To:
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`Subject:
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`Sent:
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`Sent As:
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`Attachments:
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`Panasonic Corporation (trademark@hsml.com)
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`U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 79204033 - HDR - 08279.1925US
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`1/9/2018 2:47:09 PM
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`ECOM103@USPTO.GOV
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
`
`OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION
`
`*79204033*
`
`CLICK HERE TO RESPOND TO THIS
`LETTER:
`
`http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp
`
`VIEW YOUR APPLICATION FILE
`
`U.S. APPLICATION
`SERIAL NO.   79204033
`
`           
`
`MARK: HDR
`
`CORRESPONDENT
`ADDRESS:
`  
`       Sarah G. Voeller
`
`       Hamre, Schumann,
`  
`Mueller, and Larson, PC
`
`         45 South 7th St., Suite
`2700
`
`           Minneapolis MN
`55402
`
`    
`
`   
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`APPLICANT: Panasonic
`Corporation
`
`    
`
`CORRESPONDENT’S
`REFERENCE/DOCKET
`
`NO:       
`
`  08279.1925US
`
`   
`
`CORRESPONDENT
`
`E-MAIL ADDRESS:       
`
`trademark@hsml.com
`
`OFFICE ACTION
`
`STRICT DEADLINE TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER
`TO AVOID ABANDONMENT OF APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION, THE USPTO MUST RECEIVE APPLICANT’S
`COMPLETE RESPONSE TO THIS LETTER WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE ISSUE/MAILING DATE BELOW.   A RESPONSE
`TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE TRADEMARK ELECTRONIC APPLICATION SYSTEM (TEAS) MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE
`MIDNIGHT EASTERN TIME OF THE LAST DAY OF THE RESPONSE PERIOD.
`
`ISSUE/MAILING DATE: 1/9/2018
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`THIS IS A FINAL ACTION.
`
`INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION NO. 1336444
`
`The refusal under Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1) is now made FINAL for the reasons set forth below.  See 15 U.S.C. §1052(e)(1); 37 C.F.R.
`§2.63(b).
`
`SECTION 2(e)(1) REFUSAL - MERELY DESCRIPTIVE
`
`Registration is refused because the applied-for mark merely describes a feature of applicant’s goods.   Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1), 15 U.S.C.
`§1052(e)(1); see TMEP §§1209.01(b), 1209.03 et seq.
`
`A mark is merely descriptive if it describes an ingredient, quality, characteristic, function, feature, purpose, or use of an applicant’s goods
`and/or services.  TMEP §1209.01(b); see, e.g., In re TriVita, Inc., 783 F.3d 872, 874, 114 USPQ2d 1574, 1575 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (quoting In re
`Oppedahl & Larson LLP, 373 F.3d 1171, 1173, 71 USPQ2d 1370, 1371 (Fed. Cir. 2004)); In re Steelbuilding.com, 415 F.3d 1293, 1297, 75
`
`USPQ2d 1420, 1421 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (citing Estate of P.D. Beckwith, Inc. v. Comm’r of Patents , 252 U.S. 538, 543 (1920)).  
`
`Determining the descriptiveness of a mark is done in relation to an applicant’s goods and/or services, the context in which the mark is being
`used, and the possible significance the mark would have to the average purchaser because of the manner of its use or intended use.  See In re The
`Chamber of Commerce of the U.S., 675 F.3d 1297, 1300, 102 USPQ2d 1217, 1219 (Fed. Cir. 2012) (citing In re Bayer Aktiengesellschaft, 488
`F.3d 960, 963-64, 82 USPQ2d 1828, 1831 (Fed. Cir. 2007)); TMEP §1209.01(b).  Descriptiveness of a mark is not considered in the abstract.  In
`re Bayer Aktiengesellschaft, 488 F.3d at 963-64, 82 USPQ2d at 1831.
`
`In this case, Applicant’s mark is the stylized word “HDR” and Applicant has disclaimed the wording “HDR”. However, in this case, the
`stylization of the lettering does not create a separate and inherently distinctive commercial impression apart from the word itself.  Without more,
`the mark is insufficiently stylized to be registered on the Principal Register and does not create a distinctive commercial impression apart from
`the descriptive significance of the wording “HDR”. See http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/ttabvue-77941164-EXA-13.pdf for examples of stylized
`marks that have been found to be inherently distinctive and not inherently distinctive.
`
`Two major reasons for not protecting descriptive marks are (1) to prevent the owner of a descriptive mark from inhibiting competition in the
`marketplace and (2) to avoid the possibility of costly infringement suits brought by the trademark or service mark owner.  In re Abcor Dev.
`Corp., 588 F.2d 811, 813, 200 USPQ 215, 217 (C.C.P.A. 1978); TMEP §1209.  Businesses and competitors should be free to use descriptive
`language when describing their own goods and/or services to the public in advertising and marketing materials.  See In re Styleclick.com Inc., 58
`USPQ2d 1523, 1527 (TTAB 2001).
`
`ENTIRE MARK CANNOT BE DISCLAIMED
`
`Given that Applicant’s mark is not sufficiently stylized, Applicant’s disclaimer is inappropriate as an entire mark may not be disclaimed.
`TMEP §1213.06; see 15 U.S.C. §1056(a); In re Dena Corp. v. Belvedere Int’l Inc. , 950 F.2d 1555, 1560, 21 USPQ2d 1047, 1051 (Fed. Cir.
`1991); In re JT Tobacconists, 59 USPQ2d 1080, 1081 n.1 (TTAB 2001).  If the applied-for mark is not registrable as a whole, a disclaimer will
`not make it registrable.  TMEP §1213.06.  Accordingly, the disclaimer is not accepted and will not be entered into the USPTO’s database.   See
`
`TMEP §714.05(a).  
`
`§2(d) REFUSAL HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN
`
`The §2(d) refusal has been withdrawn.
`
`RESPONSE TO FINAL OFFICE ACTION
`
`If applicant does not respond within six months of the mailing date of this final Office action, the application will be abandoned.  15 U.S.C.
`
`§1062(b); 37 C.F.R. §2.65(a).  Applicant may respond to this final Office action by:  
`
`(1)    Submitting a response that fully satisfies all outstanding requirements, if feasible; and/or
`
`(2)    Filing an appeal to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, with an appeal fee of $100 per class.
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`37 C.F.R. §§2.6(a)(18), 2.64(a); TBMP ch. 1200; TMEP §714.04.
`
`In certain rare circumstances, a petition to the Director may be filed pursuant to 37 C.F.R. §2.63(b)(2) to review a final Office action that is
`limited to procedural issues.  37 C.F.R. §2.64(a); TMEP §714.04; see 37 C.F.R. §2.146(b); TBMP §1201.05; TMEP §1704 (explaining
`petitionable matters).  The petition fee is $100.  37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(15).
`
`/Thomas, Janice/
`
`Janice K. Thomas
`
`Trademark Examiner
`
`Law Office 103
`
`571.272.8869
`
`janice.thomas@uspto.gov
`
`TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER:   Go to http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp.   Please wait 48-72 hours from the
`issue/mailing date before using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), to allow for necessary system updates of the application. 
`For technical assistance with online forms, e-mail TEAS@uspto.gov.  For questions about the Office action itself, please contact the assigned
`trademark examining attorney.  E-mail communications will not be accepted as responses to Office actions; therefore, do not respond to
`this Office action by e-mail.
`
`All informal e-mail communications relevant to this application will be placed in the official application record.
`
`WHO MUST SIGN THE RESPONSE:  It must be personally signed by an individual applicant or someone with legal authority to bind an
`applicant (i.e., a corporate officer, a general partner, all joint applicants).  If an applicant is represented by an attorney, the attorney must sign the
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`response.  
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`PERIODICALLY CHECK THE STATUS OF THE APPLICATION:   To ensure that applicant does not miss crucial deadlines or official
`notices, check the status of the application every three to four months using the Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) system at
`http://tsdr.uspto.gov/.   Please keep a copy of the TSDR status screen.   If the status shows no change for more than six months, contact the
`Trademark Assistance Center by e-mail at TrademarkAssistanceCenter@uspto.gov or call 1-800-786-9199.   For more information on checking
`status, see http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/process/status/.
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`TO UPDATE CORRESPONDENCE/E-MAIL ADDRESS:  Use the TEAS form at http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/teas/correspondence.jsp.
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`To:
`
`Subject:
`
`Sent:
`
`Sent As:
`
`Attachments:
`
`Panasonic Corporation (trademark@hsml.com)
`
`U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 79204033 - HDR - 08279.1925US
`
`1/9/2018 2:47:11 PM
`
`ECOM103@USPTO.GOV
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
`
`IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING YOUR
`U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION
`
`USPTO OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) HAS ISSUED
`ON 1/9/2018 FOR U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 79204033
`
`Please follow the instructions below:
`
`(1)  TO READ THE LETTER:  Click on this link or go to http://tsdr.uspto.gov, enter the U.S. application serial number, and click on
`“Documents.”
`
`The Office action may not be immediately viewable, to allow for necessary system updates of the application, but will be available within 24
`hours of this e-mail notification.
`
`(2)  TIMELY RESPONSE IS REQUIRED:  Please carefully review the Office action to determine (1) how to respond, and (2) the applicable
`response time period.  Your response deadline will be calculated from 1/9/2018 (or sooner if specified in the Office action).  A response
`transmitted through the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) must be received before midnight Eastern Time of the last day of the
`response period.   For information regarding response time periods, see http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/process/status/responsetime.jsp.
`
`Do NOT hit “Reply” to this e-mail notification, or otherwise e-mail your response because the USPTO does NOT accept e-mails as
`responses to Office actions. 
`Instead,
`the USPTO recommends that you respond online using the TEAS response form located at
`http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp.
`
`(3)  QUESTIONS:  For questions about the contents of the Office action itself, please contact the assigned trademark examining attorney.  For
`technical assistance in accessing or viewing the Office action in the Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) system, please e-mail
`TSDR@uspto.gov.
`
`WARNING
`
`Failure to file the required response by the applicable response deadline will result in the ABANDONMENT of your application.  For
`more information regarding abandonment, see http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/abandon.jsp.
`
`PRIVATE COMPANY SOLICITATIONS REGARDING YOUR APPLICATION:  Private companies not associated with the USPTO are
`using information provided in trademark applications to mail or e-mail trademark-related solicitations.  These companies often use names that
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`closely resemble the USPTO and their solicitations may look like an official government document.  Many solicitations require that you pay
`
`“fees.”   
`
`Please carefully review all correspondence you receive regarding this application to make sure that you are responding to an official document
`from the USPTO rather than a private company solicitation.  All official USPTO correspondence will be mailed only from the “United States
`Patent and Trademark Office” in Alexandria, VA; or sent by e-mail from the domain “@uspto.gov.”   For more information on how to handle
`private company solicitations, see http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/solicitation_warnings.jsp.
`
`  
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