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:  March 25, 2021

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

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.

 

SEARCH FOR CONFLICTING MARKS

 

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.

 

SUMMARY OF ISSUES

·         SECTION 2(E)(1) – MERELY DESCRIPTIVE

·         IDENTIFICATION OF GOODS

·         MULTIPLE CLASS APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

 

SECTION 2(E)(1) REFUSAL – MERELY DESCRIPTIVE

 

A mark is merely descriptive if “it immediately conveys information concerning a feature, quality, or characteristic of [an applicant’s] goods or services.”  In re N.C. Lottery, 866 F.3d 1363, 1367, 123 USPQ2d 1707, 1709 (Fed. Cir. 2017) (citing In re Bayer Aktiengesellschaft, 488 F.3d 960, 963, 82 USPQ2d 1828, 1831 (Fed. Cir. 2007)); TMEP §1209.01(b); see DuoProSS Meditech Corp. v. Inviro Med. Devices, Ltd., 695 F.3d 1247, 1251, 103 USPQ2d 1753, 1755 (Fed. Cir. 2012) (quoting In re Abcor Dev. Corp., 588 F.2d 811, 814, 200 USPQ 215, 218 (C.C.P.A. 1978)). 

 

Applicant’s mark is CELL BALANCING COMPLEX for various skin care preparations.  In this case, both the individual components and the composite result are descriptive of applicant’s goods and/or services and do not create a unique, incongruous, or nondescriptive meaning in relation to the goods and/or services.  Specifically, Oxford English Dictionary (www.oed.com) defines “CELL” as “The fundamental, usually microscopic, structural and functional unit of all living organisms, which consists of a small quantity of protoplasm enclosed within a membrane, typically contains a nucleus or nucleoid and other organelles and internal compartments, and is capable of utilizing energy, synthesizing proteins and other biomolecules, and (usually) replicating itself”, “BALANCING” as “to bring to or keep in equilibrium” and “COMPLEX” as “A substance formed by the combination of simpler substances, esp. one in which the bonds between the substances are weaker than or of a different character from those between the constitutents of each substance”. Taken together, CELL BALANCING COMPLEX would be perceived by consumers as describing a characteristic of applicant’s goods, namely, a substance that brings equilibrium to the structural unit of one’s hair.

 

Although applicant’s mark has been refused registration, applicant may respond to the refusal(s) by submitting evidence and arguments in support of registration.

 

SUPPLEMENTAL REGISTER ADVISORY

 

Although an amendment to the Supplemental Register would normally be an appropriate response to this refusal(s), such a response is not appropriate in the present case.  The instant application was filed under Trademark Act Section 1(b) and is not eligible for registration on the Supplemental Register until an acceptable amendment to allege use meeting the requirements of 37 C.F.R. §2.76 has been timely filed.  37 C.F.R. §2.47(d); TMEP §§816.02, 1102.03.

 

If applicant files an acceptable allegation of use and also amends to the Supplemental Register, the application effective filing date will be the date applicant met the minimum filing requirements under 37 C.F.R. §2.76(c) for an amendment to allege use.  TMEP §§816.02, 1102.03; see 37 C.F.R. §2.75(b).  In addition, the undersigned trademark examining attorney will conduct a new search of the USPTO records for conflicting marks based on the later application filing date.  TMEP §§206.01, 1102.03.

 

IDENTIFICATION OF GOODS

 

The wording “serums, moisturizers, sprays” in the identification of goods is indefinite and must be clarified to indicate the body part it is for.  See 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6); TMEP §1402.01. 

 

The wording “ointments” must indicate it is diaper ointment to remain in Class 03. Given the limiting language “non-medicated” at the beginning of the clause, the goods cannot be moved to class 05 and listed as things such as “hemorrhoid ointment” as this is medicated and thus beyond the scope of the original identification of goods.

 

The wording “lip care preparations” in the identification of services for International Class 03 must be clarified because it is too broad and could include services in other international classes.  See 37 C.F.R. §2.32(a)(6); TMEP §§1402.01, 1402.03.  In particular, this wording could encompass medicated lip care preparations in class 05 or non-medicated ones in class 03.

 

Applicant may adopt the following identification, if accurate. Please note that any wording in bold below offers guidance and/or shows the changes being proposed for the identification of goods and/or services. If there is wording in the applicant's version of the identification of goods and/or services which should be removed, it will be shown with a line through it such as this: strikethrough. When making its amendments, applicant should enter them in standard font, not in bold.

 

Class 03: Cosmetics; make-up and make-up removing preparations; non-medicated lip care preparations; fragrances; non-medicated skin care creams, lotions, {indicate skin, hair, beauty, lips, etc.} serums, sunblocks, {indicate facial, skin, face, body, hand, etc.} moisturizers, {indicate “diaper” or delete} ointments and {indicate body, hair, spf sun block, foot deodorant, hair styling etc.} sprays

 

05: medicated lip-care preparations

 

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.

 

MULTIPLE-CLASS APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

 

The application identifies goods and/or services in more than one international class; therefore, applicant must satisfy all the requirements below for each international class based on Trademark Act Section 1(b)

 

(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 2 classes; however, applicant submitted a fee(s) sufficient for only 1 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 37 C.F.R. §2.86(a); TMEP §§1403.01, 1403.02(c).

 

For an overview of the requirements for a Section 1(b) multiple-class application and how to satisfy the requirements online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) form, see the Multiple-class Application webpage.

 

The USPTO changed the federal trademark rules to eliminate the TEAS Regular application, which is now considered a “TEAS Standard” application.  See 37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(iii).  The fee for adding classes to a TEAS Standard application is $350 per class.  See id.  For more information about these changes, see the Mandatory Electronic Filing webpage.

 

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

 

 

/Cassondra Anderson/

Examining Attorney

Law Office 103

Cassondra.Anderson@uspto.gov

(571) 272-5595

 

 

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 March 25, 2021 for

U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 90326926

 

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. 

 

 

/Cassondra Anderson/

Examining Attorney

Law Office 103

Cassondra.Anderson@uspto.gov

(571) 272-5595

 

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 March 25, 2021, 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.”