With the continuous deepening of international economy and trade, more and more companies hope to enter the US market. At the same time, more and more domestic and foreign companies choose to register trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The United States is quite complete in terms of trademark protection, so the first choice for many Chinese companies to go overseas is to apply for U.S. trademark registration. As the world’s largest economy, the international status of U.S. trademarks is also quite high. So, let’s learn about the guidance process for U.S. trademark registration.
1. Submit an application: After submitting the application to the US Trademark Office, an application number (serial number) will be assigned in about 1-2 working days, and after the application number is assigned, it will take about 2 weeks to wait. Detailed information about the trademark can be found on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website.
2. Review stage: The trademark applied for registration will need to go through two stages: formal review and substantive review. The entire review process takes about 2-4 months. If the application meets the most basic formal requirements, complies with legal regulations, and does not conflict with prior rights, the trademark can enter the announcement and registration stages.
3. Opinion stage: If during the trademark review process, there are formal or substantive reasons for rejecting the trademark registration, the official will issue an official opinion (Office
action), the applicant must respond, otherwise the application will be deemed invalid. There is a 6-month response period from the date the official opinion is issued. If the answer is passed, the trademark will arrange for an announcement; if the answer is not passed, the official will issue a final opinion. The announcement can only be made after the problem is resolved, otherwise it will be rejected.
4. Announcement stage: If there is no reason to refuse trademark registration, the trademark will be published in the Official Gazette
(OG)). The announcement is published online every week. About one month after approval, the trademark will be published on the trademark announcement and last for 30 days. Anyone can file an objection with the Trademark Office during this period. If there is no objection, it will enter the registration stage in about 3 months.
5. Registration stage: After the trademark announcement period expires, if no objection application is received, the Trademark Office will approve the registered trademark. Once a trademark is successfully registered, the applicant must take an oath during the 5th to 6th year to maintain the validity of the trademark rights.
The above introduction is relevant knowledge about the US trademark registration guidance process. During the entire trademark registration process, you need to comply with relevant laws and regulations, ensure that the trademark meets the standards of the Trademark Office, and handle any problems or objections that may arise. . In order to successfully register a trademark, it is recommended to seek help from a professional trademark lawyer or agent to ensure that the trademark is fully protected and obtain a registration certificate as soon as possible. In addition, it is important to regularly maintain and update trademark information to ensure that the trademark remains effective and useful.