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: 5/27/2014

 

THIS IS A FINAL ACTION.

 

This Office action is in response to applicant’s communication filed on May 5, 2014.  Please note that the applicant has satisfied the classification of goods requirement.  However, identification of goods requirement is now made FINAL for the reasons set forth below.  37 C.F.R. §2.64(a).

 

REQUIREMENT MADE FINAL – Identification of Goods -- Partial

 

As previously noted, the Trademark Act requires that a trademark or service mark application must include a “specification of … the goods [or services]” in connection with which the mark is being used or will be used.  15 U.S.C. §1051(a)(2) (emphasis added), (b)(2) (emphasis added); see 15 U.S.C. §1053.  Specifically, a complete application must include a “list of the particular goods or services on or in connection with which the applicant uses or intends to use the mark.”  37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6) (emphasis added).  This requirement for a specification of the particular goods and/or services applies to applications filed under all statutory bases.  See 15 U.S.C. §§1051(a)(2), 1051(b)(2), 1053, 1126(d)-(e), 1141f; 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6); TMEP §§1402.01, 1402.01(b)-(c).

 

Here, applicant was advised that the identification of goods is indefinite and must be clarified.  See TMEP §1402.01.  It was noted that applicant must specify the common commercial or generic name for the goods an applicant was advised that where there is no common commercial or generic name, applicant must describe the product and intended consumer as well as its main purpose and intended uses.   It was also noted that the applicant may only amend an identification to clarify or limit the goods, but not to add to or broaden the scope of the goods.  37 C.F.R. §2.71(a); see TMEP §§1402.06 et seq., 1402.07. 

 

Acceptable wording was suggested.  However, particular wording in the proposed amendment to the identification is not acceptable because it exceeds the scope of the identification in the U.S. application.  See 37 C.F.R. §2.71(a); TMEP §§1402.06 et seq., 1402.07.  The original identification in the U.S. application, and any previously accepted amendments, remain operative for purposes of future amendment.  See 37 C.F.R. §2.71(a); TMEP §1402.07(d).

 

Here, the U.S. application originally identified the goods and/or services as follows:  “Stage and Studio led lighting; LED Off road lighting bars and pods; Discharge Display lighting.”  The proposed amendment identifies the goods as follows:  “Stage and Studio led lighting, namely, LED lighting fixtures; LED Off road lighting bars and pods, namely, LED lighting fixtures in the form of bars and pods; LED automotive lighting, namely LED lighting fixtures in the form of SMD panels and bulbs; LED Home Lighting, namely lighting fixtures in the form of LED strips, LED panels, LED bulbs; Discharge display lighting, namely, HID and CMH lighting fixtures for use in display lighting applications.”  However, the automotive lighting and home lighting appears to identify new goods beyond the scope of the original language. Thus, the identification, incorporating this amendment, is not acceptable.  See 37 C.F.R. §§2.32(a)(6), 2.71(a); TMEP §§805, 1402.01.  In addition, the wording “CMH” is unacceptable because the common commercial name of the good is unclear and applicant must clarify the acronym.

 

Applicant may adopt the following, if accurate:

 

Class 11

Stage and Studio led lighting, namely, LED lighting fixtures; LED Off road lighting bars and pods, namely, LED lighting fixtures in the form of bars and pods; Discharge display lighting, namely, HID lighting fixtures for use in display lighting applications

 

For further guidance on writing identifications of goods and/or services, please use the USPTO’s online ID Manual at http://tess2.gov.uspto.report/netahtml/tidm.html, which is continually updated in accordance with prevailing rules and policies.  See TMEP §1402.04.

 

However, for the reasons above, the requirement is believed proper and is now made FINAL.

 

OPTIONS

 

Applicant must respond within six months of the date of issuance of this final Office action or the following goods to which the final refusal(s) and/or requirement(s) apply will be deleted from the application by Examiner’s Amendment:  LED automotive lighting, namely LED lighting fixtures in the form of SMD panels and bulbs; LED Home Lighting, namely lighting fixtures in the form of LED strips, LED panels, LED bulbs and CMH.  37 C.F.R. §2.65(a); see 15 U.S.C. §1062(b).

 

The application will then proceed for the following goods:    

 

Class 11

Stage and Studio led lighting, namely, LED lighting fixtures; LED Off road lighting bars and pods, namely, LED lighting fixtures in the form of bars and pods; Discharge display lighting, namely, HID lighting fixtures for use in display lighting applications

 

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).

 

 

/IngridCEulin/

Ingrid C. Eulin

Examining Attorney

Law Office 111

(571) 272-9380

Ingrid.Eulin@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 5/27/2014 FOR U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 86139940

 

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 5/27/2014 (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.