To: | GF Health Products, Inc. (kspett@grahamfield.com) |
Subject: | U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 85396621 - ADVANTAGE - N/A |
Sent: | 12/12/2011 9:58:40 AM |
Sent As: | ECOM112@USPTO.GOV |
Attachments: | Attachment - 1 |
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION
APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 85396621
MARK: ADVANTAGE
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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: GF Health Products, Inc.
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CORRESPONDENT’S REFERENCE/DOCKET NO: CORRESPONDENT E-MAIL ADDRESS: |
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TO AVOID ABANDONMENT OF APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION, THE USPTO MUST RECEIVE APPLICANT’S COMPLETE RESPONSE TO THIS LETTER WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE ISSUE/MAILING DATE BELOW.
ISSUE/MAILING DATE: 12/12/2011
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.
Section 2(d) - Likelihood of Confusion Refusal
In this case, the following factors are the most relevant: similarity of the marks, similarity of the goods and/or services, and similarity of trade channels of the goods and/or services. See In re Dakin’s Miniatures Inc., 59 USPQ2d 1593 (TTAB 1999); TMEP §§1207.01 et seq.
The applicant has applied to register the mark ADVANTAGE for “Handrims and pushrims for wheelchairs; Motorized, electric-powered, self-propelled, self-balancing, wheeled personal mobility, transportation device; Multiple-pocketed carrier for personal items specially adapted for attachment to wheelchairs; Viscous gel polymer sold as a component of finished custom cushioned wheel chair seats and back cushions; Wheel chairs; Wheelchair cushions; Wheelchair pads; Wheelchairs.”
The registered mark is ADVANTAGE for “wheelchairs and structural parts therefor; self-powered wheelchairs and structural parts therefor; wheelchair accessories, namely seats, seat cushions, fitted upholstery, arm rests, foot and leg rests, headrests, wheels and trays.”
A. Comparison of the Marks
The marks at issue here are identical – ADVANTAGE.
As in the present case, where the marks of the respective parties are identical or virtually identical, the relationship between the relevant goods and/or services need not be as close to support a finding of likelihood of confusion. See In re Shell Oil Co., 992 F.2d 1204, 1207, 26 USPQ2d 1687, 1689 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Davey Prods. Pty Ltd., 92 USPQ2d 1198, 1202 (TTAB 2009); In re Thor Tech, Inc., 90 USPQ2d 1634, 1636 (TTAB 2009); TMEP §1207.01(a).
B. Comparison of the Goods
Here, applicant and the registrant’s goods are identical. Both marks are used to identify the source of wheelchairs and parts and accessories for wheelchairs, including cushions and seats.
The similarities between the marks and the goods are so great as to create a likelihood of confusion. The overriding concern is not only to prevent buyer confusion as to the source of the goods and/or services, but to protect the registrant from adverse commercial impact due to use of a similar mark by a newcomer. See In re Shell Oil Co., 992 F.2d 1204, 1208, 26 USPQ2d 1687, 1690 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Therefore, any doubt regarding a likelihood of confusion determination is resolved in favor of the registrant. TMEP §1207.01(d)(i); see Hewlett-Packard Co. v. Packard Press, Inc., 281 F.3d 1261, 1265, 62 USPQ2d 1001, 1003 (Fed. Cir. 2002); In re Hyper Shoppes (Ohio), Inc., 837 F.2d 463, 464-65, 6 USPQ2d 1025, 1025 (Fed. Cir. 1988).
Accordingly, registration on the Principal Register is refused.
Pro Se and TEAS Plus Response Requirements
Because of the legal technicalities involved in this application, applicant may wish to hire an attorney specializing in trademark or intellectual property law. For attorney referral information, applicant may consult the American Bar Association’s Consumers’ Guide to Legal Help at http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/findlegalhelp/home.cfm or a local telephone directory. The USPTO cannot aid in the selection of an attorney. 37 C.F.R. §2.11.
The statutory period for response to an examining attorney’s Office action is six months. 15 U.S.C. §1062(b); 37 C.F.R. §2.62. The examining attorney has no discretion to shorten or extend this period. The applicant must file a response within six months of the mailing date of the Office action. TMEP §711.
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 live 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).
TEAS PLUS APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT DOCUMENTS ELECTRONICALLY OR SUBMIT FEE: Applicants who filed their application online using the reduced-fee TEAS Plus application must submit certain documents electronically. In addition, such applicants must accept correspondence from the Office via e-mail throughout the examination process and maintain a valid e-mail address. 37 C.F.R. §§2.23(a), (b); TMEP §§819, 819.02(a), (b). Failure to do so will incur an additional fee of $50 per class of goods and/or services. 37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(1)(iv); TMEP §819.04.
Therefore, applicant must submit the following documents using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) at http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/index.html: (1) responses to Office actions; (2) preliminary amendments; (3) changes of correspondence address; (4) changes of owner’s address; (5) appointments and revocations of power of attorney; (6) appointments and revocations of domestic representative; (7) amendments to allege use; (8) statements of use; (9) requests for extension of time to file a statement of use; and (10) requests to delete a Trademark Act Section 1(b) basis. If applicant files any of these documents on paper instead of via TEAS, then applicant must also submit the $50 per class fee. 37 C.F.R. §§2.6(a)(1)(iv), 2.23(a)(1); TMEP §§819.02(b), 819.04. Telephone responses that result in the issuance of an examiner’s amendment will not incur this additional fee.
/Benjamin U. Okeke/
U.S. PTO
Law Off. 112
600 Dulany St Alexandria, VA 22314
Ph 571.270.1524
Fx 571.270.2524
Benjamin.Okeke@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 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 Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval (TARR) at http://tarr.gov.uspto.report/. Please keep a copy of the complete TARR screen. If TARR shows no change for more than six months, 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/teas/eTEASpageE.htm.