To: | Case-Mate, Inc. (trademark@gardnergroff.com) |
Subject: | U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 88167644 - PROTECTION NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD - 2C25.3-790 |
Sent: | 1/16/2019 11:57:19 AM |
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. 88167644
MARK: PROTECTION NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD
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CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS: GARDNER GROFF GREENWALD & VILLANUEVA, PC |
CLICK HERE TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER: http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp
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APPLICANT: Case-Mate, Inc.
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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. 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: 1/16/2019
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 requirement(s) apply to all of the goods and/or services listed in the application, unless otherwise stated.
SEARCH OF OFFICE’S DATABASE OF MARKS
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).
The refusal(s) and/or requirement(s) only applies to the applicant’s goods listed as “mobile accessories.” If the applicant should fail to respond to this Office action within the six month time limit, then the “mobile accessories” will be deleted from the application and the application will proceed forward for the remaining goods, if possible.
IDENTIFICATION OF GOODS AND/OR SERVICES
The identification of goods is indefinite and must be clarified. See 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6); TMEP §1402.01. The applicant must identify the goods and/or services specifically to provide public notice to the average person who does not have an in-depth knowledge of the relevant field(s) and to enable the USPTO to classify the goods and/or services properly and to reach informed judgments concerning likelihood of confusion under 15 U.S.C. §1052(d).
In an identification, an applicant must use the common commercial or generic name for the goods and/or services, be specific and all-inclusive, and avoid using indefinite words or phrases. TMEP§§1402.01, 1402.03(a). If the goods have no common commercial or generic name, applicant must describe the product, its main purpose, and its intended uses. See id.
The applicant should describe the goods and/or services using wording that would be generally understood by the average person. See Schenley Indus., Inc. v. Battistoni, 112 USPQ 485, 486 (Comm’r Pats. 1957); Cal. Spray-Chem. Corp. v. Osmose Wood Pres. Co. of Am., 102 USPQ 321, 322 (Comm’r Pats. 1954); TMEP §1402.01. “[T]echnical, high-sounding verbiage” should be avoided. Id., 102 USPQ at 322.
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.
Applicant may adopt the following identification if accurate [changes in bold text]:
Mobile accessories, namely, [list the common commercial or generic name for the goods, e.g., cases for mobile phones. If there is no common commercial or generic name for the goods, then the applicant must describe the product and its intended uses.]; accessories for mobile and handheld electronic devices, namely, smart watches, smartwatch wristbands, audio headphones, audio headphone cases, armbands specially adapted for personal mobile and handheld electronic devices, namely, cellphones, smartphones, MP3 players, handheld computers, and tablet computers; stands and car mounts for supporting mobile and handheld electronic devices, namely, cellphones, smartphones, MP3 players, handheld computers, and tablet computers; storage pockets specially adapted for attachment to mobile and handheld electronic devices, namely, cellphones, smartphones, MP3 players, handheld computers, and tablet computers; finger grips, straps, and holders for mobile and handheld electronic devices, namely, cellphones, smartphones, MP3 players, handheld computers, and tablet computers; holsters for mobile and handheld electronic devices, namely, cellphones, smartphones, MP3 players, handheld computers, and tablet computers; cell phone battery chargers; battery chargers for use with electronic mobile devices; hand grips, stands, and mounts adapted for handheld electronic devices, namely, cellphones, smartphones, MP3 players, handheld computers, and tablet computers; cases for electronic devices, namely, cases for cellphones, smartphones, MP3 players, handheld computers, and tablet computers; computer carrying cases; laptop carrying cases; notebook computer carrying cases; cases including an auxiliary power source for personal electronic devices, namely, cellphones, smartphones, MP3 players, handheld computers, and tablet computers; protective covers and cases for mobile and handheld electronic devices, namely, cellphones, smartphones, MP3 players, handheld computers, and tablet computers; screen protectors in the nature of protective sheets of plastic film specially adapted for electronic devices with screens, namely, smart phones, portable media players, handheld computers, and tablet computers; virtual reality headsets and viewers for use with mobile and handheld electronic devices, namely, cellphones, smartphones, MP3 players, handheld computers, and tablet computers in International Class 9.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ACTION
If the applicant has technical questions about the TEAS response to Office action form, the applicant can review the electronic filing tips available online at http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/e_filing_tips.jsp and send technical questions to the TEAS Support Team at TEAS@uspto.gov via e-mail. Please include your name, telephone number, serial number and/or registration number, a description of the issue, including the name of the TEAS form you are having problems with (e.g., “Response to Office Action Form,” “Request for Extension of Time to File a Statement of Use,” etc.), and a screen shot of any error message that you are receiving. You should receive a response within two (2) hours if the e-mail message is submitted during normal business hours.
For status inquiries or copies of documents, an applicant may check the status of or view documents filed in the trademark and/or service mark application or registration twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, using the Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) database on the USPTO website at http://tsdr.gov.uspto.report/. To obtain this status or view these documents, enter the application serial number or registration number and click on “Status” or “Documents.” Do not attempt to check status until approximately four to five (4-5) days after submission of a filing, to allow sufficient time for all USPTO databases to be updated.
For all other non-legal matters, including petitions to revive or reinstate an application, please contact the Trademark Assistance Center (TAC). TAC may be reached by e-mail at TrademarkAssistanceCenter@uspto.gov or by telephone at (800) 786-9199. For non-technical matters, TAC is open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), Monday through Friday, except on federal government holidays. A list of federal government holidays is available at the following website: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/.
If applicant has questions regarding the legal issues in this Office action, please call the assigned trademark examining attorney.
/Brian Pino/
Examining Attorney
Law Office 114
571.272.9209 Telephone
571.273.9209 Facsimile
Brian.Pino2@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.