To: | Biocompatibles UK Limited (efiling@knobbe.com) |
Subject: | U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 88185569 - IO LOOP - RJENK67.044T |
Sent: | 2/12/2019 4:46:49 PM |
Sent As: | ECOM103@USPTO.GOV |
Attachments: |
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION
U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 88185569
MARK: IO LOOP
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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: Biocompatibles UK Limited
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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: 2/12/2019
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 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, 2.65(a); TMEP §§711, 718.03.
Search Results
The Office records have been searched and there are no similar registered or pending marks that would bar registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d), 15 U.S.C. §1052(d). TMEP §704.02.
Dual Bases
The application specifies both an intent to use basis under Trademark Act Section 1(b) and a claim of priority under Section 44(d) based on a foreign application. See 15 U.S.C. §§1051(b), 1126(d); 37 C.F.R. §2.34(a)(2), (a)(4). However, no copy of a foreign registration has been provided even though the application indicates applicant’s intent to rely on Section 44(e) as an additional basis for registration. See 15 U.S.C. §1126(e).
An application with a Section 44(e) basis must include a true copy, photocopy, certification, or certified copy of a foreign registration from an applicant’s country of origin. 15 U.S.C. §1126(e); 37 C.F.R. §2.34(a)(3)(ii); TMEP §§1004, 1004.01, 1016. In addition, an applicant’s country of origin must be a party to a convention or treaty relating to trademarks to which the United States is also a party, or must extend reciprocal registration rights to nationals of the United States by law. 15 U.S.C. §1126(b); TMEP §§1002.01, 1004.
Therefore, applicant must provide a copy of the foreign registration from applicant’s country of origin when it becomes available. TMEP §1003.04(a). A copy of a foreign registration must consist of a document issued to an applicant by, or certified by, the intellectual property office in applicant’s country of origin. TMEP §1004.01. If applicant’s country of origin does not issue registrations or Madrid Protocol certificates of extension of protection, applicant may submit a copy of the Madrid Protocol international registration that shows that protection of the international registration has been extended to applicant’s country of origin. TMEP §1016. In addition, applicant must also provide an English translation if the foreign registration is not written in English. 37 C.F.R. §2.34(a)(3)(ii); TMEP §1004.01(a)-(b). The translation should be signed by the translator. TMEP §1004.01(b).
If the foreign registration has not yet issued, or applicant requires additional time to procure a copy of the foreign registration (and English translation, as appropriate), applicant should so inform the trademark examining attorney and request that the U.S. application be suspended until a copy of the foreign registration is available. TMEP §§716.02(b), 1003.04(b).
If applicant cannot satisfy the requirements of a Section 44(e) basis, applicant may request that the mark be approved for publication based solely on the Section 1(b) basis. See 15 U.S.C. §§1051(b), 1126(e); 37 C.F.R. §2.35(b)(1); TMEP §§806.02(f), 806.04(b), 1003.04(b). Although the mark may be approved for publication on the Section 1(b) basis, it will not register until an acceptable allegation of use has been filed. See 15 U.S.C. §1051(c)-(d); 37 C.F.R. §§2.76, 2.88; TMEP §1103. Please note that, if the U.S. application satisfied the requirements of Section 44(d) as of the U.S. application filing date, applicant may retain the priority filing date under Section 44(d) without perfecting the Section 44(e) basis, provided there is a continuing valid basis for registration. See 37 C.F.R. §2.35(b)(3)-(4); TMEP §§806.02(f), 806.04(b).
Alternatively, applicant has the option to amend the application to rely solely on the Section 44(e) basis and request deletion of the Section 1(b) basis. See 37 C.F.R. §2.35(b)(1); TMEP §806.04. The foreign registration alone may serve as the basis for obtaining a U.S. registration. See 37 C.F.R. §2.34(a)(3); TMEP §806.01(d).
Identification of Goods
The identification of goods is indefinite and must be clarified because the nature of the goods is unclear. See 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6); TMEP §1402.01. The identification for software in International Class 9 is indefinite and must be clarified by amending to specify the purpose or function of the software. See 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6); TMEP §1402.03(d). If the software is content- or field-specific, applicant must also specify its content or field of use. See TMEP §1402.03(d). The USPTO requires such specificity in identifying computer software in order for a trademark examining attorney to examine the application properly and make appropriate decisions concerning possible conflicts between the applicant’s mark and other marks. See In re N.A.D. Inc., 57 USPQ2d 1872, 1874 (TTAB 2000); TMEP §1402.03(d).
The following are examples of acceptable identifications for software in International Class 9: “downloadable mobile applications for managing bank accounts,” “desktop publishing software,” “tax preparation software.”
Applicant may adopt the following wording, if accurate:
In Class 9: Computer software used for [specify the function(s) of the software]; computer application software for mobile phones
[specify the function(s) of the software]; computer programs [specify the function(s) of the software]; computer programs for use in the field of health
care for the collection, maintenance and management of data for patient records, clinical diagnosis and assessment, patient treatment, goals management, outcome analysis, scheduling, health care
facilities management, materials management, resources utilization, billing and accounting, and the review of health care facilities, services and clinical records; computer software for use by
health care providers to analyze the outcomes of medical procedures and drug management and information relating to patient care; computer software for use in database management; computer databases
for clinical use, clinical governance, clinical audit, collecting and analysing information relating to patient demographics, procedures and outcomes; electronic questionnaires; downloadable electronic patient reported outcome questionnaires; electronic patient reported outcome questionnaires for use with a telecommunications device; downloadable software in the
nature of a mobile application that provides access to information, advice and calculation tools in the fields of healthcare, medicine, medical treatment and patient care; computer software for
controlling and managing patient medical information; computer programs for controlling and managing patient medical information; computer database software for clinical use, clinical governance,
clinical audit, collecting and analyzing information relating to patient demographics, procedures and outcomes; downloadable electronic publications in the nature of questionnaires on the subject of
healthcare, medicine, medical treatment and patient care; downloadable electronic publications in the nature of patient reported outcome questionnaires on the subject of healthcare, medicine, medical
treatment and patient care for use with a telecommunications device; downloadable publications in the nature of {indicate specific nature of publication} in the field of {indicate
subject matter of publication} in electronic form; downloadable electronic publications in the nature of {indicate specific nature of publication} in the field of {indicate
subject matter of publication} provided on-line from databases or the internet; computer software and downloadable publications in the nature of {indicate specific nature of
publication} in the field of {indicate subject matter of publication} in electronic form supplied on-line from databases or from facilities provided on the internet; (including
websites)
Recitation of Services
In Class 42: Providing health care providers with temporary use of software for analyzing the outcomes of medical procedures and information relating to
patient care; providing patient quality monitoring and assurance services in the fields of healthcare, medicine, medical treatment and patient healthcare; medical research on patient
demographics, procedures and outcomes; providing healthcare providers with temporary use of non-downloadable computer software for analyzing the outcomes of medical procedures and information in
relation to patient care; information and advisory services related to the aforesaid;
In Class 44: Patient quality monitoring services in the fields of healthcare, medicine, medical treatment and patient healthcare; providing patient focused questionnaires to measure outcomes of treatment; advisory services relating to health and healthcare; advisory services relating to medicine and medical treatment and services; advisory services relating to patient care; providing health assessment surveys and health risk assessment surveys; providing treatment outcome surveys; health advice and information services; health care consultancy services; consultancy services relating to medical treatment; information services relating to health care and medical treatment; collecting and analysing information relating to patient demographics, procedures and outcomes; patient support program, namely, assisting patients in evaluating therapeutic treatment options
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.
/Kevon L. Chisolm/
Trademark Examining Attorney
Law Office 103
571-272-9270
kevon.chisolm@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.