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.  A RESPONSE TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE TRADEMARK ELECTRONIC APPLICATION SYSTEM (TEAS) MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE MIDNIGHT EASTERN TIME OF THE LAST DAY OF THE RESPONSE PERIOD.

 

ISSUE/MAILING DATE: 3/29/2019

 

THIS IS A FINAL ACTION.

 

TEAS PLUS OR TEAS REDUCED FEE (TEAS RF) APPLICANTS – TO MAINTAIN LOWER FEE, ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET, INCLUDING SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS ONLINE:  Applicants who filed their application online using the lower-fee TEAS Plus or TEAS RF application form must (1) file certain documents online using TEAS, including responses to Office actions (see TMEP §§819.02(b), 820.02(b) for a complete list of these documents); (2) maintain a valid e-mail correspondence address; and (3) agree to receive correspondence from the USPTO by e-mail throughout the prosecution of the application.  See 37 C.F.R. §§2.22(b), 2.23(b); TMEP §§819, 820.  TEAS Plus or TEAS RF applicants who do not meet these requirements must submit an additional processing fee of $125 per class of goods and/or services.  37 C.F.R. §§2.6(a)(1)(v), 2.22(c), 2.23(c); TMEP §§819.04, 820.04.  However, in certain situations, TEAS Plus or TEAS RF applicants may respond to an Office action by authorizing an examiner’s amendment by telephone or e-mail without incurring this additional fee.  

 

The Office has reassigned this application to the undersigned trademark examining attorney.

This Office action is in response to applicant’s communication filed on February 27, 2019.

 

In the prior Office action, a requirement was issued that the applicant submit representative specimens to show use of the mark in commerce on a specified set of goods.  In response, the applicant has submitted additional specimens showing use of the mark on only two of the listed goods.  Thus, the applicant’s response to the requirement is incomplete.

 

Accordingly, the requirement that the applicant submit additional specimens is now made FINAL for the reasons set forth below.  37 CFR 2.61(b); TMEP §§904.01(a) and 1402.03.  See 37 C.F.R. §2.63(b).

 

Final Requirement for Representative Specimens

As explained in the prior Office action, where an identification is so broad that it encompasses a wide range of products or services, the applicant must submit evidence that it actually uses the mark on a wide range of products and services to obtain registration. See In re Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., 192 USPQ 84, recon. denied 192 USPQ 157 (TTAB 1976); 37 CFR 2.61(b); TMEP §§904.01(a) and 1402.03.  Accordingly, as the applicant’s identification includes a variety of unrelated goods in Class 9, a requirement was issued that the applicant submit additional specimens showing use of the mark on certain specified goods.  In response, the applicant has submitted specimens for only two of the eight goods or groups of goods for which specimens were required.  Thus, the applicant’s response to this requirement is incomplete, and the requirement is maintained and made FINAL.

 

Specifically, the applicant must submit a proper specimen for each of the following goods or groups of goods. Please note that for every specimen submitted, applicant must clearly provide the common commercial name for the goods to which such specimen relates in order to permit proper examination of the submission.

 

1.    Armbands specially adapted for personal mobile phones or MP3 players    

2.    Cameras, Car video recorders;

3.    Closed circuit TV systems for security and surveillance, namely, cameras, switchers,   monitors, microphones, and recorders;

4.     Electrical outlets;

5.     Smart watches;

6.     Stands for photographic apparatus

 

The applicant must delete any goods for which the applicant is unable to provide specimens, or must amend the filing basis for those goods that were not in proper use as of the application filing date to an intent to use basis under Section 1(b).  This option will later necessitate additional fees and filing requirements such as providing a specimen for these goods at a subsequent date.

 

Failure to comply with a requirement to furnish additional specimens is grounds for refusing registration.  In re Harley, 119 USPQ2d 1755, 1757-58 (TTAB 2016); TMEP §814.  Merely stating that evidence is available on applicant’s or a third party website or providing a hyperlink of such a website is an insufficient response and will not make the additional specimens of record.  See In re Planalytics, Inc., 70 USPQ2d 1453, 1457-58 (TTAB 2004).

 

Advisory: Applicant May Withdraw Voluntary Disclaimer

The application includes a disclaimer of the following matter:  “GROUS.”  An applicant may voluntarily disclaim matter in a mark regardless of whether the matter is registrable.  TMEP §1213.01(c); see 15 U.S.C. §1056(a).  However, a disclaimer of this matter is not required.

 

Therefore, applicant may request to withdraw this disclaimer from the application.  If applicant does not expressly request its withdrawal, the disclaimer will remain in the application and will be printed on the registration certificate.

 

Response Guidelines

Applicant must respond within six months of the date of issuance of this final Office action or the following goods to which the final requirement applies will be deleted from the application by Examiner’s Amendment:  “Armbands specially adapted for personal electronic devices, namely, mobile phones, MP3 players; Cameras; Car video recorders; Closed circuit TV systems for security and surveillance, namely, cameras, switchers, monitors, microphones, and recorders; Electrical outlets; Smart watches; Stands for photographic apparatus.”  37 C.F.R. §2.65(a); see 15 U.S.C. §1062(b).

 

The application will then proceed for the following goods:

 

Battery chargers; Battery chargers for use with vehicle batteries, mobile phones; Computer hardware, namely, wireless network repeaters; Computer keyboards; Computer mice; Consumer electronic products, namely, audio amplifiers, audio speakers, audio receivers, electrical audio and speaker cables and connectors, audio decoders, video decoders, speakers, power conversion devices, power converters, and power inverters; Converters; Data cables; Electrical power connectors; Internal cooling fans for computers; Mouse pads; Computer mouse. 

 

Applicant may respond by providing one or both of the following:

 

(1)       a response filed using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) that fully satisfies all outstanding requirements and/or resolves all outstanding refusals; and/or

 

(2)       an appeal to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board filed using the Electronic System for Trademark Trials and Appeals (ESTTA) with the required filing fee of $200 per class.

 

37 C.F.R. §2.63(b)(1)-(2); 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.  TMEP §714.04; see 37 C.F.R. §2.146(b); TBMP §1201.05; TMEP §1704 (explaining petitionable matters).  There is a fee required for filing a petition.  37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(15).

 

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 requirements 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.

 

 

 

/Kimberly Frye/

Examining Attorney

Law Office 113

(p)571-272-9430

(f) 571-273-9430

(e) kimberly.frye@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.