To: | Chen, Michael (mike@importla.com) |
Subject: | U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 86400685 - SMITH - N/A |
Sent: | 1/5/2015 8:31:05 AM |
Sent As: | ECOM116@USPTO.GOV |
Attachments: | Attachment - 1 Attachment - 2 Attachment - 3 Attachment - 4 Attachment - 5 Attachment - 6 |
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION
U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 86400685
MARK: SMITH
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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: Chen, Michael
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CORRESPONDENT’S REFERENCE/DOCKET NO: CORRESPONDENT E-MAIL ADDRESS: |
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OFFICE ACTION
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: 1/5/2015
TEAS PLUS APPLICANTS – TO MAINTAIN REDUCED FEE, ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET, INCLUDING SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS ONLINE: Applicants who filed their application online using the lower-fee TEAS Plus application form must (1) continue to submit certain documents online using TEAS, including responses to Office actions (see TMEP §819.02(b) for a complete list of these documents); (2) accept correspondence from the USPTO via e-mail throughout the examination process; and (3) maintain a valid e-mail address. See 37 C.F.R. §2.23(a)(1), (a)(2); TMEP §§819, 819.02(a). TEAS Plus applicants who do not meet these three requirements must submit an additional fee of $50 per international class of goods and/or services. 37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(1)(iv); TMEP §819.04. However, in certain situations, authorizing an examiner’s amendment by telephone will not incur this additional fee.
SEARCH RESULTS – EARLIER FILED PENDING APPLICATIONS
The trademark examining attorney has searched the USPTO’s database of registered and pending marks and has found no similar registered marks that would bar registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d). TMEP §704.02; see 15 U.S.C. §1052(d). However, marks in prior-filed pending applications may present a bar to registration of applicant’s mark.
In response to this Office action, applicant may present arguments in support of registration by addressing the issue of the potential conflict between applicant’s mark and the marks in the referenced applications. Applicant’s election not to submit arguments at this time in no way limits applicant’s right to address this issue later if a refusal under Section 2(d) issues.
SECTION 2(e)(4) REFUSAL – PRIMARILY MERELY A SURNAME
Registration is refused because the applied-for mark is primarily merely a surname. Trademark Act Section 2(e)(4), 15 U.S.C. §1052(e)(4); see TMEP §1211. The primary significance of the mark to the purchasing public determines whether a term is primarily merely a surname. In re Kahan & Weisz Jewelry Mfg. Corp., 508 F.2d 831, 832, 184 USPQ 421, 422 (C.C.P.A. 1975); In re Binion, 93 USPQ2d 1531, 1537 (TTAB 2009); see TMEP §§1211, 1211.01.
Please see the attached evidence from infoplease.com, establishing the surname significance of the surname SMITH. This evidence shows the applied-for mark appearing times 2,376,206 as a surname in the 2010 U.S. Census. “Smith” infoplease (2013) http://www.infoplease.com See attachment.
AMENDMENT TO SUPPLEMENTAL REGISTER SUGGESTED AFTER ACCEPTABLE AMENDMENT TO ALLEGE USE IS FILED
If applicant files an acceptable allegation of use and also amends to the Supplemental Register, the effective filing date of the application will be the date on which applicant met the minimum filing requirements of 37 C.F.R. §2.76(e) for the amendment to allege use. 37 C.F.R. §2.75(b); TMEP §§816.02, 1102.03. In addition, the undersigned trademark examining attorney will conduct a new search of the Office records for conflicting marks based on the later application filing date. TMEP §§206.01, 1102.03.
The following must be submitted in an amendment to allege use in order to amend an application to use in commerce under Section 1(a):
(1) The following statement: “Applicant is believed to be the owner of the mark and that the mark is in use in commerce.”
(2) The date of first use of the mark anywhere on or in connection with the goods and/or services.
(3) The date of first use of the mark in commerce as a trademark or service mark.
(4) A specimen showing actual use of the mark in commerce for each class of goods and/or services for which use is being asserted. If a single specimen supports multiple classes, applicant should indicate which classes the specimen supports rather than providing multiple copies of the same specimen.
(5) A filing fee of $100 per class for each international class of goods and/or services for which use is being asserted (current fee information should be confirmed at http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/tm_fee_info.jsp).
(6) Verification of the above (1) through (3) requirements in an affidavit or signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20.
See 37 C.F.R. §§2.6(a)(2), 2.56, 2.76(b), 2.193(e)(1); TMEP §§1104.08, 1104.10(b)(v).
Amendments to allege use can be filed online at http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/index.jsp. Filing an amendment to allege use does not extend the deadline for filing a response to an outstanding Office action. TMEP §1104.
/Ellen Awrich/
Trademark Examining Attorney
Law Office 116
571-272-9123
ellen.awrich@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.