Offc Action Outgoing

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Office Action (Official Letter) About Applicant’s Trademark Application

 

 

 

NONFINAL OFFICE ACTION

 

The USPTO must receive applicant’s response to this letter within six months of the issue date below or the application will be abandoned.  Respond using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS).  A link to the appropriate TEAS response form appears at the end of this Office action. 

 

 

Issue date:  September 04, 2019

 

This Office action is in response to applicant’s communication filed on 08/02/19.

 

In the previous Office action, dated 08/01/19, the examining attorney refused registration because the substitute specimen submitted in applicant’s response, dated 07/11/19, in International Class 34 appears to consist of a digitally altered image or a mock-up of the mark on the goods or their packaging and does not show the applied-for mark in actual use in commerce.  Trademark Act Sections 1 and 45, 15 U.S.C. §§1051, 1127; 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv), 2.56(a); TMEP §§904, 904.07(a).  In addition, the examining attorney required additional information about the specimen. Finally, the examining attorney continued and maintained the Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1) Descriptive refusal.

 

In its response, dated 08/02/19, in order to obviate the specimen refusal and requirement for additional information about the specimen, applicant amended the filing basis to Section 1(b) Intent-to-Use. The examining attorney accepts applicant’s amendment of the filing basis to Section 1(b) Intent-to-Use and hereby makes it of record. Accordingly, the specimen refusal and requirement for additional information about the specimen are both obviated. However, in its response, applicant failed to present any additional arguments against the Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1) Descriptive refusal. Accordingly, the examining attorney continues and maintains the Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1) Descriptive refusal and reserves the right to fully address applicant’s arguments upon receipt of a timely response to the instant Office action. Finally, pursuant to 37 C.F.R. §§2.2(o), 2.11(a), all applicants whose permanent legal residence or principal place of business is not within the United States or its territories must now be represented by a U.S.-licensed attorney at the USPTO. Accordingly, this raises a new issue, which the examining attorney now sets forth below.

 

SUMMARY OF ISSUES:

 

• Applicant with Foreign Street Address – U.S.-licensed Attorney Required – New Requirement
• Section 2(e)(1) Descriptive Refusal – Continued and Maintained

 

Applicant with Foreign Street Address - U.S.-licensed Attorney Required - New Requirement

 

The application record indicates that applicant’s domicile is outside of the United States in China, but no attorney who is an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a U.S. State or territory has been appointed to represent the applicant in this matter.  All applicants whose permanent legal residence or principal place of business is not within the United States or its territories must be represented by a U.S.-licensed attorney at the USPTO.  37 C.F.R. §§2.2(o), 2.11(a).  Thus, applicant is required to be represented by a U.S.-licensed attorney and must appoint one.  37 C.F.R. §2.11(a).  This application will not proceed to registration without such appointment and representation.  See id.  See Hiring a U.S.-licensed trademark attorney for more information.

 

To appoint or designate a U.S.-licensed attorney.  To appoint an attorney, applicant should (1) submit a completed Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) Revocation, Appointment, and/or Change of Address of Attorney/Domestic Representative form and (2) promptly notify the trademark examining attorney that this TEAS form was submitted.  Alternatively, if applicant has already retained an attorney, the attorney can respond to this Office action by using the appropriate TEAS response form and provide his or her attorney information in the form and sign it as applicant’s attorney.  See 37 C.F.R. §2.17(b)(1)(ii).

 

Section 2(e)(1) Descriptive Refusal –Continued and Maintained

 

Note: The examining attorney continues and maintains the Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1) Descriptive refusal and reserves the right to fully address applicant’s arguments upon receipt of a timely response to the instant Office action.

 

Registration is refused because the applied-for mark merely describes a characteristic and feature of applicant’s goods.  Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1), 15 U.S.C. §1052(e)(1); see TMEP §§1209.01(b), 1209.03 et seq.

 

 

 

 

 

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.  

 

 

How to respond.  Click to file a response to this nonfinal Office action  

 

 

Brian Callaghan

/Brian P. Callaghan/

Trademark Examining Attorney

U.S. Patent & Trademark Office

Law Office 108

Phone: (571) 272-4906

 

 

RESPONSE GUIDANCE

• Missing the response deadline to this letter will cause the application to abandon.  A response or notice of appeal must be received by the USPTO before midnight Eastern Time of the last day of the response period.  TEAS and ESTTA maintenance or unforeseen circumstances could affect an applicant’s ability to timely respond.  

 

• Responses signed by an unauthorized party are not accepted and can cause the application to abandon.  If applicant does not have an attorney, the response must be signed by the individual applicant, all joint applicants, or someone with legal authority to bind a juristic applicant.  If applicant has an attorney, the response must be signed by the attorney.

 

• If needed, find contact information for the supervisor of the office or unit listed in the signature block.

 

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

 

USPTO OFFICIAL NOTICE

 

Office Action (Official Letter) has issued

on September 04, 2019 for

U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 88309596

 

Your trademark application has been reviewed by a trademark examining attorney.  As part of that review, the assigned attorney has issued an official letter that you must respond to by the specified deadline or your application will be abandoned.  Please follow the steps below.

 

(1)  Read the official letter.

 

(2)  Direct questions about the contents of the Office action to the assigned attorney below. 

 

 

Brian Callaghan

/Brian P. Callaghan/

Trademark Examining Attorney

U.S. Patent & Trademark Office

Law Office 108

Phone: (571) 272-4906

 

Direct questions about navigating USPTO electronic forms, the USPTO website, the application process, the status of your application, and/or whether there are outstanding deadlines or documents related to your file to the Trademark Assistance Center (TAC).

 

(3)  Respond within 6 months (or earlier, if required in the Office action) from September 04, 2019, using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS).  The response must be received by the USPTO before midnight Eastern Time of the last day of the response period.  See the Office action for more information about how to respond.

 

 

 

GENERAL GUIDANCE

·         Check the status of your application periodically in the Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) database to avoid missing critical deadlines.

 

·         Update your correspondence email address, if needed, to ensure you receive important USPTO notices about your application.

 

·         Beware of misleading notices sent by private companies about your application.  Private companies not associated with the USPTO use public information available in trademark registrations to mail and email trademark-related offers and notices – most of which require fees.  All official USPTO correspondence will only be emailed from the domain “@uspto.gov.”