To: | Sony Corporation (dctrademarks@dlapiper.com) |
Subject: | U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 88483555 - N/A |
Sent: | July 15, 2019 07:12:07 PM |
Sent As: | ecom106@uspto.gov |
Attachments: |
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Office Action (Official Letter) About Applicant’s Trademark Application
U.S. Application Serial No. 88483555
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Correspondence Address:
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Applicant: Sony Corporation
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Reference/Docket No. N/A
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: July 15, 2019
No Conflicting Marks
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).
Summary of Refusals and/or Requirements
The following is a summary of the requirements and/or refusals outlined below to which the applicant must respond.
n New drawing required
n Requirement to amend description and classification of goods/services
n Requirement to comply with classification requirements
n Requirement to amend the color claim and mark description
n Advisory concerning filing basis
DRAWING
Therefore, applicant must submit a new drawing showing a clear depiction of the mark. All lines must be clean, sharp and solid, and not fine or crowded. 37 C.F.R. §§2.53(c), 2.54(e); TMEP §§807.05(c), 807.06(a). Additionally, the USPTO will not accept a new drawing in which there are amendments or changes that would materially alter the applied-for mark. 37 C.F.R. §2.72; see TMEP §§807.13 et seq., 807.14 et seq.
For more information about drawings and instructions on how to submit a drawing, see the Drawing webpage.
GOODS AND SERVICES
The wording noted below in the identification of goods and services is indefinite and must be clarified because its nature is not clear. See 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6); TMEP §1402.01. Applicant must amend this wording to specify the common commercial or generic name of the goods and services. See TMEP §1402.01. If the goods have no common commercial or generic name, applicant must describe the product, its main purpose, and its intended uses. If the services have no common commercial or generic name, applicant must describe or explain the nature of the services using clear and succinct language. See id.
For Class 9, the applicant must also indicate whether the software is downloadable or recorded.
The following are examples of acceptable identifications for software in International Class 9: “downloadable mobile applications for managing bank accounts,” “desktop publishing software,” “tax preparation software.”
Applicant may adopt the following wording, if accurate. Suggested changes and additions are in bold and items the applicant must clarify are in italics.
Class 9: Smartphones; earphones; headphones; telecommunication machines and apparatus, namely, (list each, e.g., facsimile transmission machines); (indicate downloadable or recorded) application software for smartphones (indicate function, e.g., that enables users to download music from the Internet); (indicate downloadable or recorded) computer programs (indicate function, e.g., that enables users to download music from the Internet); electronic machines and apparatus, namely, (list each, e.g., electronic card readers)
Class 42: providing temporary use of online, nondownloadable application software for smartphones and computer programs (indicate use, e.g., for use as a spreadsheet; that enables users to download, sort and store music from the Internet)
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.
CLASSIFICATION
(1) List the goods and/or services by their international class number in consecutive numerical order, starting with the lowest numbered class.
(2) Submit a filing fee for each international class not covered by the fee(s) already paid (view the USPTO’s current fee schedule). The application identifies goods and/or services that are classified in at least two classes; however, applicant submitted a fee(s) sufficient for only one class(es). Applicant must either submit the filing fees for the classes not covered by the submitted fees or restrict the application to the number of classes covered by the fees already paid.
See 15 U.S.C. §§1051(b), 1112, 1126(e); 37 C.F.R. §§2.32(a)(6)-(7), 2.34(a)(2)-(3), 2.86(a); TMEP §§1403.01, 1403.02(c).
See an overview of the requirements for a Section 44 multiple-class application and how to satisfy the requirements online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form.
FEES
The fee for adding classes to a TEAS Reduced Fee (RF) application is $275 per class. See 37 C.F.R. §§2.6(a)(1)(iii), 2.23(a). See more information regarding the requirements for maintaining the lower TEAS RF fee and, if these requirements are not satisfied, for adding classes at a higher fee using regular TEAS.
AMEND COLOR CLAIM AND MARK DESCRIPTION
Applicant must clarify the colors that are being claimed as a feature of the mark. See 37 C.F.R. §§2.37, 2.52(b)(1), 2.61(b); TMEP §§807.07(a) et seq. The drawing shows the mark in the colors light blue, dark blue, turquoise, black and white; however, the following colors appear in the color claim: blue, white and black.
Where the color claim and/or description of the mark and drawing are inconsistent with one another, generally the USPTO looks to the drawing to determine what the mark is. TMEP §807.07(a)(i)-(a)(ii), (c). Additionally, the colors in the drawing, color claim, and description must match. See 37 C.F.R. §2.52(b)(1); TMEP §§807.07 et seq.
To clarify the colors in the mark, applicant may satisfy one of the following:
(1) Submit a new color drawing that shows the mark in the colors specified in the color claim. TMEP §807.07(c). However, any other amendments to the drawing will not be accepted if they would materially alter the mark. 37 C.F.R. §2.72; see TMEP §§807.07(c), 807.14 et seq.
(2) Submit an amended color claim and description that matches the colors in the drawing. 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:
Color claim: “The colors dark blue, light blue, turquoise, black and white are claimed as a feature of the mark.”
Description: “The mark consists of the design of a stylized cell phone, outlined in black and dark blue, with a light blue interior, with the design of two bisected ovals overlaid on the longer parallel sides. The outer portion of the ovals is in turquoise, the inner portions of the ovals inside the phone design are white, and the inner portion of the ovals outside the phone are in turquoise.”
For more information about drawings and instructions on how to submit a new color drawing, amended color claim and/or description online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form, see the Drawing webpage.
FILING BASIS
An application with a Section 44(e) basis must include a true copy, photocopy, certification, or certified copy of a foreign registration from an applicant’s country of origin. 15 U.S.C. §1126(e); 37 C.F.R. §2.34(a)(3)(ii); TMEP §§1004, 1004.01, 1016. In addition, the applicant’s country of origin must be a party to a convention or treaty relating to trademarks to which the United States is also a party, or must extend reciprocal registration rights to nationals of the United States by law. 15 U.S.C. §1126(b); TMEP §§1002.01, 1004.
Therefore, applicant must provide a copy of the foreign registration from applicant’s country of origin when it becomes available. TMEP §1003.04(a). A copy of a foreign registration must consist of a document issued to an applicant by, or certified by, the intellectual property office in applicant’s country of origin. TMEP §1004.01. If applicant’s country of origin does not issue registrations or Madrid Protocol certificates of extension of protection, the applicant may submit a copy of the Madrid Protocol international registration that shows that protection of the international registration has been extended to applicant’s country of origin. TMEP §1016. In addition, applicant must also provide an English translation if the foreign registration is not written in English. 37 C.F.R. §2.34(a)(3)(ii); TMEP §1004.01(a)-(b). The translation should be signed by the translator. TMEP §1004.01(b).
If the foreign registration is not yet available, applicant should inform the trademark examining attorney that the foreign application is still pending and request that the U.S. application be suspended until a copy of the foreign registration is available. TMEP §§716.02(b), 1003.04(a).
If applicant cannot satisfy the requirements of the Section 44(e) basis, applicant may amend the basis to Section 1(a) or 1(b), if applicant can satisfy the requirements for the new basis. See 15 U.S.C. §§1051(a)-(b), 1126(e); TMEP §806.03. Please note that, if the U.S. application satisfied the requirements of Section 44(d) as of the U.S. application filing date, applicant may retain the priority filing date under Section 44(d) without perfecting the Section 44(e) basis, provided there is a continuing valid basis for registration. See 37 C.F.R. §2.35(b)(3)-(4); TMEP §§806.02(f), 806.03(h).
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
/Elissa Garber Kon/
Examining Attorney, Law Office 106
phone: 571-272-9181
email: elissagarber.kon@uspto.gov
RESPONSE GUIDANCE