UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)

OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION

 

 

 

OFFICE ACTION

 

STRICT DEADLINE TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER

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: 4/24/2012

 

The assigned trademark examining attorney has reviewed the referenced application and

has determined the following:

 

Search Results

 

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

 

Name of Individual

 

The applied-for mark contains the name “LENA” appears to identify a particular living individual; however, the application does not include this named party’s written consent to registration of the name as a trademark/service mark.  Written consent is required for registration of a mark containing a name, including a pseudonym, stage name or nickname, or signature, if the name or signature identifies a particular living individual.  Trademark Act Section 2(c), 15 U.S.C. §1052(c); TMEP §§813, 1206.04(a).  Therefore, applicant must clarify whether this name identifies a particular living individual and, if so, provide a written consent from this individual, as explained further below.  37 C.F.R. §2.61(b); TMEP §§813, 1206.04(a).   

 

If the name or signature in the mark does not identify a particular living individual, then applicant must submit a statement that the name “LENA” does not identify a living individual.  TMEP §§813.01(b), 1206.05; see 37 C.F.R. §2.61(b).

 

If the name or signature in the mark does identify a particular living individual, then applicant must submit the following: 

 

(1)  A statement that the name “LENA” identifies a living individual whose consent is of record.  If the name represents that of a pseudonym, stage name, or nickname, applicant must include a statement that <specify fictitious or assumed name> identifies the <pseudonym/stage name/nickname> of <specify actual name>, a living individual whose consent is of record; and

 

(2)  A written consent, personally signed by the individual whose name or signature appears in the mark, authorizing applicant to register the name, pseudonym, stage name, nickname, or signature as a trademark and/or service mark with the USPTO (e.g., “I consent to the use and registration by <specify applicant’s name> of my name <specify name> as a trademark with the USPTO”).

 

TMEP §§813, 813.01(a), 1206.04(a); see 37 C.F.R. §2.61(b).

 

Failure to respond to this inquiry is a sufficient basis 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.

 

Identification of Goods

 

The identification of goods is unacceptable as indefinite.  The applicant must clarify the identification of goods by properly classifying the goods because the current description of goods pertains to goods that could be classified in several International Classes.  See TMEP §1402.01.

 

Applicant may adopt the following identification(s), if accurate:

 

International Class 03: nail polish

 

International Class 08: electric hair curling irons; non-electric curling irons; flat irons

 

International Class 11: hand-held electric hair dryers

 

International Class 21: hair brushes; make-up brushes; hot air hair brushes

 

International Class 26: electric hair rollers; non-electric hair rollers

 

Identifications of goods can be amended only 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.

 

For assistance with identifying and classifying goods 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.  See TMEP §1402.04.

 

Classification

 

If applicant adopts the suggested amendment of the goods, then applicant must amend the classification to International Classes 03, 08, 11, 21 and/or 26.  See 37 C.F.R. §§2.32(a)(7), 2.85; TMEP §§805, 1401.  

 

Multiple Class Application

 

If applicant prosecutes this application as a combined, or multiple-class application, then applicant must comply with each of the following for those goods based on an intent to use the mark in commerce under Trademark Act Section 1(b):

 

(1)     Applicant must list the goods by international class; and

 

(2)     Applicant must submit a filing fee for each international class of goods not covered by the fee already paid (current fee information should be confirmed at http://www.uspto.gov).

 

See 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(2)-(3), 2.86(a); TMEP §§1403.01, 1403.02(c).

 

Fees

 

The filing fee for adding classes to an application is as follows:

 

         (1)     $325 per class, when the fees are submitted with a response filed online via the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) at http://www.gov.uspto.report/teas/index.html; or

 

         (2)     $375 per class, when the fees are submitted with a paper response. 

 

37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(1)(i)-(a)(1)(ii); TMEP §810.

 

/JKF/

Jay K. Flowers

Trademark Examining Attorney

Law Office 112

Phone:(571) 272-8202

Fax:(571) 273-8202

jay.flowers@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.

 

 

 

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING YOUR

U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION

 

USPTO OFFICE ACTION HAS ISSUED ON 4/24/2012 FOR

SERIAL NO. 85517533

 

Please follow the instructions below to continue the prosecution of your application:

 

 

TO READ OFFICE ACTION: Click on this link or go to http://portal.gov.uspto.report/external/portal/tow and enter the application serial number to access the Office action.

 

PLEASE NOTE: The Office action may not be immediately available but will be viewable within 24 hours of this e-mail notification.

 

RESPONSE IS REQUIRED: You should carefully review the Office action to determine (1) how to respond; and (2) the applicable response time period. Your response deadline will be calculated from 4/24/2012 (or sooner if specified in the office action).

 

Do NOT hit “Reply” to this e-mail notification, or otherwise attempt to e-mail your response, as the USPTO does NOT accept e-mailed responses.  Instead, the USPTO recommends that you respond online using the Trademark Electronic Application System Response Form.

 

HELP: For technical assistance in accessing the Office action, please e-mail

TDR@uspto.gov.  Please contact the assigned examining attorney with questions about the Office action. 

 

        WARNING

 

Failure to file the required response by the applicable deadline will result in the ABANDONMENT of your application.