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 of North America (ptodocket@arelaw.com)
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`U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 86105232 - FLEXZ FAST - 55210/764
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`7/30/2014 10:26:52 AM
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`ECOM101@USPTO.GOV
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
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`OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION
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`(cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 86105232
`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) MARK: FLEXZ FAST
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`*86105232*
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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)(cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160) (cid:160)
`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) APPLICANT: Panasonic Corporation of North America
`(cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) CORRESPONDENT’S REFERENCE/DOCKET NO :(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)(cid:160)(cid:160) CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS:
`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
`(cid:160)(cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160) HOLLY PEKOWSKY
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`CLICK HERE TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER:
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`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`(cid:160)(cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160) AMSTER, ROTHSTEIN & EBENSTEIN LLP
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`http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp
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`(cid:160)(cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`90 PARK AVE
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`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`(cid:160)(cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) NEW YORK, NY 10016-1301
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`(cid:160) (cid:160) 55210/764
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`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) CORRESPONDENT E-MAIL ADDRESS:(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`(cid:160) (cid:160) ptodocket@arelaw.com
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`NON-FINAL OFFICE ACTION
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`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.
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`(cid:160) I
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`SSUE/MAILING DATE: 7/30/2014
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`This Office action is in response to applicant’s communication filed on June 19, 2014.
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`(cid:160) 1
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`.(cid:160) Advisory – Amendment Accepted and Entered:
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`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
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`The following requirement has been satisfied:(cid:160) (1) Identification of Goods.(cid:160) TMEP §§713.02, 714.04.
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`(cid:160) 2
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`.(cid:160) Advisory – Requirement Maintained and Continued:
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`The following requirement is maintained and continued:(cid:160) (1) Significance.(cid:160) TMEP §§713.02, 714.04.(cid:160) Please see below for an additional
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`requirement that must issue in response to applicant’s incoming communication. (cid:160)(cid:160)
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`3.(cid:160) Requirement – Significance – CONTINUED:
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`Applicant must provide additional information about the wording in applicant’s mark to enable proper examination of the application.(cid:160)
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`Specifically, applicant must respond to the following questions:(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`A.(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) Will the word FLEX in any way describe applicant’s fans?
`B.(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) Will the applicant’s fans be flexible?
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`(cid:160) F
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`ailure to respond to a request for information is an additional ground for refusing registration.(cid:160) See In re Cheezwhse.com, Inc., 85 USPQ2d 1917,
`1919 (TTAB 2008); In re DTI P’ship LLP , 67 USPQ2d 1699, 1701 (TTAB 2003); TMEP §814.
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`(cid:160) 4
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`.(cid:160) Requirement – Request for Product Information:
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`To permit proper examination of the application, applicant must submit additional product information about the goods.(cid:160) See 37 C.F.R. §2.61(b);
`In re AOP LLC, 107 USPQ2d 1644, 1650-51 (TTAB 2013); In re Cheezwhse.com, Inc., 85 USPQ2d 1917, 1919 (TTAB 2008); In re DTI P’ship
`LLP, 67 USPQ2d 1699, 1701-02 (TTAB 2003); TMEP §814.(cid:160) The requested product information should include fact sheets, instruction
`manuals, and/or advertisements.(cid:160) If these materials are unavailable, applicant should submit similar documentation for goods of the same type,
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`explaining how its own product will differ.(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`The submitted factual information must make clear how the goods operate, their salient features, and their prospective customers and channels of
`trade.(cid:160) Conclusory statements regarding the goods will not satisfy this requirement.
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`(cid:160) F
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`ailure to comply with a request for information can be grounds for refusing registration.(cid:160) In re AOP LLC, 107 USPQ2d at 1651; In re DTI
`P’ship LLP, 67 USPQ2d at 1701-02; TMEP §814.(cid:160) Merely stating that information about the goods is available on applicant’s website is an
`inappropriate response to a request for additional information and is insufficient to make the relevant information of record.(cid:160) See In re
`Planalytics, Inc., 70 USPQ2d 1453, 1457-58 (TTAB 2004).
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`(cid:160) 5
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`.(cid:160) Advisory – Response Guidelines:
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`For this application to proceed toward registration, applicant must explicitly address each refusal and/or requirement raised in this Office action.(cid:160)
`If the action includes a refusal, applicant may provide arguments and/or evidence as to why the refusal should be withdrawn and the mark should
`register.(cid:160) Applicant may also have other options for responding to a refusal and should consider such options carefully.(cid:160) To respond to
`requirements and certain refusal response options, applicant should set forth in writing the required changes or statements.
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`(cid:160) R
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`If an applicant is not
`esponses to Office actions must be properly signed. (cid:160) See 37 C.F.R. §§2.62(b), 2.193(e)(2); TMEP §§712, 712.01.(cid:160)
`represented by an attorney, the response must be signed by the individual applicant or someone with legal authority to bind a juristic applicant
`(e.g., a corporate officer or general partner).(cid:160) See 37 C.F.R. §2.193(e)(2)(ii); TMEP §§611.03(b), 611.06(b)-(h), 712.01.(cid:160) In the case of joint
`applicants, all must sign.(cid:160) 37 C.F.R. §2.193(e)(2)(ii); TMEP §611.06(a).(cid:160) If an applicant is represented by an attorney authorized to practice
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`before the USPTO, the attorney must sign the response.(cid:160) 37 C.F.R. §2.193(e)(2)(i); TMEP §§611.03(b), 712.01.(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`6.(cid:160) Advisory – Assistance:
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`If applicant has questions regarding this Office action, please telephone or e-mail the assigned trademark examining attorney.(cid:160) All relevant e-
`mail communications will be placed in the official application record; however, an e-mail communication will not be accepted as a response to
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`

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`this Office action and will not extend the deadline for filing a proper response.(cid:160) See 37 C.F.R. §2.191; TMEP §§304.01-.02, 709.04-.05.(cid:160) Further,
`although the trademark examining attorney may provide additional explanation pertaining to the refusal(s) and/or requirement(s) in this Office
`action, the trademark examining attorney may not provide legal advice or statements about applicant’s rights. (cid:160) See TMEP §§705.02, 709.06.
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`/Colleen Dombrow/
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`Trademark Attorney
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`Law Office 101
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`Direct Dial: 571-272-8262
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`Facsimile: 571-273-9101
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`colleen.dombrow@uspto.gov
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`(cid:160) T
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`O RESPOND TO THIS LETTER: (cid:160) Go to http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp. (cid:160) 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.(cid:160)
`For technical assistance with online forms, e-mail TEAS@uspto.gov.(cid:160) For questions about the Office action itself, please contact the assigned
`trademark examining attorney.(cid:160) E-mail communications will not be accepted as responses to Office actions; therefore, do not respond to
`this Office action by e-mail.
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`(cid:160) A
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`ll informal e-mail communications relevant to this application will be placed in the official application record.
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`(cid:160) W
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`HO MUST SIGN THE RESPONSE:(cid:160) 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).(cid:160) If an applicant is represented by an attorney, the attorney must sign the
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`response.(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`PERIODICALLY CHECK THE STATUS OF THE APPLICATION: (cid:160) 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/. (cid:160) Please keep a copy of the TSDR status screen. (cid:160) 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. (cid:160) For more information on checking
`status, see http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/process/status/.
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`(cid:160) T
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`O UPDATE CORRESPONDENCE/E-MAIL ADDRESS:(cid:160) Use the TEAS form at http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/teas/correspondence.jsp.
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`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)(cid:160)
`

`

`To:
`
`Subject:
`
`Sent:
`
`Sent As:
`
`Attachments:
`
`Panasonic Corporation of North America (ptodocket@arelaw.com)
`
`U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 86105232 - FLEXZ FAST - 55210/764
`
`7/30/2014 10:26:52 AM
`
`ECOM101@USPTO.GOV
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
`
`IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING YOUR
`U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION
`
`USPTO OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) HAS ISSUED
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`ON 7/30/2014 FOR U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 86105232
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`Please follow the instructions below:
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`(cid:160) (
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`1)(cid:160) TO READ THE LETTER:(cid:160) Click on this link or go to http://tsdr.uspto.gov, enter the U.S. application serial number, and click on
`“Documents.”
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`(cid:160) T
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`he 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.
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`(cid:160) (
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`2)(cid:160) TIMELY RESPONSE IS REQUIRED:(cid:160) Please carefully review the Office action to determine (1) how to respond, and (2) the applicable
`response time period.(cid:160) Your response deadline will be calculated from 7/30/2014 (or sooner if specified in the Office action).(cid:160) For information
`regarding response time periods, see http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/process/status/responsetime.jsp.
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`(cid:160) D
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`o 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.(cid:160)
`Instead, the USPTO recommends that you respond online using the Trademark Electronic Application System
`(TEAS) response form located at http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp.
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`(cid:160) (
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`3)(cid:160) QUESTIONS:(cid:160) For questions about the contents of the Office action itself, please contact the assigned trademark examining attorney.(cid:160) 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.
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`WARNING
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`(cid:160) F
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`ailure to file the required response by the applicable response deadline will result in the ABANDONMENT of your application.(cid:160) For
`more information regarding abandonment, see http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/abandon.jsp.
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`(cid:160)(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
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`PRIVATE COMPANY SOLICITATIONS REGARDING YOUR APPLICATION:(cid:160) Private companies not associated with the USPTO are
`using information provided in trademark applications to mail or e-mail trademark-related solicitations.(cid:160) These companies often use names that
`closely resemble the USPTO and their solicitations may look like an official government document.(cid:160) Many solicitations require that you pay
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`“fees.” (cid:160)(cid:160)
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`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.(cid:160) 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.” (cid:160) For more information on how to handle
`private company solicitations, see http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/solicitation_warnings.jsp.
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`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)(cid:160)
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