To: | Sheehan, Joseph (info@whiteandcirrito.com) |
Subject: | U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 88239436 - SYNERGY SCENTS - N/A |
Sent: | 3/21/2019 2:37:31 PM |
Sent As: | ECOM116@USPTO.GOV |
Attachments: | Attachment - 1 Attachment - 2 Attachment - 3 Attachment - 4 |
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION
U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 88239436
MARK: SYNERGY SCENTS
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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: Sheehan, Joseph
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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: 3/21/2019
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.
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).
DESCRIPTION OF MARK - CLARIFICATION REQUIRED
To clarify whether color is claimed as a feature of the mark, applicant may satisfy one of the following:
(1) If color is not a feature of the mark, applicant must submit an amended description of the mark that omits any reference of color. See TMEP §§807.07(a)(ii), 808.02. The following is suggested, if accurate:
The mark consists of an image of a dog inside of an atom, the atom consisting of three ovals at different angles with each oval featuring a slight break with a circle in the break representing the particles which are revolving around the dog at center, the word SYNERGY, all capitals, runs horizontal along the top of the mark curved upward at the center, the word SCENTS, all capitals, runs horizontal along the bottom of the mark curving downward at the center.
(2) If color is a feature of the mark, applicant must submit a (a) new drawing showing the mark in color, (b) list all the colors that are a feature of the mark, and (c) amend the description, if appropriate, to specify where all the colors appear in the literal and design elements of the mark. 37 C.F.R. §§2.37, 2.52(b)(1); see TMEP §807.07(a)-(a)(ii). Generic color names must be used to describe the colors in the mark, e.g., red, yellow, blue. TMEP §807.07(a)(i)-(ii). If black, white, and/or gray represent background, outlining, shading, and/or transparent areas and are not part of the mark, applicant must so specify in the description. See TMEP §807.07(d).
The following color claim and description are suggested, if accurate:
Color claim: “The color black is claimed as a feature of the mark.”
Description: “The mark consists of a solid black image of a dog inside of an atom, the atom consisting of three ovals at different angles with each oval featuring a slight break with a circle in the break representing the particles which are revolving around the dog at center, the word SYNERGY, all capitals, runs horizontal along the top of the mark curved upward at the center, the word SCENTS, all capitals, runs horizontal along the bottom of the mark curving downward at the center.”
For more information about drawings and instructions on how to submit a new drawing and a color claim and/or description online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form, see the Drawing webpage.
DISCLAIMER REQUIRED
In this case, applicant must disclaim the wording “SCENTS” because it is not inherently distinctive. This unregistrable term at best is merely descriptive of a feature of applicant’s 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).
The attached dictionary evidence shows the word “scent” is defined as “the sense of smell.” As shown by the attached Internet evidence, applicant’s services concern the detection of bed bugs through a dog’s sense of smell, or scent. Consumers who view the mark being used in connection with the identified services will instantly understand the word SCENTS to refer to a particular feature of the services. Thus, the wording SCENTS merely describes applicant’s services and must be disclaimed.
Applicant may respond to this issue by submitting a disclaimer in the following format:
No claim is made to the exclusive right to use “SCENTS” apart from the mark as shown.
For an overview of disclaimers and instructions on how to satisfy this issue using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), see the Disclaimer webpage.
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.
/Michele-Lynn Swain/
Michele-Lynn Swain
Examining Attorney
Law Office 116
571-272-9232
michele.swain@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.