There are a number of procedures to accelerate trademark and patent applications before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
Trademarks may be accelerated by two methods. Consider the minimum requirements for post-registration maintenance:
If these deadlines are missed, there is no opportunity to revive the registration. A new application must be filed. However, accelerated examination may be requested with no extra fee under TMEP 702.02. However, the application must be for the identical mark and the goods/services must be the same or narrower.
A second method (TMEP 1710) of accelerating trademarks requires a $100 fee and a showing of cause such as (1) threatened infringement; (2) pending litigation; (3) basis for securing foreign registration. Insufficient reasons for accelerating under this basis are (1) forthcoming advertising campaign; (2) substantial investment; and/or (3) situations that apply to a substantial number of applicants.
WASHINGTON – Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) David Kappos and China’s State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) Commissioner Tian Lipu, announced the start of the Paris Route and PCT Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot programs beginning on December 1, 2011.
PPH will permit each office to benefit from work previously done by the other office, which reduces the examination workload and improves patent quality. The expedited examination in each office allows applicants to obtain corresponding patents faster and more efficiently in each country. Under the Paris Route PPH pilot program, an Office of Second Filing (OSF) may utilize the search and examination results of a national application filed in the Office of First Filing (OFF) in a corresponding application filed under the Paris Convention in the OSF. The PCT-PPH pilot program will use positive international written opinions and international preliminary examination reports developed within the framework of the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
Kevin Harrington, star of ABC's Shark Tank and Chairman of TVGoods shot a public service announcement for the USF Young Innovator Competition. The program inspires young children to innovation and make their ideas become a reality. Kevin is returning for a third year in a row to judge the competition.
The competition was the brainchild of Anton Hopen, a patent attorney at Smith & Hopen, P.A. and his then nine (9) year old daughter.
Smith & Hopen attorneys took to the water this Veteran’s Day heading south from Home Port Marina to Clearwater Beach. Although the high was only 66 degrees fair weather and great wind made for a rousing sail.
In this example we’ll look at the various mistakes and pitfalls common to branding a new product.
