Source: http://www.trademarkroom.com/us-trademarks
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 19:07:06+00:00

Document:
Hi. I'm Waheedan Jariwalla the TMR's in-house U.S. attorney and I can guide you through the process of registering your trademark in America.
Our fees are transparent and our service is quick and efficient. We will work hard with you to ensure to the best of our ability that you achieve the end result you want.
Contact us today and let us help you protect your business’ most valuable asset!
We advise all our clients to undertake a trademark search first. It could save you time and money in the long run, especially if your trademark (or one very similar) happens to already be registered in the U.S.
When you order a search through Trademarkroom, you will receive a search report highlighting any marks we consider to be a potential risk to your application. This is evaluated based on similarity of the marks and the goods or services you provide. Alongside, you’ll receive a letter of advice, explaining the law, the procedure and what the issues going forward may be based on our search. It will then be up to you to make a decision, based on what is best for you and your business, as to whether to file for registration or not.
Once you are happy to move forward, we will go ahead and file for registration of your mark.
In the U.S., there are several “filing basis” that we can use when we file.
1) IN USE – This applies if you are already using your mark in U.S. Commerce and you can provide “proof” of the same. The “proof” would be in the form of a “specimen”. If you sell T-shirts, for example, a specimen could be as simple as a photograph of the shirts you sell in the U.S. with your trademark on them. We will guide you in obtaining a valid specimen.
2) INTENT TO USE – This applies if you are not using your mark in the U.S. yet. At the end of the filing process, you would then receive a Notice of Allowance. You would then have 36 months from the date of the Notice of Allowance to begin using your mark in the U.S. and provide proof of the same. Only then will your mark officially register.
3) BASED ON A FOREIGN MARK – If you have an application or registration for the same mark in the UK or EU, and you or your company are based in the UK/EU, you can utilize this filing basis. All it means is that you will not be asked to submit proof of use of your trademark prior to registration. If the application process is successful, your mark will automatically register.
After filing, it will take about 3 months for your mark to be assigned to a USPTO examining attorney. The attorney will then review your application and send us your “Examination Report”, if necessary. The Report will address any issues with the application. The attorney may want some clarification with regards to the goods or services. Or there may be an issue with regards to inherent registrability or a conflicting prior mark – for example.
We would then address the issues raised in the Report for you. The only time additional fees will be incurred is if a conflicting prior mark is raised and you wanted us to draft and submit arguments on your behalf as to why you believe no conflict exists.
We would work with you to ensure all issues are addressed, so that hopefully your application for trademark registration can continue!
Upon successful examination, your trademark will then be published in the USPTO’s official Trademark Gazette for a period of 30 days. During this time, any third party can file an “opposition” against your mark if they believe there is a conflict. They can also file an “extension of time to oppose” which would then extend the 30 day opposition period.
If no oppositions are filed during this time, your mark can now proceed to registration or with a Notice of Allowance!
If your mark was filed on an IN USE basis or upon a foreign application/registration, upon the end of publication, your mark will then register in due course.
If your mark was filed on an INTENT TO USE basis, you will then receive a Notice of Allowance.
If you are issued with a Notice of Allowance, you will have up to 36 months from that date to begin using your mark in the U.S. and declare the same.
Every six months from the date of the Notice of Allowance you will have to file an “Extension of time to file a Statement of Use”, if you have not yet begun using the mark. You can file an Extension up to 5 times. After the fifth time, no more extensions are permitted and you must begin using the mark.
If you have started using the mark you will then need to file a “Statement of Use”. This is an official declaration that you have begun using the mark in the U.S. and an accompanying “specimen” (example of how you are using the mark).
The filing of Extensions of Time and Statements of Use WILL incur additional legal and filing fees.
Congratulations! Your mark is now registered. But there are certain steps you have to take to ensure the survival of your trademark.
1) Between the 5th and 6th year after registration, you must file a §8 Declaration of Continued Use. This is a sworn statement that the your mark is still in use in U.S. commerce. You must also submit a “specimen” showing how your mark is still being used. There are legal and filing fees associated with this filing.
2) Between the 9th and 10th years after registration, another §8 Declaration of Continued Use and an Application for Renewal must be filed. There are legal and filing fees associated with these filings.
A §15 Declaration is a sworn statement claiming "incontestable" rights in the mark for the goods/services specified. An "incontestable" registration is conclusive evidence of the validity of the registered mark, of the registration of the mark, of the owner's ownership of the mark and of the owner's exclusive right to use the mark with the goods/services. The filing of a §15 Declaration is optional. An owner may choose to claim the benefits of incontestability by filing a §15 Declaration or may elect to retain the registration without those benefits. The term of the registration, for purpose of renewal, is not affected in either event.
A §15 Declaration may only be filed when (1) there has been no final decision adverse to the registrant’s claim of ownership or right to register the mark, (2) there is no such proceeding pending, (3) it is within one year of any five-year period of continuous and consecutive use subsequent to the date of registration and (4) the mark has not become generic.
The §15 Declaration must be executed and filed within one year following a 5-year period of continuous use of the mark in commerce.
Incontestability shields a registrant from certain challenges to the validity of a mark, notably challenges based on descriptiveness. These include challenges that (1) the mark merely describes the goods or services, (2) the mark is descriptive because it is primarily merely a surname, and (3) the mark is descriptive because it is a geographic place name that will immediately convey a goods-place or services-place association in the minds of consumers.
However please be aware that registrations are still subject to cancellation at any time based on any of the following: (1) genericness; (2) functionality; (3) abandonment; (4) fraud on the USPTO; (5) immorality, deception or scandalousness; (6) disparagement; (7) false suggestion of a connection; (8) geographical indications on wines or spirits meeting certain requirements; (9) representation of a flag or coat of arms of any nation; or (10) representation or name of a living person without his or her consent or of a deceased president without the consent of his widow.
There are legal and filing fees associated with this filing.

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