UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION
U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 88149930
MARK: REEVES SUPPLY
|
|
CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS: |
CLICK HERE TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER: http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp
|
APPLICANT: L.B. White Company, Inc.
|
|
CORRESPONDENT’S REFERENCE/DOCKET NO: CORRESPONDENT E-MAIL ADDRESS: |
|
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. 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: 1/22/2019
The referenced application 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.
Search
The trademark examining attorney has searched the Office’s database of registered and pending marks and has found no conflicting marks that would bar registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d). TMEP §704.02; see 15 U.S.C. §1052(d).
Trademark Act Section 2(e)(4) Refusal – Surname
An applicant’s mark is primarily merely a surname if the surname, when viewed in connection with the applicant’s recited goods and/or services, “‘is the primary significance of the mark as a whole to the purchasing public.’” Earnhardt v. Kerry Earnhardt, Inc., 864 F.3d 1374, 1377, 123 USPQ2d 1411, 1413 (Fed. Cir. 2017) (quoting In re Hutchinson Tech. Inc., 852 F.2d 552, 554, 7 USPQ2d 1490, 1492 (Fed. Cir. 1988)); TMEP §1211.01.
The following five inquiries are often used to determine the public’s perception of a term’s primary significance:
(1) Whether the surname is rare;
(2) Whether anyone connected with applicant uses the term as a surname;
(3) Whether the term has any recognized meaning other than as a surname;
(4) Whether the term has the structure and pronunciation of a surname; and
(5) Whether the term is sufficiently stylized to remove its primary significance from that of a surname.
In re Eximius Coffee, LLC, 120 USPQ2d 1276, 1278 & n.2, 1282-83 (TTAB 2016) (citing In re Benthin Mgmt. GmbH, 37 USPQ2d 1332, 1333-34 (TTAB 1995) for the Benthin inquiries/factors); TMEP §1211.01; see also In re Etablissements Darty et Fils, 759 F.2d 15, 16-18, 225 USPQ 652, 653 (Fed. Cir. 1985).
These inquiries are not exclusive, and any of these circumstances – singly or in combination – and any other relevant circumstances may be considered when making this determination. In re Eximius Coffee, LLC, 120 USPQ2d at 1277-78; TMEP §1211.01. For example, when the applied-for mark is not stylized, it is unnecessary to consider the fifth inquiry. In re Yeley, 85 USPQ2d 1150, 1151 (TTAB 2007); TMEP §1211.01.
Please see the attached sample evidence from LexisNexis, establishing the surname significance of REEVES. This evidence shows the applied-for mark appearing at least 117,000 times as a surname in its surname database, which is a weekly updated directory of cell phone and other phone numbers (such as voice over IP) from various data providers. The examining attorney has also attached evidence from the applicant’s website showing that the founders of Reeves Supply have the surname Reeves.
A nondistinctive term is typically accorded less weight and is not likely to detract from the primary surname significance of the mark. See Azeka Bldg. Corp. v. Azeka, 122 USPQ2d 1477, 1481 n.9, 1482 (TTAB 2017) (construing In re Hutchinson Tech. Inc., 852 F.2d at 554, 7 USPQ2d at 1492-93); TMEP §1211.01(b)(vi). Although individual components of a mark may be weighed to determine the mark’s overall commercial impression, the combination of the individual parts must be viewed as a whole to determine if the additional term alters the primary significance of the mark to the purchasing public. Earnhardt v. Kerry Earnhardt, Inc., 864 F.3d at 1378-79, 123 USPQ2d at 1414 (quoting In re Oppedahl & Larson LLP, 373 F.3d 1171, 1174-75, 71 USPQ2d 1370, 1372 (Fed. Cir. 2004)).
In this case, the addition of SUPPLY does not alter the primary significance of the mark as a whole from that of a surname. Combining a surname with a term that is merely descriptive, or generic of an applicant’s goods and/or services typically does not “detract from the primary surname significance” of the mark. Azeka Bldg. Corp. v. Azeka, 122 USPQ2d 1477, 1481-82, 1481 n.9 (TTAB 2017) (construing In re Hutchinson Tech. Inc., 852 F.2d 552, 554, 7 USPQ2d 1490, 1492-93 (Fed. Cir. 1988)); see TMEP §1211.01(b)(vi).
Specifically, “SUPPLY” is a non-distinctive term used in the marketplace to indicate the provision of goods or services for use by others. The examining attorney has attached third-party registration evidence from the Office’s X-Search database featuring disclaimers of this term when used a similar context. For all of the reasons set forth above, applicant’s mark is primarily merely a surname and registration on the Principal Register must be refused.
Response Options
(1) Prior Registrations: Applicant may claim ownership of one or more active prior registrations on the Principal Register of the same mark for goods and/or services that are sufficiently similar to those named in the pending application. 37 C.F.R. §2.41(a)(1); TMEP §§1212, 1212.04. Applicant may do so by submitting the following statement, if accurate: “The mark has become distinctive of the goods and/or services as evidenced by the ownership of active U.S. Registration No(s). <insert if applicable> on the Principal Register for the same mark for sufficiently similar goods and/or services.” TMEP §1212.04(e).
(2) Five Years’ Use: Applicant may submit the following statement, verified with an affidavit or signed declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20: “The mark has become distinctive of the goods and/or services through the applicant’s substantially exclusive and continuous use of the mark in commerce that the U.S. Congress may lawfully regulate for at least the five years immediately before the date of this statement.” 37 C.F.R. §2.41(a)(2); TMEP §1212.05(d); see 37 C.F.R. §2.193(e)(1).
(3) Other Evidence: Applicant may submit other evidence of acquired distinctiveness, with the following statement, if accurate: “The evidence shows that the mark has become distinctive of the goods and/or services.” 37 C.F.R. §2.41(a)(3); TMEP §1212.06. Such additional evidence may include “advertising expenditures, sales success, length and exclusivity of use, unsolicited media coverage, and consumer studies (linking the name to a source).” In re Change Wind Corp., 123 USPQ2d 1453, 1467 (TTAB 2017) (quoting In re Steelbuilding.com, 415 F.3d 1293, 1300, 75 USPQ2d 1420, 1424 (Fed. Cir. 2005)).
If applicant cannot satisfy one of the above, applicant may respond by amending the application to seek registration on the Supplemental Register. See 15 U.S.C. §1091; 37 C.F.R. §§2.47, 2.75(a).
Classification/Identification of Services Unacceptable
Class 37: “Repair services for agricultural evaporative cooling systems”
Class 40: “Custom manufacturing of agricultural evaporative cooling systems and their replacement parts”
For assistance with identifying and classifying goods and services in trademark applications, please see the USPTO’s online searchable U.S. Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual. See TMEP §1402.04.
Multi-Class Application – Advisory
(1) List the goods and/or services by their international class number in consecutive numerical order, starting with the lowest numbered class (for example, International Class 3: perfume; International Class 18: cosmetic bags sold empty).
(2) Submit a filing fee for each international class not covered by the fee(s) already paid (view the USPTO’s current fee schedule). Specifically, the application identifies services based on use in commerce that are classified in at least two classes; however, applicant submitted a fee(s) sufficient for only one class. Applicant must either (a) submit the filing fees for the classes not covered by the submitted fees or (b) restrict the application to the number of classes covered by the fees already paid.
(3) Submit verified dates of first use of the mark anywhere and in commerce for each international class. See more information about verified dates of use.
(4) Submit a specimen for each international class. The current specimen is acceptable for class 40; and applicant needs a specimen for class 37 if it is added to the application. See more information about specimens.
Examples of specimens for services include advertising and marketing materials, brochures, photographs of business signage and billboards, and website printouts that show the mark used in the actual sale, rendering, or advertising of the services.
(5) Submit a verified statement that “The specimen was in use in commerce on or in connection with the goods and/or services listed in the application at least as early as the filing date of the application.” See more information about verification.
See 15 U.S.C. §§1051(a), 1112; 37 C.F.R. §§2.32(a)(6)-(7), 2.34(a)(1), 2.86(a); TMEP §§904, 1403.01, 1403.02(c).
See an overview of the requirements for a Section 1(a) multiple-class application and how to satisfy the requirements online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form.
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.
Assistance
/Jordan A. Baker/
Trademark Examining Attorney
Law Office 124
571-272-8844
jordan.baker@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.
Search: |
Public Records : Surname |
Terms: |
last-name(Reeves) maxresults(500) |
Total number found: 117479 |
|||
No. |
Name |
Address |
Phone |
|
|
|
|
1. |
REEVES, A |
2201 13TH NE
|
202-730-6348 |
|
|
|
|
2. |
REEVES, A |
4312 DUKE
|
703-212-8336 |
|
|
|
|
3. |
REEVES, A |
5021 GROVE CROSSING
|
919-649-6422 |
|
|
|
|
4. |
REEVES, A |
435 N HUNT
|
480-628-7780 |
|
|
|
|
5. |
REEVES, A |
310 IRIQUOIS
|
609-276-4876 |
|
|
|
|
6. |
REEVES, A T |
ACWORTH, GA 30101 |
770-966-8660 |
|
|
|
|
7. |
REEVES, A |
BURKE, VA 22015 |
703-973-3707 |
|
|
|
|
8. |
REEVES, A |
CHILDS, MD 21916 |
443-207-7886 |
|
|
|
|
9. |
REEVES, A |
GAFFNEY, SC 29341 |
864-425-6081 |
|
|
|
|
10. |
REEVES, A |
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX 75053 |
214-906-2403 |
|
|
|
|
11. |
REEVES, A |
HAMMOND, LA 70401 |
985-662-5134 |
|
|
|
|
12. |
REEVES, A |
HIALEAH, FL 33010 |
786-343-6905 |
|
|
|
|
13. |
REEVES, A |
HOUSTON, TX 77062 |
281-218-6002 |
495. |
REEVES, BRUCE |
3801 GRAPHIC
|
214-289-6569 |
|
|
|
|
496. |
REEVES, BRUCE L SR |
3801 PROCTER
|
409-721-6944 |
|
|
|
|
497. |
REEVES, BRUCE |
44 TIMBERLANE
|
205-459-2259 |
|
|
|
|
498. |
REEVES, BRUCE |
MURRIETA, CA 92562 |
951-813-0740 |
|
|
|
|
499. |
REEVES, BRYAN L |
4239 FAIRVIEW COVE
|
205-589-6525 |
|
|
|
|
500. |
REEVES, BRYAN |
NOBLESVILLE, IN 46060 |
317-219-8804 |
|
|
|
Search: |
Public Records: Surname |
Terms: |
last-name(Reeves) maxresults(500) |
Date/Time: |
Tuesday, January 22, 2019 8:59 AM |
Permissible Use: |
Your DPPA Permissible Use: I have no permissible use Your GLBA Permissible Use: I have no permissible use |
Copyright © 2019 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.