To: | James Norris (docket@nutter.com) |
Subject: | U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 88286366 - HF - 119555-3 |
Sent: | 4/22/2019 4:08:55 PM |
Sent As: | ECOM110@USPTO.GOV |
Attachments: | Attachment - 1 Attachment - 2 Attachment - 3 Attachment - 4 Attachment - 5 Attachment - 6 Attachment - 7 Attachment - 8 Attachment - 9 Attachment - 10 Attachment - 11 Attachment - 12 Attachment - 13 Attachment - 14 Attachment - 15 |
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION
U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 88286366
MARK: HF
|
|
CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS: |
CLICK HERE TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER: http://www.gov.uspto.report/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp
|
APPLICANT: James Norris
|
|
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: 4/22/2019
DISCLAIMER OF DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN
In this case, applicant must disclaim the disability/handicap symbol because it is not inherently distinctive. This unregistrable symbol at best is merely informational and merely descriptive of applicant’s services.
The symbol merely imparts information about applicant’s services and does not function as a trademark or service mark to indicate the source of applicant’s services and to identify and distinguish them from others. See 15 U.S.C. §§1051-1053, 1127; In re Boston Beer Co., 198 F.3d 1370, 1372-74, 53 USPQ2d 1058-59 (Fed. Cir. 1999); In re Aerospace Optics, Inc., 78 USPQ2d 1861, 1864 (TTAB 2006); TMEP §§1202.17(c)(i)(A), (c)(iii), 1213.03(a), (b).
Determining whether a symbol functions as a trademark or service mark involves considering (1) the significance of the symbol, (2) the nature of the symbol’s use in the relevant marketplace, and (3) the impression created when the mark is used in connection with the identified goods and/or services. TMEP §1202.17(c)(i); see In re Eagle Crest, Inc., 96 USPQ2d 1227, 1229 (TTAB 2010); In re Aerospace Optics, Inc., 78 USPQ2d at 1862.
The attached evidence from www.wikipedia.com shows that the symbol refers to disables or handicapped individuals. Further, the attached evidence from www.google.com shows this symbol is widely used in the marketplace. Because consumers are accustomed to seeing this symbol used in this manner, when applied to applicant’s services, they will perceive the symbol merely as informational matter indicating that the services involve or are about handicapped individuals. Thus, the symbol will not be perceived as a trademark or service mark that identifies the source of applicant’s services.
In addition, the symbol merely describes an ingredient, quality, characteristic, function, feature, purpose, or use 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), (c). A design of descriptive matter, and the word or words that describe the design are legal equivalents; therefore, a design must be disclaimed the same as the descriptive wording. TMEP §1209.03(f); see In re Underwater Connections, Inc., 221 USPQ 95, 95 (TTAB 1983).
The handicap is the legal equivalent of the wording “disabled.” Applicant’s services are promoting awareness of disabled persons and classes for disabled persons. Therefore, the symbol and its legally equivalent wording, disabled, merely describe the services.
Applicant may respond to this issue by submitting a disclaimer in the following format:
No claim is made to the exclusive right to use “the representation of the universal handicap/disability symbol” 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.
SEARCH OF THE RECORDS
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).
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.
/Caroline E. Wood/
Examining Attorney
Law Office 110
571-272-9243
caroline.wood@uspto.gov
(responses are not accepted via e-mail)
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.