To:
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`Subject:
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`Sent:
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`Sent As:
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`Panasonic Corporation of North America (ptodocket@arelaw.com)
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`U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 86290393 - SOUND RUSH PLUS - 55210/831
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`8/21/2014 3:28:59 PM
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`ECOM108@USPTO.GOV
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`Attachments:
`
`Attachment - 1
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
`OFFICE ACTION (OFFICIAL LETTER) ABOUT APPLICANT’S TRADEMARK APPLICATION
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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)
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`(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)
`CORRESPONDENT E-MAIL ADDRESS:(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`(cid:160) 55210/831
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`ptodocket@arelaw.com
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`*86290393*
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`CLICK HERE TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER:
`http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/teas/response_forms.jsp
`
`VIEW YOUR APPLICATION FILE
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`U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. (cid:160) 86290393
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`(cid:160)M
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`ARK: SOUND RUSH PLUS
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`CORRESPONDENT ADDRESS:
`(cid:160)(cid:160)
`(cid:160)(cid:160) (cid:160) (cid:160) HOLLY PEKOWSKY, ESQ.
`(cid:160)(cid:160)
`(cid:160)(cid:160) (cid:160) (cid:160) AMSTER, ROTHSTEIN & EBENSTEIN LLP
`(cid:160) (cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) 90 PARK AVE
`(cid:160) (cid:160) (cid:160)(cid:160) (cid:160) (cid:160) NEW YORK, NY 10016-1301
`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
`APPLICANT: Panasonic Corporation of North America
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`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.
`
`(cid:160)I
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`SSUE/MAILING DATE: 8/21/2014
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`The referenced application has been reviewed by the assigned trademark examining attorney.(cid:160) Applicant must respond timely and completely to
`the issue below.(cid:160) 15 U.S.C. §1062(b); 37 C.F.R. §§2.62(a), 2.65(a); TMEP §§711, 718.03.
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`(cid:160)S
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`earch
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`The trademark examining attorney has searched the Office’s database of registered and pending marks and has found no conflicting marks that
`would bar registration under Trademark Act Section 2(d).(cid:160) TMEP §704.02; see 15 U.S.C. §1052(d).
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`(cid:160) D
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`isclaimer of “ SOUND” Required
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`(cid:160)A
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`pplicant must disclaim “SOUND” because it merely describes an ingredient, quality, characteristic, function, feature, purpose, or use of
`applicant’s goods vices, and thus is an unregistrable component of the mark.(cid:160) See 15 U.S.C. §§1052(e)(1), 1056(a); DuoProSS Meditech Corp. v.
`Inviro Med. Devices, Ltd., 695 F.3d 1247, 1251, 103 USPQ2d 1753, 1755 (Fed. Cir. 2012) (quoting In re Oppedahl & Larson LLP, 373 F.3d
`
`1171, 1173, 71 USPQ2d 1370, 1371 (Fed. Cir. 2004)); TMEP §§1213, 1213.03(a).(cid:160)(cid:160)
`“SOUND” is defined as the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air or other
`medium (See attached).[1](cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160) This merely descriptive of the identified goods, namely, headphones used for transmitting sound.
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`(cid:160)A
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`n applicant may not claim exclusive rights to terms that others may need to use to describe their goods in the marketplace.(cid:160) See Dena Corp. v.
`Belvedere Int’l, Inc. , 950 F.2d 1555, 1560, 21 USPQ2d 1047, 1051 (Fed. Cir. 1991); In re Aug. Storck KG, 218 USPQ 823, 825 (TTAB 1983).(cid:160)
`A disclaimer of unregistrable matter does not affect the appearance of the mark; that is, a disclaimer does not physically remove the disclaimed
`
`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
`

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`matter from the mark.(cid:160) See Schwarzkopf v. John H. Breck, Inc., 340 F.2d 978, 978, 144 USPQ 433, 433 (C.C.P.A. 1965); TMEP §1213.(cid:160)(cid:160)
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`If applicant does not provide the required disclaimer, the USPTO may refuse to register the entire mark.(cid:160) See In re Stereotaxis Inc., 429 F.3d
`1039, 1040-41, 77 USPQ2d 1087, 1088-89 (Fed. Cir. 2005); TMEP §1213.01(b).
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`(cid:160)A
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`pplicant should submit a disclaimer in the following standardized format:
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`No claim is made to the exclusive right to use “SOUND” apart from the mark as shown.
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`(cid:160)F
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`or an overview of disclaimers and instructions on how to satisfy this disclaimer requirement online using the Trademark Electronic Application
`System (TEAS) form, please go to http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/law/disclaimer.jsp.
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`(cid:160)T
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`his issue can be resolved by telephone or by leaving a message authorizing the changes suggested.
`
`(cid:160)I
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`f 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
`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 requirement 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.
`
`(cid:160) (cid:160)
`
`/Jason F. Turner/
`Jason F. Turner
`Law Office 108
`(571) 272-9353
`jason.turner@uspto.gov
`
`(cid:160)(cid:160)(cid:160)
`
`TO 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.
`
`(cid:160)A
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`ll informal e-mail communications relevant to this application will be placed in the official application record.
`
`(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
`
`response.(cid:160)(cid:160)
`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/.
`
`(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.
`
`[1] sound. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sound (accessed: August 21, 2014).
`
`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)(cid:160)
`

`

`
`e nttp://dICtionaiy.iefeience.com/browse]sound?s:t
`e Sound | DefineSou_ x
`
`Dictionary Thesaurus Translator More...
`
`""
`Market '
`
`DEMAND
`GENERATION
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`[$1 Word of The Day
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`Ia.m.-8p«m.,Mai - Fli
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`00 Difficulty index for sound
`7
`
`i.ll!lllllllll-l
`All English speakers likely know this
`word
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`£9 Word Value for sound
`
`*
`CITE
`
`A->5
`
`f
`
`’
`
`8*
`
`[Sound] Qfl
`Synonyms
`Examples
`
`noun
`1.
`the sensation reduced b
`
`Word Origin
`
`stimulation of the orans of hearin 1
`
`vibrations transmitted throuh the air or other medium.
`2. mechanical vibrations transmitted through an elastic medium,
`traveling in air at a speed of approximately 1087 feet (331 meters)
`per second at sea level.
`
`3.
`
`4.
`
`5.
`
`6.
`
`7.
`
`the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause:
`"the sound of music. "
`
`any auditory effect; any audible vibrational disturbance:
`"all kinds of sounds. "
`
`a noise, vocal utterance, musical tone, or the like:
`"the sounds from the next room. "
`
`a distinctive, characteristic, or recognizable musical style, as from a
`particular performer, orchestra, or type of arrangement:
`"the big-band sound. "
`Phonetics.
`a. speech sound.
`
`3:24:05 PM 812112014
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`

`

`To:
`
`Subject:
`
`Sent:
`
`Sent As:
`
`Attachments:
`
`Panasonic Corporation of North America (ptodocket@arelaw.com)
`
`U.S. TRADEMARK APPLICATION NO. 86290393 - SOUND RUSH PLUS - 55210/831
`
`8/21/2014 3:29:00 PM
`
`ECOM108@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 8/21/2014 FOR U.S. APPLICATION SERIAL NO. 86290393
`
`Please follow the instructions below:
`
`(cid:160)(
`
`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.”
`
`(cid:160)T
`
`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.
`
`(cid:160)(
`
`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 8/21/2014 (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.
`
`(cid:160)D
`
`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.
`
`(cid:160)(
`
`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.
`
`WARNING
`
`(cid:160)F
`
`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.
`
`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
`
`“fees.” (cid:160)(cid:160)
`
`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.
`
`(cid:160)(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)
`(cid:160)(cid:160)
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