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:  July 16, 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.  

 

 

 

This is a supplemental Non Final Office Action applicant of additional requirements that must be satisfied in order for this application to proceed to publication. 

 

Three-Dimensional Configuration Mark

Applicant has described the mark as a two-dimensional image of product packaging shown flat.  The packaging consists of five panels that are folded to form a five sided base that serve as three-dimensional packaging for the goods.  Applicant’s specimen clearly shows the product packaging in three-dimensional form.  Applicant must provide an amended drawing and description of the mark.

 

Configuration Marks

Based on the specimen of record, the sides and circle opening portions of the design must be represented by dotted lines.  These portions are non-distinctive because they serve to simply allow the yellow jackets into the traps.

 

When a drawing of the mark includes additional matter not claimed as part of the mark (e.g., matter that shows the position or placement of the mark), applicant must depict such matter using broken or dotted lines.  37 C.F.R. §2.52(b)(4); Kohler Co. v. Honda Giken Kogyo K.K., 125 USPQ2d 1468, 1488 (TTAB 2017) (quoting In re Heatcon, Inc., 116 USPQ2d 1366, 1379 (TTAB 2015)); TMEP §§807.08, 1202.02(c)(i); see In re Water Gremlin Co., 605 F.2d 841, 844, 208 USPQ 89, 91 (C.C.P.A. 1980).

 

In addition to these drawing requirements, applicant must also submit a clear and concise description of the mark that does the following:

 

(1)       Indicates the mark is a three-dimensional configuration of the goods or their packaging or of a specific design feature of the goods or packaging.

 

(2)       Specifies all the elements in the drawing that constitute the mark and are claimed as part of the mark.

 

(3)       Specifies any elements that are not part of the mark and indicates that the matter shown in broken or dotted lines is not part of the mark and serves only to show the position or placement of the mark. 

 

See 37 C.F.R. §§2.37, 2.52(b)(2), (b)(4); In re Famous Foods, Inc., 217 USPQ 177, 177 (TTAB 1983); TMEP §§807.08, 807.10, 1202.02(c)(ii). 

 

Questions Regarding Office Action

If applicant has questions regarding this Office action, please contact the assigned trademark examining attorney with questions about this Office action.  Although the trademark examining attorney cannot provide legal advice or statements about applicant’s rights, the trademark examining attorney can provide applicant with additional explanation about the refusal(s) and/or requirement(s) in this Office action.  See TMEP §§705.02, 709.06.  Although the USPTO does not accept emails as responses to Office actions, emails can be used for informal communications and will be included in the application record.  See 37 C.F.R. §§2.62(c), 2.191; TMEP §§304.01-.02, 709.04-.05. 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

/allison holtz/

Allison Holtz

Trademark Attorney

Law Office 111

allison.holtz@uspto.gov (preferred)

571.272.9383

 

 

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 July 16, 2019 for

U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 88334992

 

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. 

 

 

/allison holtz/

Allison Holtz

Trademark Attorney

Law Office 111

allison.holtz@uspto.gov (preferred)

571.272.9383

 

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 July 16, 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.”