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. 79275804
Mark: HERA
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Correspondence Address: |
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Applicant: AMOREPACIFIC CORPORATION
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Reference/Docket No. N/A
Correspondence Email Address: |
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NONFINAL OFFICE ACTION
International Registration No. 1507537
Notice of Provisional Full Refusal
Deadline for responding. The USPTO must receive applicant’s response within six months of the “date on which the notification was sent to WIPO (mailing date)” located on the WIPO cover letter, or the U.S. application will be abandoned. To confirm the mailing date, go to the USPTO’s Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) database, select “US Serial, Registration, or Reference No.,” enter the U.S. application serial number in the blank text box, and click on “Documents.” The mailing date used to calculate the response deadline is the “Create/Mail Date” of the “IB-1rst Refusal Note.”
Respond to this Office action using the USPTO’s Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS). A link to the appropriate TEAS response form appears at the end of this Office action.
Discussion of provisional full refusal. This is a provisional full refusal of the request for extension of protection to the United States of the international registration, known in the United States as a U.S. application based on Trademark Act Section 66(a). See 15 U.S.C. §§1141f(a), 1141h(c).
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 OF USPTO DATABASE OF MARKS
I. FEATURES OF THE MARK UNCLEAR
A mark registered in standard characters, however, would provide protection of a text mark in any lettering style, size, and color. See 37 C.F.R. §2.52(a); TMEP §807.03(a). A mark in the international registration and corresponding U.S. application may meet the USPTO’s requirements for a standard character drawing even though no claim to standard characters was included in the application. TMEP §807.03(h). The absence of a standard character claim could be due to the differences in requirements for such claims in different countries. Id.
If applicant seeks to register the mark in standard characters in the United States, applicant must submit the following two statements:
(1) Under the laws of the country of the basic application and/or registration, the basic application and/or registration includes, and thus the international registration includes, the legal equivalent of a standard character claim.
(2) The mark consists of standard characters without claim to any particular font style, size, or color.
See 37 C.F.R. §2.52(a); TMEP §807.03(a), (h).
If applicant does not provide these two statements, the USPTO will consider the mark drawing to be in special form. See TMEP §807.03(h).
II. IN THE ALTERNATIVE TO A STANDARD CHARACTER CLAIM, MARK DESCRIPTION OMITTED
If the proposed mark is not a standard character mark, the applicant must provide a description of the mark.
Applicant must submit a description of the mark, because one was not included in the application. 37 C.F.R. §2.37; see TMEP §§808.01, 808.02. Applications for marks not in standard characters must include an accurate and concise description of the entire mark that identifies all the literal and design elements. See 37 C.F.R. §2.37; TMEP §§808.01, 808.02, 808.03(b). In this case, the drawing of the mark is not in standard characters.
The following description is suggested, if accurate: The mark consists of the stylized wording “HERA”.
III. U.S. LICENSED ATTORNEY REQUIRED
Applicant must be represented by a U.S.-licensed attorney. The application record indicates that applicant’s domicile is outside of the United States in the Republic of Korea, but no attorney who is an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a U.S. State or territory has been appointed to represent the applicant in this matter. All applicants whose permanent legal residence or principal place of business is not within the United States or its territories must be represented by a U.S.-licensed attorney at the USPTO. 37 C.F.R. §§2.2(o), 2.11(a). Thus, applicant is required to be represented by a U.S.-licensed attorney and must appoint one. 37 C.F.R. §2.11(a). This application will not proceed to registration without such appointment and representation. See id. See Hiring a U.S.-licensed trademark attorney for more information.
To appoint or designate a U.S.-licensed attorney. To appoint an attorney, applicant should (1) submit a completed Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) Revocation, Appointment, and/or Change of Address of Attorney/Domestic Representative form and (2) promptly notify the trademark examining attorney that this TEAS form was submitted. Alternatively, if applicant has already retained an attorney, the attorney can respond to this Office action by using the appropriate TEAS response form and provide his or her attorney information in the form and sign it as applicant’s attorney. See 37 C.F.R. §2.17(b)(1)(ii).
For this application to proceed, applicant must explicitly address each refusal and/or requirement in this Office action. For a refusal, applicant may provide written arguments and evidence against the refusal, and may have other response options if specified above. For a requirement, applicant should set forth the changes or statements. Please see “Responding to Office Actions” and the informational video “Response to Office Action” for more information and tips on responding.
How to respond. Click to file a response to this nonfinal Office action.
/Ryan Cianci/
Trademark Attorney
Law Office 116
571-270-3721
ryan.cianci@uspto.gov
RESPONSE GUIDANCE