of the nature of the “crushers and grinders” and “mills” and “blenders” and “slicer” and “electric monitoring apparatus” and “projection apparatus” and “remote controls” and “lighting apparatus” and “installations” and “bath fittings” and “brackets” and “autoclaves” and “disinfectant apparatus” as noted below. Additionally, the identification of goods and/or services contains parentheses. Generally, parentheses and brackets should not be used in identifications because the USPTO generally uses these punctuation marks to indicate goods and/or services that have been deleted from registrations. See TMEP §1402.12. Therefore, applicant must remove the parentheses from the identification of goods and/or services and incorporate any parenthetical or bracketed information into the description.
Applicant may adopt the following identification, if accurate:
International Class 7: Dishwashers; electric ice crushers and grinders for domestic use; electric ice crushers and grinders for household purposes; electric pepper mills for household purposes, other than hand-operated; electric can openers; electric pepper mills other than hand-operated; electric egg beaters; electric coffee grinders, other than hand-operated; electric food blenders for household purposes; electric kitchen machines, namely, electric standing mixers; electric food blenders for household purposes; electric fruit presses for household purposes; electric food processors; domestic electric food slicer for vegetables; electric meat cutters for domestic use in the nature of electric knives; electric pepper and salt mills for household purposes, other than hand-operated; washing machines for clothes; dry cleaning machines;
International Class 9: Televisions; portable media players; sound recording apparatus; electric monitoring apparatus, namely, wireless controllers to monitor and control the functioning of other electronic devices excluding gaming apparatus; projection apparatus in the nature of projection screens; megaphones; audio receivers and video receivers; TV cameras; DVD players; electroacoustic transducers; video screens; remote controls for domestic use excluding gaming apparatus, namely, remote controls for radios, televisions, and stereos;
International Class 11: Lighting apparatus, namely, lighting installations; lighting apparatus for vehicles; lanterns for lighting; germicidal lamps for purifying air; curling lamps; fog generators for stages; gas cookers; refrigerators; air conditioning installations; water heaters; water-pipes for sanitary installations, namely, pipes being parts of sanitary facilities; ornamental fountains; sanitary apparatus, namely, pressure regulators for sanitary installations and sanitary installations in the nature of steam rooms; bath fittings in the nature of bath screens; disinfectant apparatus in the nature of disinfectant dispensers for toilets; electric radiators; utility lighters for lighting grills, fireplaces and candles; electric coffee machines; electric kettles; roasting apparatus in the nature of electric roasters; brackets specially designed for gas burners; electric stoves for flapjacks; electric heaters for babies’ bottles; electric coffee filters not of paper being part of electric coffee makers; electric yogurt makers; microwave ovens in the nature of a cooking apparatus; bread baking machines; electric iron frying pans; electric autoclaves in the nature of electric pressure cookers; electric pressure cookers; electric coffee roasters; electric deep fryers; electric water kettles; hot plates; hot plates; electric cooking utensils in the nature of electric beverage heater; electric pressure cooking saucepans; bread-making machines; electric bread toasters; electric thermos hot water bottles; electric fans for air-conditioning; extractor hoods for kitchens; electric laundry dryers; electric fans for personal use; electric hair dryers; disinfectant apparatus for disinfecting water; drinking fountains; atomic piles in the nature of nuclear reactors;
In addition, in a Section 66(a) application, an applicant may not change the classification of goods and/or services from that assigned by the International Bureau in the corresponding international registration. 37 C.F.R. §2.85(d); TMEP §§1401.03(d), 1402.01(c). Further, in a multiple-class Section 66(a) application, an applicant may not transfer goods and/or services from one existing international class to another. 37 C.F.R. §2.85(d); TMEP §§1401.03(d), 1402.01(c).
For assistance with identifying and classifying goods and services in trademark applications, please see the USPTO’s online searchable U.S. Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual at http://tess2.gov.uspto.report/netahtml/tidm.html. See TMEP §1402.04.
Applicant should note the following requirement(s).
SIGNIFICANCE INQUIRY
Applicant must explain whether “CHIQ” has any meaning or significance in the industry in which the goods and/or services are manufactured/provided, or if such wording is a “term of art” within applicant’s industry. See 37 C.F.R. §2.61(b); TMEP §814. Applicant must also explain whether this wording identifies a geographic place or has any meaning in a foreign language. See 37 C.F.R. §§2.32(a)(9), (a)(10), 2.61(b); TMEP §§809, 814. An applicant must submit an English translation of all foreign wording in a mark and a transliteration (the phonetic spelling, in Latin characters, of terms in the mark in non-Latin characters) of all non-Latin characters in a mark. 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(9), (a)(10); TMEP §809. If the wording does not have meaning in a foreign language, applicant should so specify. See TMEP §809.03.
Failure to respond to a request for information is an additional ground for refusing registration. See In re Cheezwhse.com, Inc., 85 USPQ2d 1917, 1919 (TTAB 2008); In re DTI P’ship LLP, 67 USPQ2d 1699, 1701 (TTAB 2003); TMEP §814.
RESPONSE
If applicant does not respond to this Office action within six months of the issue/mailing date, or responds by expressly abandoning the application, the application process will end, the trademark will fail to register, and the application fee will not be refunded. See 15 U.S.C. §1062(b); 37 C.F.R. §§2.65(a), 2.68(a), 2.209(a); TMEP §§405.04, 718.01, 718.02. Where the application has been abandoned for failure to respond to an Office action, applicant’s only option would be to file a timely petition to revive the application, which, if granted, would allow the application to return to active status. See 37 C.F.R. §2.66; TMEP §1714. There is a $100 fee for such petitions. See 37 C.F.R. §§2.6, 2.66(b)(1).
WHO IS PERMITTED TO RESPOND TO THIS PROVISIONAL FULL REFUSAL: Any response to this provisional refusal must be personally signed by an individual applicant, all joint applicants, or someone with legal authority to bind a juristic applicant (e.g., a corporate officer or general partner). 37 C.F.R. §§2.62(b), 2.193(e)(2)(ii); TMEP §712.01. If applicant hires a qualified U.S. attorney to respond on his or her behalf, then the attorney must sign the response. 37 C.F.R. §§2.193(e)(2)(i), 11.18(a); TMEP §§611.03(b), 712.01. Qualified U.S. attorneys include those 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. See 37 C.F.R. §§2.17(a), 2.62(b), 11.1, 11.14(a); TMEP §§602, 712.01. Additionally, for all responses, the proper signatory must personally sign the document or personally enter his or her electronic signature on the electronic filing. See 37 C.F.R. §2.193(a); TMEP §§611.01(b), 611.02. The name of the signatory must also be printed or typed immediately below or adjacent to the signature, or identified elsewhere in the filing. 37 C.F.R. §2.193(d); TMEP §611.01(b).
In general, foreign attorneys are not permitted to represent applicants before the USPTO (e.g., file written communications, authorize an amendment to an application, or submit legal arguments in response to a requirement or refusal). See 37 C.F.R. §11.14(c), (e); TMEP §§602.03-.03(b), 608.01.
DESIGNATION OF DOMESTIC REPRESENTATIVE: The USPTO encourages applicants who do not reside in the United States to designate a domestic representative upon whom any notice or process may be served. TMEP §610; see 15 U.S.C. §§1051(e), 1141h(d); 37 C.F.R. §2.24(a)(1)-(2). Such designations may be filed online at http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/correspondence.jsp.
/Miah Rosenberg/
Examining Attorney
Law Office 117
(571) 272-6170
miah.rosenberg@uspto.gov
TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER: Go to http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp. Please wait 48-72 hours from the issue/mailing date before using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), to allow for necessary system updates of the application. For technical assistance with online forms, e-mail TEAS@uspto.gov. For questions about the Office action itself, please contact the assigned trademark examining attorney. E-mail communications will not be accepted as responses to Office actions; therefore, do not respond to this Office action by e-mail.
All informal e-mail communications relevant to this application will be placed in the official application record.
WHO MUST SIGN THE RESPONSE: It must be personally signed by an individual applicant or someone with legal authority to bind an applicant (i.e., a corporate officer, a general partner, all joint applicants). If an applicant is represented by an attorney, the attorney must sign the response.
PERIODICALLY CHECK THE STATUS OF THE APPLICATION: To ensure that applicant does not miss crucial deadlines or official notices, check the status of the application every three to four months using the Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) system at http://tsdr.gov.uspto.report/. Please keep a copy of the TSDR status screen. If the status shows no change for more than six months, contact the Trademark Assistance Center by e-mail at TrademarkAssistanceCenter@uspto.gov or call 1-800-786-9199. For more information on checking status, see http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/process/status/.
TO UPDATE CORRESPONDENCE/E-MAIL ADDRESS: Use the TEAS form at http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/correspondence.jsp.