To: | Hot Girl Trademark Holdings, LLC (trademark@raklaw.com) |
Subject: | U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 88631293 - HOT GIRL SEMESTER - 4122-1-US068 |
Sent: | October 18, 2019 12:11:42 PM |
Sent As: | ecom115@uspto.gov |
Attachments: | Attachment - 1 Attachment - 2 |
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Office Action (Official Letter) About Applicant’s Trademark Application
U.S. Application Serial No. 88631293
Mark: HOT GIRL SEMESTER
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Correspondence Address:
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Applicant: Hot Girl Trademark Holdings, LLC
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Reference/Docket No. 4122-1-US068
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: October 18, 2019
The undersigned trademark examining attorney has reviewed the referenced application. Applicant must respond timely and completely to the issues 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 USPTO’s database of registered and pending marks and has found no similar registered marks that would bar registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d). TMEP §704.02; see 15 U.S.C. §1052(d). However, a mark in a prior-filed pending application may present a bar to registration of applicant’s mark.
The filing date of pending U.S. Application Serial No. 88604162 precedes applicant’s filing date. See attached referenced application. If the mark in the referenced application registers, applicant’s mark may be refused registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d) because of a likelihood of confusion between the two marks. See 15 U.S.C. §1052(d); 37 C.F.R. §2.83; TMEP §§1208 et seq. Therefore, upon receipt of applicant’s response to this office action, action on this application may be suspended pending final disposition of the earlier-filed referenced application.
In response to this office action, applicant may present arguments in support of registration by addressing the issue of the potential conflict between applicant’s mark and the mark in the referenced application. Applicant’s election not to submit arguments at this time in no way limits applicant’s right to address this issue later if a refusal under Section 2(d) issues.
Applicant Must Amend The Identification
Applicant must clarify some of the wording in the identification, as shown below, because it is indefinite and overly broad. See 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6); TMEP §§1402.01, 1402.03. The wording is indefinite because it does not make clear the exact nature of the goods and services. Further, it is overly broad because it encompasses goods and services in more than one international class. In particular, “transmission and broadcasting of downloadable music” is incongruous.
The wording in the suggested identification that appears in bold and italics shows the additions that are being proposed. Wording that
appears within brackets offers guidance. And wording that should be deleted is shown with a line through it as follows: strikethrough. Applicant should enter amendments in standard font, not
in bold, italics or strikethrough or within brackets.
Applicant may adopt the following identification, if accurate:
“Downloadable music and audio, video and other multimedia files containing audio and video featuring {specify subject matter},” in International Class 9; and
“Streaming of music, audio material, images, video material and other multimedia content over the internet, wireless networks and other computer networks and electronic
communications networks; electronic transmission of streamed and downloadable and streaming of music, audio, video and other multimedia content for
others; broadcasting, and electronic transmission and streaming of streamed and downloadable
digital music, audio, video and multimedia content for others,” in International Class 38.
For assistance with identification and classification in trademark applications, please consult the USPTO’s online searchable ID Manual. See TMEP §1402.04.
Multi-Class Application Requirements
(1) List the goods and 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 already paid (view the USPTO’s current fee schedule). The application identifies goods and services that are classified in at least two classes. However, applicant submitted a fee sufficient for only one class. 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 multiple-class application and how to satisfy the requirements online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form.
Applicant Must Provide Its Address
Applicant must provide its business address. See TMEP §803.05. If the business address is not in its state of organization, applicant should provide the address where the applicant is domiciled. Id.
The Declaration Is Not Acceptable
The declaration in the application was signed using document-signing software. The USPTO cannot accept this signature type because it is not authorized by 37 C.F.R. §2.193(a), (c). A signature created by document-signing software is not a designated signing method.
Applicant must use one of the following methods for signing Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) forms:
(1) Electronic typed signature. In the TEAS signature block, the signer personally types any combination of letters, numbers, spaces, and/or punctuation marks that the signer has adopted as a signature, placed between two forward slash (/) symbols (e.g., /john doe/). And if the filer is not the actual signer of the form, the filer may email the completed unsigned form from within TEAS to the signer to personally type his or her e-signature, after which the form will be automatically returned to the filer for submission.
(2) Pen-and-ink traditional handwritten signature. The filer prints out the completed form in text format and mails or faxes it to the signer who reviews and personally signs and dates it in the usual pen-and-ink manner. The signature and date portion, together with the wording of a declaration under 37 C.F.R. §2.20, if required, is then scanned by the filer as a jpg or pdf image file and attached to the form for submission.
See 37 C.F.R. §2.193(a); TMEP §§611.01(c), 804.03.
Applicant must therefore submit a new, properly signed declaration. See 37 C.F.R. §§2.2(n), 2.33(a), (b)(2)-(c), 2.34(a)(2), (a)(3)(i), (a)(4)(ii); TMEP §804.02.
The following statements must be verified: That applicant has a bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce and had a bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce as of the application filing date; that applicant believes applicant is entitled to use the mark in commerce on or in connection with the goods or services specified in the application; that to the best of the signatory’s knowledge and belief, no other persons, except, if applicable, concurrent users, have the right to use the mark in commerce, either in the identical form or in such near resemblance as to be likely, when used on or in connection with the goods/services of such other persons, to cause confusion or mistake, or to deceive; and that the facts set forth in the application are true. 37 C.F.R. §§2.33(b)(2), (c), 2.34(a)(2), (a)(3)(i), (a)(4)(ii). For more information about this, see the verified statement webpage.
To provide these verified statements. After opening the correct TEAS response form, answer “yes” to wizard question #10, and follow the instructions within the form for signing. In this case, the form will require two signatures: one in the “Declaration Signature” section and one in the “Response Signature” section.
TEAS RF Application Requirements
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 email correspondence address; and (3) agree to receive correspondence from the USPTO by email 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 email without incurring this additional fee.
Applicant is invited to contact the assigned examining attorney with any questions regarding this action.
Trademark Examining Attorney
Law Office 115
571-270-1528
katherine.chang@uspto.gov
RESPONSE GUIDANCE
· If needed, find contact information for the supervisor of the law office referenced in the signature block.