To: | Hearst Communications, Inc. (trademarks@hearst.com) |
Subject: | U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 88209318 - HOUSE BEAUTIFUL - 13636 |
Sent: | 2/14/2019 3:27:01 PM |
Sent As: | ECOM115@USPTO.GOV |
Attachments: | Attachment - 1 |
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION
APPLICATION SERIAL NO 88209318
MARK: HOUSE BEAUTIFUL |
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ATTORNEY ADDRESS: |
CLICK HERE TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER: http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp
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APPLICANT: Hearst Communications, Inc.
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ATTORNEY DOCKET: 13636
ATTORNEY 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: 2/14/2019
The undersigned trademark examining attorney has reviewed the referenced application. Applicant must respond timely and completely to the issues below. 15 U.S.C. §1062(b); 37 C.F.R. §§2.62(a), 2.65(a); TMEP §§711, 718.03.
The Office records have been searched, and no similar registered or pending mark has been found that would bar registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d), 15 U.S.C. §1052(d). TMEP §704.02.
Applicant Must Amend The Identification
Applicant must clarify some of the wording in the identification, as shown below, because it is indefinite and overly broad. See 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6); TMEP §§1402.01, 1402.03. The wording is indefinite because it does not make clear the exact nature of the goods. Further, it is overly broad because it encompasses goods and services in more than one international class.
Applicant may adopt the following identification, if accurate:
“Bird houses; barware made of acrylic, namely, bottle stoppers,” in International Class 20; and
“Bird feeders; brushes for footwear; buckets; candle holders; candle snuffer and tray combination; cutting boards; household utensils, namely, spatulas, barbecue tongs, barbecue fork; grill brushes for cleaning barbecue grills; lawn sprinklers; planters for flowers and plants; plastic storage containers for household or domestic use; serving platters; watering cans; woks; tableware, namely, plates, bowls, serving dishes, sugar bowls and cream and sugar sets; kitchen storage canisters; beverageware, including, cups, mugs, drinking glasses and pitchers; stemware made of acrylic or glass, namely, wine glasses, water goblets, martini glasses, margarita glasses; barware, namely, glass bottle stoppers, glass or acrylic decanters, glass or acrylic cocktail shakers, glass or acrylic ice buckets, glass or acrylic coasters and glass or acrylic cocktail strainers; picnic baskets sold empty made of wood, wicker or canvas; picnic baskets made of wood, wicker of canvas containing acrylic or porcelain dishes, and acrylic drinkware, namely, glasses and cups; vases made of ceramic, wood or glass; napkin rings made of non-precious metal, plastic, wood, wicker or ceramic; oven mitts,” in International Class 21.
For assistance with identification and classification in trademark applications, please consult the USPTO’s online searchable ID Manual. See TMEP §1402.04.
Multi-Class Application Requirements
(1) List the goods by their international class number in consecutive numerical order, starting with the lowest numbered class.
(2) Submit a filing fee for each international class not covered by the fee already paid (view the USPTO’s current fee schedule). The application identifies goods that are classified in at least two classes. However, applicant submitted a fee sufficient for only one class. Applicant must either submit the filing fees for the classes not covered by the submitted fees or restrict the application to the number of classes covered by the fees already paid.
See 15 U.S.C. §§1051(b), 1112, 1126(e); 37 C.F.R. §§2.32(a)(6)-(7), 2.34(a)(2)-(3), 2.86(a); TMEP §§1403.01, 1403.02(c).
See an overview of the requirements for a multiple-class application and how to satisfy the requirements online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form.
Applicant Must Submit A Disclaimer
In this case, applicant must disclaim the word “HOUSE” because it is not inherently distinctive. This unregistrable term is merely descriptive of an ingredient, quality, characteristic, function, feature, purpose, or use of applicant’s goods and/or services. 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).
A house is a home. See attached dictionary definition. Applicant offers goods for the home.
Applicant may respond to this issue by submitting a disclaimer in the following format:
No claim is made to the exclusive right to use “HOUSE” apart from the mark as shown.
If applicant does not provide the required disclaimer, the USPTO may refuse to register the entire mark. See In re Stereotaxis Inc., 429 F.3d 1039, 1041, 77 USPQ2d 1087, 1089 (Fed. Cir. 2005); TMEP §1213.01(b). For an overview of disclaimers and instructions on how to satisfy this disclaimer requirement online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form, please see the disclaimer page.
Advisory Regarding Claim Of Ownership
TEAS RF Application Requirements
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 email correspondence address; and (3) agree to receive correspondence from the USPTO by email 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 email without incurring this additional fee.
Applicant is invited to contact the assigned examining attorney with any questions regarding this action.
/Katherine S. Chang/
Trademark Examining Attorney
Law Office 115
571.270.1528
katherine.chang@uspto.gov
TO RESPOND: Go to response forms and choose option #1. 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 TSDR. Please keep a copy of the TSDR status screen. If the status shows no change for more than six months, contact TrademarkAssistanceCenter@uspto.gov or call 800-786-9199. For more information on checking status, see status and documents.
TO UPDATE CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS: Use the change of address form.