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: 5/20/2014

 

 

THIS IS A FINAL ACTION.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

This Office action is in response to applicant’s communication filed on March 11, 2014.

 

In a previous Office action dated September 11, 2013, applicant was required to satisfy the following requirement(s): disclaim descriptive wording in the mark, clarify the mark description, and provide an English translation.

 

Based on applicant’s response, the applicant has satisfied the mark description and English translation requirements.

 

After careful consideration of applicant’s response, the examining attorney has determined that the disclaimer of the SHAPE OF THE BOTTLE is made FINAL for the reasons specified below. The examining attorney has withdrawn the requirement for a disclaimer of the CAP.  Further, the trademark examining attorney maintains and now makes FINAL the requirement in the summary of issues below.  See 37 C.F.R. §2.64(a); TMEP §714.04.

 

SUMMARY OF ISSUES MADE FINAL that applicant must address:

 

• DISCLAIMER

 

DISCLAIMER REQUIRED

 

Applicant must disclaim the following elements of the applied-for product packaging mark because they comprise nondistinctive matter that does not function as a trademark to indicate the source of applicant’s goods and to identify and distinguish them from others:  SHAPE OF THE BOTTLE.  See 15 U.S.C. §§1051-1052, 1056(a), 1127; TMEP §1202.02(b)(ii), (c)(i)(B), (c)(iii)(B). 

 

Determining whether product packaging trade dress is inherently distinctive involves the following factors:

 

(1)  Whether the applied-for mark is a “common” basic shape or design

 

(2)  Whether the applied-for mark is unique or unusual in the field in which it is used

 

(3)  Whether the applied-for mark is a mere refinement of a commonly-adopted and well-known form of ornamentation for a particular class of goods viewed by the public as a dress or ornamentation for the goods

 

(4)  Whether the applied-for mark is incapable of creating a commercial impression distinct from any accompanying words

 

In re Pacer Tech., 338 F.3d 1348, 1350, 67 USPQ2d 1629, 1631 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (citing Seabrook Foods, Inc. v. Bar-Well Foods, Ltd., 568 F.2d 1342, 1344, 196 USPQ 289, 291 (C.C.P.A. 1977)); TMEP §1202.02(b)(ii).  Any one of these factors, by itself, may be determinative.  See In re Chippendales USA, Inc., 622 F.3d 1346, 1355, 96 USPQ2d 1681, 1687 (Fed. Cir. 2010).

 

Applicant argues that the shape of the bottle is inherently distinctive, unique, and not common and therefore does not need to be disclaimed.  However, the examining attorney respectfully disagrees.  In addition to evidence attached in the previous Office Action, the following attached Internet evidence shows that this rectangular bottle shape is commonly used by others in applicant’ field, namely, the fragrance and personal goods industry:

 

• http://www.brissi.com/coco-ritz-savoy-perfume-bottles.html
• http://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragrance-beauty/Fragrance-N%C2%B05-N%C2%B05-88155/sku/88156
• http://www.containerandpackaging.com/catalog/french-square-bottles/70/#2398
• http://www.neimanmarcus.com/Daum-Cattleya-Perfume-Bottle/prod129480114/p.prod
• http://www.neimanmarcus.com/Giorgio-Armani-Prive-Figuier-Eden-Eau-De-Toilette-3-4-fl-oz/prod161420181/p.prod
• http://www.philosophy.com/spray-fragrance/loveswept-spray-fragrance,en_US,pd.html?ecid=s:goo:f:x:hero:b:na:14225
• http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/prada-infusion-diris-eau-de-parfum-spray/2953335?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=888&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_2_A
• http://silverspurcorp.com/products/glass_food_jars/SSF212_glass_food_jars.html

 

 

Because consumers have been accustomed to seeing this bottle shape used by others in the marketplace, the consumer will not perceive it as a trademark that identifies the source of only one individual’s goods.

 

An applicant may not claim exclusive rights to an unregistrable component of a mark, such as this nondistinctive matter, and therefore must provide a disclaimer of it.  See 15 U.S.C. §1056(a); TMEP §§1202.02(c)(iii), (c)(iii)(B), 1213.03(a), (b).  A disclaimer of unregistrable matter does not affect the appearance of the mark; that is, a disclaimer does not physically remove the disclaimed matter from the mark.  See Schwarzkopf v. John H. Breck, Inc., 340 F.2d 978, 979-80, 144 USPQ 433, 433 (C.C.P.A. 1965); TMEP §1213. 

 

Applicant must provide the disclaimer regardless of whether the remaining portions of the mark are determined to be registrable.  See TMEP §1202.02(c)(iii)(B).  If applicant does not provide the required disclaimer, the USPTO may refuse to register the entire mark.  See In re Slokevage, 441 F.3d 957, 959, 962-63, 78 USPQ2d 1395, 1397, 1400 (Fed. Cir. 2006); TMEP §1213.01(b).

 

Applicant should submit a disclaimer in the following standardized format:

 

No claim is made to the exclusive right to use SHAPE OF THE BOTTLE apart from the mark as shown.

 

TMEP §1213.08(a)(i); see In re Owatonna Tool Co., 231 USPQ 493, 494 (Comm’r Pats. 1983).

 

This disclaimer requirement is modified and made FINAL.

 

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

 

RESPONSE GUIDELINES

 

Applicant must respond within six months of the date of issuance of this final Office action or the application will be abandoned.  15 U.S.C. §1062(b); 37 C.F.R. §2.65(a).  Applicant may respond by providing one or both of the following:

 

(1)  A response that fully satisfies all outstanding requirements and/or resolves all outstanding refusals.

 

(2)  An appeal to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, with the appeal fee of $100 per class.

 

37 C.F.R. §2.64(a); TMEP §714.04; see 37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(18); TBMP ch. 1200.

 

In certain rare circumstances, an applicant may respond by filing a petition to the Director pursuant to 37 C.F.R. §2.63(b)(2) to review procedural issues.  37 C.F.R. §2.64(a); TMEP §714.04; see 37 C.F.R. §2.146(b); TBMP §1201.05; TMEP §1704 (explaining petitionable matters).  The petition fee is $100.  37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(15).

 

 

ASSISTANCE

 

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.

 

 

 

/David H. Aleskow/

David H. Aleskow

Trademark Examining Attorney

Law Office 105

571-272-7895

David.Aleskow@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 5/20/2014 FOR U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 85929908

 

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 5/20/2014 (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.