Offc Action Outgoing

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Office Action (Official Letter) About Applicant’s Trademark Application

 

 

 

NON-FINAL 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:  June 12, 2020

 

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 office records have been searched, and no similar registered or pending mark has been found that would bar registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d), 15 U.S.C. §1052(d). TMEP §704.02.

 

Applicant Must Submit A New Specimen

 

This refusal applies to Class 37 only.

 

Specimen does not show use for the services. Registration is refused because the specimen does not show the applied-for mark as actually used in commerce in connection with the Class 37 services that are identified in the application. Trademark Act Sections 1 and 45, 15 U.S.C. §§1051, 1127; 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv), 2.56(a); In re Keep A Breast Found., 123 USPQ2d 1869, 1876-79 (TTAB 2017); TMEP §§904, 904.07(a), 1301.04(d), (g)(i). 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 and/or services identified in the application. 15 U.S.C. §1051(a)(1); 37 C.F.R. §§2.34(a)(1)(iv), 2.56(a); TMEP §§904, 904.07(a); see In re Gulf Coast Nutritionals, Inc., 106 USPQ2d 1243, 1247 (TTAB 2013). 

 

Specifically, the identification reads: real estate development and construction of commercial, residential and hotel property. However, the specimen indicates that applicant conducts inspections of properties for which it has issued loans. It does not show that applicant offers real estate development or commercial construction services.

 

Examples of specimens. Specimens for services must show a direct association between the mark and the services and include: (1) copies of advertising and marketing material, (2) a photograph of business signage or billboards, or (3) materials showing the mark in the sale, rendering, or advertising of the services. See 37 C.F.R. §2.56(b)(2), (c); TMEP §1301.04(a), (h)(iv)(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 options. Applicant may respond to this refusal by satisfying one of the following for each applicable international class:

 

(1)       Submit a different specimen (a verified substitute specimen) that (a) was in actual use in commerce at least as early as the filing date of the application and (b) shows the mark in actual use in commerce for the goods and/or services identified in the application. 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 at least as early as the filing date of the application or prior to the filing of the amendment to allege use.” The substitute specimen cannot be accepted without this statement.

 

(2)       Amend the filing basis to intent to use under Section 1(b), as no specimen is required before publication. This option will later necessitate additional fee(s) and filing requirements, including a specimen.

 

For an overview of the response options referenced above and instructions on how to satisfy these options using the online Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form, see the specimen webpage.

 

Advisory Regarding Section 2(f) Claim

 

Applicant claims that the entire applied-for mark has acquired distinctiveness under Trademark Act Section 2(f). However, the design element appears to be inherently distinctive and is eligible for registration on the Principal Register without proof of acquired distinctiveness. See 15 U.S.C. §1052(f); TMEP §1212.02(d). Therefore, applicant may withdraw this claim and replace it with a Section 2(f) claim in part as to “AMERICAN NATIONAL”. See TMEP §1212.02(d).

 

If applicant does not withdraw the claim, it will remain in the application record and be printed on the registration certificate. See TMEP §1212.10.

 

A claim of acquired distinctiveness may be construed as a concession by applicant that the entire applied-for mark is not inherently distinctive. See Cold War Museum, Inc. v. Cold War Air Museum, Inc., 586 F.3d 1352, 1358, 92 USPQ2d 1626, 1629 (Fed. Cir. 2009) (citing Yamaha Int’l Corp. v. Hoshino Gakki Co., 840 F.2d 1572, 1577, 6 USPQ2d 1001, 1005 (Fed. Cir. 1988)); TMEP §1212.02(b).

 

Partial Abandonment Advisory

 

Applicant must respond within six months of the date of issuance of this action, or Class 37 will be deleted from the application by Examiner’s Amendment. The application would then proceed for Class 36. 37 C.F.R. §2.65(a); TMEP §718.02(a).

 

Therefore, if applicant wishes to delete Class 37, a response is not required. However, a response would expedite the prosecution of this application and is therefore preferred. Applicant may simply call or email the examining attorney with a request to delete Class 37.

 

Applicant is invited to contact the assigned examining attorney with any questions regarding this action.

 

/Katherine S. Chang/

Trademark Examining Attorney

Law Office 115

571-270-1528

katherine.chang@uspto.gov

 

 

 

RESPONSE GUIDANCE

 

• How to respond: click to file a response to this non-final office action.

 

• For this application to proceed, applicant must explicitly address each refusal and requirement in this office action. For a refusal, applicant may provide written arguments and evidence against the refusal, and may have other response options if specified above. For a requirement, applicant should set forth the changes or statements. Please see responding to office actions and the informational video response to office action for more information and tips on responding.

 

• 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 law office referenced in the signature block.

 

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

 

USPTO OFFICIAL NOTICE

 

Office Action (Official Letter) has issued

on June 12, 2020 for

U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 88838891

 

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. 

 

 

/Katherine S. Chang/

Trademark Examining Attorney

Law Office 115

571-270-1528

katherine.chang@uspto.gov

 

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 June 12, 2020, 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.”