To: | Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (milwaukeeip@milwaukeetool.com) |
Subject: | U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 88076997 - MXFUEL - 0138-MKEUS04 |
Sent: | May 03, 2021 09:51:19 PM |
Sent As: | ecom114@uspto.gov |
Attachments: |
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Office Action (Official Letter) About Applicant’s Trademark Application
U.S. Application Serial No. 88076997
Mark: MXFUEL
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Correspondence Address: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
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Applicant: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
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Reference/Docket No. 0138-MKEUS04
Correspondence Email Address: |
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NONFINAL OFFICE ACTION
The USPTO must receive applicant’s response to this letter within six months of the issue date below or the application will be abandoned. Respond using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS). A link to the appropriate TEAS response form appears at the end of this Office action.
Issue date: May 03, 2021
The statement of use 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.
Summary of Issues Applicant Must Address
DRAWING AND SPECIMEN DO NOT MATCH – NOT MATERIAL – PLEASE SEE BOLDED ITEMS BELOW IN THE “RESPONSE OPTIONS” SECTION AS WELL AS DISCLAIMER ADVISORY
Registration is refused because the specimen does not show the mark in the drawing in use in commerce in International Class 12, which is required in the statement of use. Trademark Act Sections 1 and 45, 15 U.S.C. §§1051, 1127; 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv), 2.56(a); TMEP §§904, 904.07(a), 1301.04(g)(i). The mark appearing on the specimen and in the drawing must match; that is, the mark in the drawing “must be a substantially exact representation of the mark” on the specimen. See 37 C.F.R. §2.51(b); TMEP §807.12(a).
In this case, the specimen displays the mark on two separate lines (i.e. separated) rather than together as displayed in the drawing, specifically “MXFUEL.” Therefore, the drawing and specimen do not match. See TMEP §807.12(a).
Response options. Applicant may respond to this refusal by satisfying one of the following:
(1) Submit a new drawing of the mark that shows the mark on the specimen and, if appropriate, an amendment of the description and/or color claim that agrees with the new drawing (in this case applicant’ may change the drawing from “MXFUEL” to “MX FUEL” (please see disclaimer advisory below if electing this option). See 37 C.F.R. §2.72(b). Applicant may amend the mark in the drawing to match the mark on the specimen but may not make any other changes or amendments that would materially alter the drawing of the mark. See 37 C.F.R. §2.72(b); TMEP §807.14.
(2) Submit a different specimen (a verified “substitute” specimen) for each applicable international class that (a) shows the mark in the drawing in actual use in commerce for the goods and/or services in the statement of use, and (b) was in actual use in commerce prior to the expiration of the deadline for filing the statement of use (i.e. a substitute specimen that shows the mark as “MXFUEL” on a single line not separated by any spaces).
Examples of specimens. Specimens for goods include a photograph of (1) the actual goods bearing the mark; (2) an actual container, packaging, tag or label for the goods bearing the mark; or (3) a point-of-sale display showing the mark directly associated with the goods. See 37 C.F.R. §2.56(b)(1), (c); TMEP §904.03(a)-(m). A webpage specimen submitted as a display associated with the goods must show the mark in association with a picture or textual description of the goods and include information necessary for ordering the goods. TMEP §904.03(i); see 37 C.F.R. §2.56(b)(1), (c).
Any webpage printout or screenshot submitted as a specimen must include the webpage’s URL and the date it was accessed or printed on the specimen itself, within the TEAS form that submits the specimen, or in a verified statement under 37 C.F.R. §2.20 or 28 U.S.C. §1746 in a later-filed response. See 37 C.F.R. §2.56(c); TMEP §§904.03(i), 1301.04(a).
Applicant may not respond by withdrawing the statement of use. See 37 C.F.R. §2.88(f); TMEP §1109.17.
For more information about drawings and instructions on how to satisfy these response options using the online Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form, see the Drawing webpage.
DISCLAIMER ADVISORY
If applicant decides to change the drawing from “MXFUEL” to “MX FUEL” applicant is advised that it should disclaim the word “FUEL” when submitting its’ response as “FUEL” describes a feature of the carts at issue, i.e. that they are “fuel operated” or can be used to transport “fuel” or “fuel containers”). See 15 U.S.C. §1052(e)(1); DuoProSS Meditech Corp. v. Inviro Med. Devices, Ltd., 695 F.3d 1247, 1251, 103 USPQ2d 1753, 1755 (Fed. Cir. 2012); TMEP §§1213, 1213.03(a).
The disclaimer should be in the following format:
No claim is made to the exclusive right to use “FUEL” apart from the mark as shown.
For an overview of disclaimers and instructions on how to provide one using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), see the Disclaimer webpage.
How to respond. Click to file a response to this nonfinal Office action.
/Siddharth Jagannathan/
Siddharth Jagannathan
Trademark Examining Attorney
USPTO, Law Office 114
571-272-6563 (phone)
Siddharth.Jagannathan@uspto.gov
RESPONSE GUIDANCE