Offc Action Outgoing

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

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

 

 

 

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 27, 2020

 

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.

 

This application was filed with the USPTO on June 16, 2020.

 

SUMMARY OF ISSUES:

 

• Identification of services
• U.S. applicant asserts §44 basis

 

Search Results

 

The trademark examining attorney searched the USPTO database of registered and pending marks and found no conflicting marks that would bar registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d).  15 U.S.C. §1052(d); TMEP §704.02.

 

Identification of Services

 

The identification of services is indefinite and must be clarified because “electronic devices” in “Installation of electronic devices, computer hardware, and security and video surveillance products, HVAC systems, lighting, and appliances” is too broad and must be further specified.  The wording “Certification services, namely, ensuring the professional installation of electronic devices, computer hardware, and security and surveillance products, HVAC systems, lighting, and appliances conforms with certification standards” must be further specified as to the method of services.  See 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6); TMEP §1402.01.  Applicant may adopt the following identification, if accurate:  

 

Class 009:  Computer hardware for streaming and playing audio, video, and multimedia content, and for controlling televisions, monitors, gaming systems, DVD players, portable media players, and digital media streaming devices; Audio speakers; Loud Speakers; Wireless indoor and outdoor speakers; Voice controlled audio speakers; Electronic devices embedded with computer software that allows the sharing and transmission of data and information between devices for the purposes of facilitating environmental monitoring, control, and automation; Wireless cameras; digital cameras; motion activated cameras; video cameras; Electronic monitors and sensors for monitoring water, humidity levels, heat, temperature, air quality, light, movement, motion, sound, and the presence of people, animals and objects; Light switches; lighting control panels; light systems comprising light sensors and switches; Electronic locks; programmable locking systems comprised of electronic door locks and keypads; digital door locks; Electronic doorbells; electronic wirelessly enabled doorbells; electronic doorbells featuring a camera; intercoms; Smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire alarms; access control and alarm monitoring systems; security alarm hubs; sound alarms; alarm sensors; security alarm controllers; keypads for use with security alarm devices; electronic key fobs being remote control apparatus; Stand alone information device, namely, voice and manual controlled audio speakers with personal digital assistant capabilities for streaming and playing audio, video, and multimedia content, for controlling televisions, monitors, gaming systems, DVD Players, portable media players, and digital media streaming devices; Stand alone information device, namely, voice and manual controlled audio speakers with personal digital assistant capabilities for accessing and searching online databases, websites, mobile phones, computers, tablets, smart phones, handheld computers, portable computers for documents, files, and other stored information on command; Stand alone information device, namely, voice and manual controlled audio speakers with personal digital assistant capabilities for providing personal concierge services for others initiated by voice-controlled commands via a mobile phone, computer, tablet, smart phone, handheld computer, portable computer, namely, adding and accessing calendar appointments, alarms, timers, reminders, making restaurant, travel, and hotel reservations, and making professional services appointments; Downloadable Software for controlling home automation systems, namely, lighting, appliances, HVAC systems, thermostats, air quality monitors and sensors, alarms and other safety equipment, locks, doorbells, cameras, and home monitoring equipment; Downloadable software for streaming and playing audio, video, and multimedia content, and for controlling televisions, monitors, gaming systems, DVD players, portable media players, and digital media streaming devices; Downloadable voice-controlled search engine software for obtaining data, images, audio and video via a global computer network

 

Class 037:  Installation of {specify “electronic devices,} computer hardware, and security and video surveillance products, HVAC systems, lighting, and appliances

 

Class 038:  Telecommunication services, namely, transmission of emails, text messages, phone calls, voice, data, graphics, images, audio and video clips by means of telecommunications networks, wireless communication networks, and the Internet

 

Class 042:  Providing temporary use of online non-downloadable software for providing a personal voice-enabled digital assistant; Providing temporary use of online non-downloadable voice recognition software; Computer services, namely, providing a non-downloadable voice-controlled search engine for obtaining data, images, audio and video via a global computer network; Provision of Internet search engines; Providing temporary use of online non-downloadable software used to provide voice-controlled information and communications; Electronic storage of electronic media, namely, images, text, audio, and video data; providing online non-downloadable software for recording, viewing, storing, sharing and analyzing online audio and video; Providing temporary use of online non-downloadable software for streaming and playing audio, video, and multimedia content, and for controlling televisions, monitors, gaming systems, DVD players, portable media players, and digital media streaming devices; Providing temporary use of online non-downloadable software for use in providing personal concierge services for others by voice-controlled commands via a mobile phone, computer, tablet, smart phone, handheld computer, portable computer, namely, adding and accessing calendar appointments, alarms, timers, reminders, making restaurant, travel, hotel reservations, and making professional services appointments; Providing temporary use of online non-downloadable software for controlling home automation systems, namely, lighting, appliances, HVAC systems, thermostats, air quality monitors and sensors, alarms and other safety equipment, locks, doorbells, cameras, and home monitoring equipment; Providing temporary use of non-downloadable computer software that allows the sharing and transmission of data and information between electronic devices for the purposes of facilitating environmental monitoring, control, and automation in homes; Installation of security and surveillance software; Certification services, namely, testing, analysis and evaluation of the services of others for ensuring the professional installation of electronic devices, computer hardware, and security and surveillance products, HVAC systems, lighting, and appliances conforms with certification standards.

 

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.

 

U.S. Applicant Asserts §44 Basis

 

Applicant is domiciled in the United States and has asserted a Trademark Act Section 44(e) filing basis in its application.  See 15 U.S.C. §1126(e); 37 C.F.R. §2.34(a)(3).  However, an applicant domiciled in the United States is generally not eligible to register a mark under Section 44(e) unless the applicant (1) owns a trademark registration from a foreign country that is a party to a treaty or agreement relating to trademarks to which the United States is also a party or extends reciprocal rights to nationals of the United States, and (2) can establish that the foreign country in which the trademark is registered is the applicant’s country of origin.  15 U.S.C. §1126(b)-(c); see TMEP §§1002.03-.05.  “Country of origin” refers to a country other than the United States in which an applicant has a bona fide and effective industrial or commercial establishment, or if there is no such establishment, the foreign country in which an applicant is domiciled.  15 U.S.C. §1126(c); TMEP §1002.04-.05.

 

If applicant intends to rely on Section 44(e) as a basis for registration, applicant must submit the following:

 

(1)       A true copy, photocopy, certification or certified copy of the foreign trademark registration upon which applicant is relying for U.S. registration, along with an English translation if the foreign registration certificate is not written in English.  See 15 U.S.C. §1126(e); 37 C.F.R. §2.34(a)(3)(ii); TMEP §§1002.05, 1004 et seq.  If applicant submits a copy of the foreign registration, it must be a copy of a document that has been issued to the applicant by or certified by the intellectual property office in the applicant’s country of origin.  TMEP §1004.01; and

 

(2)       A written statement that applicant has a bona fide and effective industrial or commercial establishment in the foreign country in which its mark is registered.  See 15 U.S.C. §1126(c); TMEP §§1002.01, 1002.04-.05.

 

If applicant cannot satisfy the above requirements for a Section 44(e) basis, applicant can amend the application to substitute a Section 1(a) or Section 1(b) basis, if applicant can satisfy all of the requirements for the new basis.  See 15 U.S.C. §§1051(a)-(b), 1126(e); 37 C.F.R. §2.35(b), TMEP §806.03.

 

Please call or email the assigned trademark examining attorney with questions about this Office action.  Although an examining attorney cannot provide legal advice, the examining attorney can provide additional explanation about the refusal(s) and/or requirement(s) in this Office action.  See TMEP §§705.02, 709.06. 

 

The USPTO does not accept emails as responses to Office actions; however, emails can be used for informal communications and are included in the application record.  See 37 C.F.R. §§2.62(c), 2.191; TMEP §§304.01-.02, 709.04-.05. 

 

How to respond.  Click to file a response to this nonfinal Office action.    

 

 

Janet Lee

/Janet H. Lee/

Trademark Examining Attorney

Law Office 124

Phone:  (571) 272-1053

Email:  janet.lee6@uspto.gov

 

 

RESPONSE GUIDANCE

• 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 office or unit listed in the signature block.

 

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

 

USPTO OFFICIAL NOTICE

 

Office Action (Official Letter) has issued

on July 27, 2020 for

U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 90004995

 

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. 

 

 

Janet Lee

/Janet H. Lee/

Trademark Examining Attorney

Law Office 124

Phone:  (571) 272-1053

Email:  janet.lee6@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 July 27, 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.”