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: 12/21/2012

 

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.

 

No Conflicting Marks

 

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).

 

Promotion of Own Services not a Service

 

Registration is refused because the activities recited in the identification of services, when viewed in conjunction with the specimen, are not registrable services as contemplated by the Trademark Act.  Trademark Act Sections 1, 2, 3 and 45, 15 U.S.C. §§1051-1053, 1127; see TMEP §§904.07(b), 1301.01 et seq.

 

The activities set forth as services in an application are reviewed using the following criteria to determine whether they constitute registrable services:

 

(1) A service is a real activity, not an idea, concept, process or system;

 

(2) A service is performed primarily for the benefit of someone other than the applicant; and

 

(3) A service is an activity that is sufficiently separate and qualitatively different from an applicant’s principal activity, i.e., it cannot be an activity that is merely incidental or necessary to an applicant’s larger business.

 

TMEP §1301.01(a); see In re Canadian Pac. Ltd., 754 F.2d 992, 994-95, 224 USPQ 971, 973 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Betz Paperchem, Inc., 222 USPQ 89, 90 (TTAB 1984); In re Integrated Res., Inc., 218 USPQ 829, 831 (TTAB 1983); In re Landmark Commc’ns, Inc., 204 USPQ 692, 695 (TTAB 1979).

 

In this case, the description set forth in the identification of services is as follows:  “customer loyalty services featuring issuance and processing of loyalty points for purchase of company's goods and services; customer loyalty services featuring an awards program to customers in which purchase points may be redeemed for store merchandise; arranging and conducting incentive reward programs to promote the sale of clothing, footwear, and head wear, sporting goods, watches, sunglasses, bags, and apparel-, footwear- and sporting goods-related accessories.”  The specimen indicates that these activities are not registrable services because the “loyalty services” and “awards program” are provided solely for the purpose of promoting Applicant’s own retail store services.  (Please see Applicant’s attached registrations for Applicant’s retail store services).  Additionally, the “benefit” provided is merely discounts and reward dollars to be used at Applicant’s retail stores.

 

A contest conducted to promote the sale of an applicant’s own services is generally not considered a service even though benefits accrue to the winners of the contest.  Such a contest is incidental to the sale of goods and/or services, and is ultimately a means of advertising an applicant’s goods and/or services.  In re Dr. Pepper Co., 836 F.2d 508, 5 USPQ2d 1207 (Fed. Cir. 1987); In re Loew’s Theatres, Inc., 179 USPQ 126 (TTAB 1973); TMEP §1301.01(b)(i). 

 

Many businesses offer "bonus programs" or "frequent patron programs" to encourage patronage of that business.  However, promotion of one’s own goods or services is not considered a service under the Lanham Act since the beneficiary of such an activity is the business itself and not a third party.  These special programs do confer some benefit to the customers who participate in the program, but this benefit flows directly from use of the trademark owner’s goods or services.  Thus, a frequent flyer program provided by an airline to encourage use of its own air transportation services would be identified as "air transportation services featuring a frequent flyer bonus program" and it would be classified in Class 39.  Similarly, a retail store that has a program through which patrons earn points that result in discounts on future purchases at that store would be identified as "retail store services in the field of [indicate field] featuring a frequent patron program in which points are accumulated to be used for discounts on future purchases."  This service would be in Class 35 because it is primarily a retail store service.  

 

TMEP §1402.11(h). 

 

Response to Refusal

 

Although applicant’s mark has been refused registration, applicant may respond to the refusal(s) by submitting evidence and arguments in support of registration.

 

If applicant has questions regarding this Office action, please telephone or e-mail the assigned trademark examining attorney.  All relevant e-mail communications will be placed in the official application record; however, an e-mail communication will not be accepted as a response to this Office action and will not extend the deadline for filing a proper response.  See 37 C.F.R. §2.191; TMEP §§304.01-.02, 709.04-.05.  Further, although the trademark examining attorney may provide additional explanation pertaining to the refusal(s) and/or requirement(s) in this Office action, the trademark examining attorney may not provide legal advice or statements about applicant’s rights.  See TMEP §§705.02, 709.06.

 

                                                                 Thank you,

 

                                    /Michael Webster/

 

Michael Webster

Examining Attorney

Law Office 102

571-272-9266

michael.webster@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.

 

 

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING YOUR

U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION

 

USPTO OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) HAS ISSUED

ON 12/21/2012 FOR U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 85712103

 

Please follow the instructions below:

 

(1)  TO READ THE LETTER:  Click on this link or go to http://tsdr.uspto.gov,enter the U.S. application serial number, and click on “Documents.”

 

The Office action may not be immediately viewable, to allow for necessary system updates of the application, but will be available within 24 hours of this e-mail notification.

 

(2)  TIMELY RESPONSE IS REQUIRED:  Please 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 12/21/2012 (or sooner if specified in the Office action).  For information regarding response time periods, see http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/process/status/responsetime.jsp.

 

Do NOT hit “Reply” to this e-mail notification, or otherwise e-mail your response because the USPTO does NOT accept e-mails as responses to Office actions.  Instead, the USPTO recommends that you respond online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) response form located at http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp.

 

(3)  QUESTIONS:  For questions about the contents of the Office action itself, please contact the assigned trademark examining attorney.  For technical assistance in accessing or viewing the Office action in the Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) system, please e-mail TSDR@uspto.gov.

 

WARNING

 

Failure to file the required response by the applicable response deadline will result in the ABANDONMENT of your application.  For more information regarding abandonment, see http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/basics/abandon.jsp.

 

PRIVATE COMPANY SOLICITATIONS REGARDING YOUR APPLICATION:  Private companies not associated with the USPTO are using information provided in trademark applications to mail or e-mail trademark-related solicitations.  These companies often use names that closely resemble the USPTO and their solicitations may look like an official government document.  Many solicitations require that you pay “fees.” 

 

Please carefully review all correspondence you receive regarding this application to make sure that you are responding to an official document from the USPTO rather than a private company solicitation.  All official USPTO correspondence will be mailed only from the “United States Patent and Trademark Office” in Alexandria, VA; or sent by e-mail from the domain “@uspto.gov.”  For more information on how to handle private company solicitations, see http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/solicitation_warnings.jsp.