Lewis Roca Blog

On February 6, 2020, the United States Patent & Trademark Office (“USPTO”) published an Examination Guide announcing new rules scheduled to go into effect on February 15. Among the new rules, is a requirement that any trademark owner (e.g. applicant, registrant, or party to a litigation matter before the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board) provide a valid email address for correspondence, even if there is an appointed U.S. attorney.

When a company wants to protect the appearance or configuration of a product, trade dress intellectual property protection most immediately comes to mind. This is sensible. But, other types of protection, copyright and design patents, can each provide their own unique advantages.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) now requires all foreign-domiciled trademark applicants and registrants to retain licensed counsel in the United States to prosecute trademark applications, file post-registration maintenance documents, file submissions in Madrid applications, or respond to Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) proceedings.