UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`(cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) SERIAL NO:(cid:160) 76/498029
`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) APPLICANT: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC CORPORATION OF AMERI ETC.
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`(cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS:
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`RETURN ADDRESS:(cid:160)
`Commissioner for Trademarks
`2900 Crystal Drive
`Arlington, VA 22202-3514
`ecom112@uspto.gov
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`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) MORTON AMSTER
`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) AMSTER ROTHSTEIN & EBERSTEIN
`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) 90 PARK AVE FL 21
`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) NEW YORK NY 10016-1463
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`NITRIX SERIES
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`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) MARK:(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
`(cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) CORRESPONDENT’S REFERENCE/DOCKET NO :(cid:160)(cid:160) 55210/442
`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) CORRESPONDENT EMAIL ADDRESS:(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`Please provide in all correspondence:
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`(cid:160)1
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`.(cid:160) Filing date, serial number, mark and
`applicant's name.
`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
`2.(cid:160) Date of this Office Action.
`3.(cid:160) Examining Attorney's name and
`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) Law Office number.
`4. Your telephone number and e-mail
`address.
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`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`O AVOID ABANDONMENT, WE MUST RECEIVE A PROPER RESPONSE TO THIS OFFICE ACTION WITHIN 6 MONTHS
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`OFFICE ACTION
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`(cid:160)T
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`OF OUR MAILING OR E-MAILING DATE.(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`Serial Number(cid:160) 76/498029
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`(cid:160)T
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`he assigned examining attorney has reviewed the referenced application and determined the following.
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`(cid:160)S
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`earch Results
`The examining attorney has searched the Office records and has found no similar registered or pending mark which would bar registration under
`Trademark Act Section 2(d), 15 U.S.C. Section 1052(d).(cid:160) TMEP section 1105.01.
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`(cid:160)H
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`owever, before the mark can be published for opposition, the applicant must address the following informalities:
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`(cid:160)D
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`isclaimer Required
`Trademark Act Section 6(a), 15 U.S.C. Section 1056(a), states that the Commissioner may require the applicant to disclaim an unregistrable
`component of a mark.(cid:160) Trademark Act Section 2(e), 15 U.S.C. Section 1052(e), bars the registration of a mark which is merely descriptive or
`deceptively misdescriptive, or primarily geographically descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive of the goods. Therefore, the Commissioner
`may require the disclaimer of a portion of a mark which, when used in connection with the goods or services, is merely descriptive or
`deceptively misdescriptive, or primarily geographically descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive.(cid:160)
`If an applicant does not comply with a
`disclaimer requirement, the examining attorney may refuse registration of the entire mark.(cid:160) TMEP section 1213.01(b).
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`(cid:160)“
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`Series” is defined as “a number of objects or events arranged or coming one after the other in succession.[1]” (cid:160) The applicant must insert a
`disclaimer of “series” in the application because the term merely describes the type of goods for which the mark is intended.(cid:160) Trademark Act
`Section 6, 15 U.S.C. Section 1056; TMEP section 1213.(cid:160) The term “series” is merely descriptive because it describes a number of goods
`arranged in succession that the applicant will market under the name “Nitrix Series.”
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`(cid:160)T
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`he computerized printing format for the Trademark Official Gazette requires a standard form for a disclaimer.(cid:160)(cid:160) TMEP section 1213.09(a)(i).(cid:160) A
`properly worded disclaimer should read as follows:
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`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`(cid:160)S
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`No claim is made to the exclusive right to use Series apart from the mark as shown.
`
`ee In re Owatonna Tool Co., 231 USPQ 493 (Comm'r Pats. 1983).
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`disclaimer does not remove the disclaimed matter from the mark.(cid:160) It is simply a statement that the applicant does not claim exclusive rights in
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`(cid:160) A
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`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`the disclaimed wording or design apart from the mark as shown in the drawing.
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`(cid:160)D
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`rawing
`The drawing is not acceptable because it will not reproduce satisfactorily.(cid:160) The applicant must submit a new drawing showing the mark clearly
`and conforming to 37 C.F.R. §2.52.(cid:160) TMEP §807.07(a).
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`(cid:160)T
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`he requirements for a special‑form drawing are as follows:
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`(1) The drawing must appear in black and white; no color is permitted.
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`(cid:160)(
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`(cid:160)(
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`(cid:160)(
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`2)(cid:160) Every line and letter must be black and clear.
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`3)(cid:160) The use of gray to indicate shading is unacceptable.
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`4)(cid:160) The lining must not be too fine or too close together.
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`(cid:160)(
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`5)(cid:160) The preferred size of the area in which the mark is displayed is 2½ inches (6.1 cm.) high and 2½ inches (6.1 cm.) wide.(cid:160) It should not
`be larger than 4(cid:160)inches (10.3 cm.) high or 4 inches (10.3 cm.) wide.
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`(cid:160)(
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`6)(cid:160) If the reduction of the mark to the required size renders any details illegible, the applicant may insert a statement in the application to
`describe the mark and these details.
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`37 C.F.R. §2.52; TMEP §§807.01(b) and 807.07(a).(cid:160) The Office will enforce these drawing requirements strictly.(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`The Office prefers that the drawing be depicted on a separate sheet of smooth, nonshiny, white paper 8 to 8½ inches (20.3 to 21.6 cm.) wide and
`11 inches (27.9 cm.) long, and that the sheet contain a heading listing, on separate lines, the applicant’s complete name; the applicant’s address;
`the goods or services recited in the application; and, if the application is filed under Section 1(a) of the Act, the dates of first use of the mark and
`of first use of the mark in commerce; or, if the application is filed under Section 44(d), the priority filing date of the foreign application.(cid:160) 37
`C.F.R. §2.52(b); TMEP §§807.01(a), 807.01(b), 807.01(c) and 807.07(a).
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`(cid:160)A
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`prompt response to this Office Action will expedite the handling of this matter.(cid:160) The applicant may submit its response as a reply to this
`email, addressed to:(cid:160)(cid:160)
`ecom112@uspto.gov, or by fax to 703.746.8112 (See instructions below for using the Office’s Trademark Electronic
`Application System (TEAS) to respond online), which allows you to fill out a form and check it for completeness over the internet.
`
`/Gina C. Hayes/
`Trademark Attorney
`Law Office 112
`(703) 308-9112, ext. 136
`(703) 746-8112, Fax
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`How to respond to this Office Action:
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`(cid:160)T
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`o respond formally using the Office’s Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), visit http://www.uspto.gov/teas/index.html and
`follow the instructions.
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`(cid:160)T
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`o respond formally via E-mail, visit http://www.uspto.gov/web/trademarks/tmelecresp.htm and follow the instructions.
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`(cid:160)T
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`o respond formally via regular mail, your response should be sent to the mailing Return Address listed above and include the serial number, law
`office and examining attorney’s name on the upper right corner of each page of your response.
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`(cid:160)T
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`o check the status of your application at any time, visit the Office’s Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval (TARR) system at
`http://tarr.uspto.gov/
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`about
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`trademarks,
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`you
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`are
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`encouraged
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`to
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`visit
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`the Office’s web
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`site
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`at
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`(cid:160)F
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`information
`useful
`other
`and
`general
`or
`http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm
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`(cid:160)F
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`OR INQUIRIES OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS OFFICE ACTION, PLEASE CONTACT THE ASSIGNED EXAMINING
`ATTORNEY.
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`(cid:160)
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`(cid:160)(cid:160)
`(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`[1]The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed
`from INSO Corporation; further reproduction and distribution restricted in accordance with the Copyright Law of the United States. All rights reserved.