To: | Home Box Office, Inc. (trademarks@hbo.com) |
Subject: | U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 88507210 - HBO MAX - N/A |
Sent: | July 08, 2020 09:46:41 PM |
Sent As: | ecom110@uspto.gov |
Attachments: |
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Office Action (Official Letter) About Applicant’s Trademark Application
U.S. Application Serial No. 88507210
Mark: HBO MAX
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Correspondence Address:
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Applicant: Home Box Office, Inc.
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Reference/Docket No. N/A
Correspondence Email Address: |
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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 08, 2020
The assigned examining attorney has reviewed the applicant’s statement of use and determined the following.
Summary of Issues That Must Be Addressed
• Unacceptable Specimen
Unacceptable Specimen
Specimen does not show use of the mark in commerce. Registration is refused because the specimen does not show the applied-for mark as actually used in commerce in International Class 9. 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). An application based on Trademark Act Section 1(a) must include a specimen showing the applied-for mark as actually used in commerce for each international class of goods identified in the statement of use. 15 U.S.C. §1051(a)(1); 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv), 2.56(a); TMEP §§904, 904.07(a).
Specifically, the applicant’s mark appears on a webpage that supports a streaming service featuring a variety of movies and shows, however there is no indication for consumers that the mark is being used in connection with a downloadable mobile software application.
Examples of specimens. Specimens for goods include a photograph of (1) the actual goods bearing the mark; (2) an actual container, packaging, tag or label for the goods bearing the mark; or (3) a point-of-sale display showing the mark directly associated with the goods. See 37 C.F.R. §2.56(b)(1), (c); TMEP §904.03(a)-(m). A webpage specimen submitted as a display associated with the goods must show the mark in association with a picture or textual description of the goods and include information necessary for ordering the goods. TMEP §904.03(i); see 37 C.F.R. §2.56(b)(1), (c). Any webpage printout or screenshot submitted as a specimen must include the webpage’s URL and the date it was accessed or printed. 37 C.F.R. §2.56(c).
Response option. Applicant may respond to this refusal by submitting, for each applicable international class, a different specimen (a verified “substitute” specimen) that (a) was in actual use in commerce prior to the expiration of the deadline for filing the statement of use and (b) shows the mark in actual use in commerce for the goods identified in the statement of use. A “verified substitute specimen” is a specimen that is accompanied by the following statement made in a signed affidavit or supported by a declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20: “The substitute (or new, or originally submitted, if appropriate) specimen(s) was/were in use in commerce prior to expiration of the filing deadline for filing a statement of use.” The substitute specimen cannot be accepted without this statement.
Applicant may not withdraw the statement of use. See 37 C.F.R. §2.88(f); TMEP §1109.17.
For an overview of this response option and instructions on how to submit a different specimen using the online Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form, see the Specimen webpage.
If the applicant has any questions or needs assistance in responding to this Office action, please telephone the assigned examining attorney.
How to respond. Click to file a response to this nonfinal Office action.
/Giancarlo Castro/
Giancarlo Castro
Trademark Examining Attorney
Law Office 110
giancarlo.castro@uspto.gov
571-272-9357
RESPONSE GUIDANCE