Course Outline
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
- Ch.1/A: The United States Trademark System
- Ch.1/B: Trademarks - General Concepts
- Why we have a trademark system
- The Lanham Act
- What is a trademark?
- Domain Names
- What is a service mark?
- What is a collective mark?
- What is a collective membership mark?
- What is a certification mark?
- What is concurrent use registration?
- What is a trade name?
- What is trade dress?
- What are house marks and product marks?
- What is right of publicity?
- What are trade secrets?
- How long does a trademark last?
- State versus federal trademarks
- Is registering a trademark necessary?
- What kind of protection does a trademark offer?
- What is the value of having a registered trademark?
- What does the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) do?
- How an application becomes a trademark ("Trademark Prosecution")
- TM, SM and ® symbols
- The Trademark Registers
- Principal Register
- Supplemental Register
- Resources: laws and rules and the TMEP
- The filing date
- Structure of a trademark file
- Docketing
CHAPTER 2: MARK SEARCHES / FILING BASIS / DRAWINGS / SPECIMENS
- Ch.2/A: How a trademark is chosen
- Ch.2/B: What makes a good & strong trademark
- Ch.2/C: Conducting trademark clearance search
- Ch.2/D: Goods and services - Classification
- Ch.2/E: Basis for filing a trademark application
- Use of the trademark
- Intent to use the trademark (“ITU”)
- Ch.2/F: Drawings
- Standard letters and characters
- Stylized letters and characters
- Ch.2/G: Specimens of the trademark
CHAPTER 3: CORRESPONDENCE - ELECTRONIC, FAX, EMAIL, AND BY HAND
- Ch.3/A: How to communicate with the Patent and Trademark Office
- Ch.3/B: Electronic filing (TEAS etc)
- Ch.3/C: Filing by Mail
- Express mail
- Certificate of mailing
- Ch.3/D: Faxing Documents to the USPTO
- Ch.3/E: Email Correspondence with the USPTO
- Ch.3/F: Hand Delivered Documents
- Ch.3/G: Methods of Payment
CHAPTER 4: FILING A USE-BASED TRADEMARK APPLICATION
- Ch.4/A: Filing a use-based trademark by mail
- Ch.4/A/1: Transmittal Sheet
- Ch.4/A/2: Parts of the use-based trademark application
- Ch.4/A/3: Signatures
- Ch.4/A/4: Marks that include an individual’s name or portrait - Consent to registration.
- Ch.4/A/5: Specimens
- Ch.4/A/6: A Return Receipt Post Card
- Ch.4/A/7: Application Format
- Ch.4/A/8: Drawings Format (for stylized marks only)
- Ch.4/A/9: Specimen Format
- Ch.4/A/10: Finalizing the “Use” application for filing by mail
- Ch.4/B: Filing a trademark application using TEAS
- Ch.4/B/1: TEAS and TEAS Plus
- Ch.4/B/2: Elements in a TEAS application
- Ch.4/B/3: Additional requirements for TEAS Plus application
- Ch.4/B/4: Ongoing requirements for TEAS Plus applications
- Ch.4/B/5: TEAS tutorial
- Ch.4/B/6: TEAS image submission rules
- Ch.4/B/7: TARR - Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval
- Ch.4/B/8: TDR - Trademark Document Retrieval
- Ch.4/C: Power of Attorney
- Ch.4/D: Assignments and Assignment Recordation
CHAPTER 5: FILING AN INTENT-TO-USE (“ITU”) TRADEMARK APPLICATION
- Ch.5/A: The Intent-to-Use Application
- Ch.5/B: Filing an ITU application by mail.
- Ch.5/C: Filing an ITU application using TEAS.
- Ch.5/D: Allegation of Use - Amendment to Allege Use (“AAU”) & Statement of Use (“SOU”)
- Ch.5/D/1: Filing a Amendment to Allege Use / Statement of Use by Mail
- Ch.5/D/2: Using TEAS to file a Statement of Use/Amendment to Allege Use
- Ch.5/E: Request for Extension of Time to File a Statement of Use
- Ch.5/E/1: Filing a Request for Extension of Time to file a SOU by Mail
- Ch.5/E/2: Using TEAS to file a Request for Extension of Time to File a SOU
- Ch.5/F: Docketing after filing a new application
CHAPTER 6: ASSIGNMENTS & ASSIGNMENT RECORDATION
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- Recordation Form Cover Sheet (Form PTO-1594)
- Electronic filing using ETAS
CHAPTER 7: TRADEMARK PROSECUTION
- Ch.7/A: The Pre-Examination Stage
- Filing Receipt and Corrected Filing Receipt
- Notice of Incomplete Trademark Application
- Ch.7/B: Trademark Examination
- Ch.7/B/1. First Action Allowance
- Ch.7/B/2. Refusal
- Ch.7/B/3. Office Actions
- Ch.7/B/4. Reviewing an Office Action and docketing due dates
- Ch.7/B/5. Responding to an Office Action (using TEAS)
- Ch.7/B/6. Responding using mail
- Ch.7/B/7. Priority Actions
- Ch.7/B/8: Extensions of time (none)
- Ch.7/C: Final Office Action
- Ch.7/C/1. Response to a Final Office Action
- Submitting a request for reconsideration
- Filing a Notice of Appeal
- Amending the application to comply with any requirements
- Filing a Petition to the Commissioner
- Amending the application to have it placed on the Supplemental Register
- Submitting evidence of secondary meaning
- Abandoning the present application and giving up altogether
- Ch.7/C/2: Abandonment
- Ch.7/C/3: Revival of an Abandoned Application
- Ch.7/C/4: Suspension
- Ch.7/C/5: Division of an Application
- Ch.7/C/1. Response to a Final Office Action
CHAPTER 8: APPEAL
- Ch.8/A: Notice of Appeal
- Ch.8/B: Appeal Brief
- Ch.8/C: Appeal Brief - form and content
- Ch.8/D: Oral Hearing
- Ch.8/E: Examiner’s Brief
- Ch.8/F: Appellant’s Reply Brief
- Ch.8/G: Amendment during Appeal
- Ch.8/H: An Example of an Appeal
- Ch.8/I: Filing an appeal on-line using ESTTA
CHAPTER 9: AFTER PROSECUTION
- Ch. 9/A: Publication for Opposition
- Ch. 9/B: Notice of Allowance (“NOA”)
- Ch. 9/C: Statement of Use (“SOU”)
CHAPTER 10: AFTER REGISTRATION
- Ch.10/A: Declaration of Continued Use in Commerce (a “§8 Declaration”)
- Ch.10/B: Affidavit of Incontestability (“§15 Affidavit”)
- Ch.10/C: Term and Renewal
CHAPTER 11: THE MADRID PROTOCOL
- Ch.11/A: What is a Madrid Protocol Application?
- Ch.11/B: When is filing a Madrid Protocol Application applicable?
- Ch.11/C: Madrid Protocol Application filing requirements
- Ch.11/D: How is a Madrid Protocol Application Processed?
- Ch.11/E: Advantages of the Madrid Protocol
CHAPTER 12: THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY TRADE MARK (CTM) SYSTEM
CHAPTER 13: ONGOING PROTECTION OF TRADEMARK RIGHTS
- Ch.13/A: Non-Use
- Ch.13/B: Generic Use
- Ch.13/C: Naked Licensing
- Ch.13/D: Enforcement
- Ch.13/E: Counterfeiting
- Ch.13/F: US Customs Protection (Department of Homeland Security)
CHAPTER 14: LICENSING
- Example: Trademark license agreement