To: | Biz2Credit Inc. (Trademark@msk.com) |
Subject: | U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 88443679 - BIZ2X - 1117.1 |
Sent: | August 20, 2019 11:39:02 AM |
Sent As: | ecom114@uspto.gov |
Attachments: |
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Office Action (Official Letter) About Applicant’s Trademark Application
U.S. Application Serial No. 88443679
Mark: BIZ2X
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Correspondence Address: |
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Applicant: Biz2Credit Inc.
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Reference/Docket No. 1117.1
Correspondence Email Address: |
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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: August 20, 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).
AMENDMENT TO IDENTIFICATION OF GOODS AND SERVICES REQUIRED – CLASSES 35 AND 42 ONLY
The identification of goods and services is indefinite and must be clarified in the manner outlined below. See 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6); TMEP §1402.01.
The Trademark Act requires that a trademark or service mark application must include a “specification of … the goods [or services]” in connection with which the mark is being used or will be used. 15 U.S.C. §1051(a)(2) (emphasis added), (b)(2) (emphasis added); see 15 U.S.C. §1053. Specifically, a complete application must include a “list of the particular goods or services on or in connection with which the applicant uses or intends to use the mark.” 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6) (emphasis added). This requirement for a specification of the particular goods and/or services applies to applications filed under all statutory bases. See 15 U.S.C. §§1051(a)(2), 1051(b)(2), 1053, 1126(d)-(e), 1141f; 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6); TMEP §§1402.01, 1402.01(b)-(c).
The USPTO has the discretion to determine the degree of particularity needed to clearly identify goods and/or services covered by a mark. In re Fiat Grp. Mktg. & Corp. Commc’ns S.p.A, 109 USPQ2d 1593, 1597 (TTAB 2014) (citing In re Omega SA, 494 F.3d 1362, 1365, 83 USPQ2d 1541, 1543-44 (Fed. Cir. 2007)). Accordingly, the USPTO requires the description of goods and/or services in a U.S. application to be specific, definite, clear, accurate, and concise. TMEP §1402.01; see In re Fiat Grp. Mktg. & Corp. Commc’ns S.p.A, 109 USPQ2d at 1597-98; Cal. Spray-Chem. Corp. v. Osmose Wood Pres. Co. of Am., 102 USPQ 321, 322 (Comm’r Pats. 1954).
In the present case, the following amendments are required:
The identification of services must be amended to clarify the nature of the services identified as “business consultation, namely, outsourcing in the fields of accounting, bookkeeping, tax, business auditing, payroll processing, human resources” because it is unclear as to whether applicant is providing the services listed in the various fields or whether applicant is arranging service contracts for others. If accurate, applicant may amend to: “Business consultation, namely, outsourcing services in the nature of arranging service contracts for others in the fields of accounting, bookkeeping, tax, business auditing, payroll processing, human resources”.
Additionally, the wording “Providing online non downloadable software for business loan application, approval and repayment process” must be amended to clarify the purpose of the software. If accurate, applicant may amend to: “Providing online non downloadable software for business loan application, approval and repayment processing”.
Please note that applicant’s goods and/or services may be clarified or limited, but may not be expanded beyond those originally itemized in the application or as acceptably amended. See 37 C.F.R. §2.71(a); TMEP §1402.06. Applicant may clarify or limit the identification by inserting qualifying language or deleting items to result in a more specific identification; however, applicant may not substitute different goods and/or services or add goods and/or services not found or encompassed by those in the original application or as acceptably amended. See TMEP §1402.06(a)-(b). The scope of the goods and/or services sets the outer limit for any changes to the identification and is generally determined by the ordinary meaning of the wording in the identification. TMEP §§1402.06(b), 1402.07(a)-(b). Any acceptable changes to the goods and/or services will further limit scope, and once goods and/or services are deleted, they are not permitted to be reinserted. TMEP §1402.07(e).
For assistance with identifying and classifying goods and services in trademark applications, please see the USPTO’s online searchable U.S. Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual. See TMEP §1402.04.
RESPONSE GUIDELINES
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.
If applicant does not respond to this Office action within the six-month period for response, the following goods and/or services in International Classes 35 and 42 will be deleted from the application: business consultation, namely, outsourcing in the fields of accounting, bookkeeping, tax, business auditing, payroll processing, human resources; Providing online non downloadable software for business loan application, approval and repayment process. The application will then proceed with the remaining goods and services in International Classes 9 and 35 only. See 37 C.F.R. §2.65(a)-(a)(1); TMEP §718.02(a).
How to respond. Click to file a response to this nonfinal Office action
/Shaila E. Lewis/
Trademark Examining Attorney
Law Office 114
(571) 270-1527 (phone)
(571) 270-2527 (fax)
Shaila.Lewis@uspto.gov
RESPONSE GUIDANCE