The United States is a party to the Madrid Protocol, an international treaty simplifying and centralizing the process for registering trademarks on an international basis. This treaty allows owners of U.S. trademark...more
The blog post, “What are the Types of Trademarks,” explained the distinction between Trademarks, Service Marks, State Marks, Federal Marks, and Common Law Marks, which are common types of protection for marks in the United...more
While the United States Patent & Trademark office is experiencing an inordinately long backlog, U.S. companies seeking to protect their marks internationally are feeling the impact of the extended wait time, and particularly...more
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has updated the deadline to respond to Office Actions for trademark applications. As of December 3, 2022, trademark applicants now have three months (instead of the...more
The general rule under U.S. trademark law is that the first to use a trademark in U.S. commerce has priority in the mark over other "would-be" users of the same, or confusingly similar, mark. This applies in both common law...more
Canada has established itself as an attractive jurisdiction in which to do business. It has a stable economy, a high-income population, a business-friendly environment and has long led the G7 in growth. It also has especially...more
As previously reported, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) began an initiative to accept telephone amendments for simple prosecution issues in May 2020. Considering the initiative’s success in helping CIPO...more
Nowadays, the concept of business can rarely prescind from globalization. But the rules and regulations that provide Intellectual Property protection have not always been able to keep up with the internationalization of...more
The United States is a party to the Madrid Protocol, an international treaty simplifying the process for registering trademarks on an international basis. This treaty allows owners of U.S. trademark registrations and pending...more
Brazil, a country having one of the largest economies in Latin America, has become the latest country to join the Madrid Protocol, effective October 2, 2019. The Madrid Protocol provides a cost-effective and efficient way...more
Brazil became the 105th member of The Madrid Protocol on October 2, 2019, expanding the Madrid System to cover 121 countries. Brazilian entities can now protect their trademarks within the system by filing a single...more
After its recent adoption of the Madrid Protocol, Canada’s Intellectual Property Office will send communications about applications filed under the Madrid Protocol to the applicant or an appointed Canadian trademark agent,...more
July 27, 2019 marked the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Madrid Protocol – the centralized system for registering and managing trademarks worldwide. The Madrid system is administered by the International Bureau of the...more
A new USPTO rule recently came into effect that impacts foreign applicants, registrants, and parties to proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”). The new rule requires all foreign applicants,...more
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”) explains that- “A trademark is a brand name. A trademark or service mark includes any word, name, symbol, device, or any combination, used or intended to be used...more
The US Patent and Trademark Office recently announced that starting on August 3, 2019, all foreign-domiciled trademark applicants, registrants and participants in USPTO trademark proceedings must be represented by US counsel....more
On Aug. 3, a new regulation promulgated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will take effect and require all trademark applicants, registrants and parties to trademark proceedings that are domiciled outside the...more
Earlier in July 2019, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a final rule amending the Rules of Practice in Trademark Cases, the Rules of Practice in Filings Pursuant to the Protocol Relating to the...more
On Tuesday, July 2, 2019, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued new Rules and Regulations under Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 2, 7, and 11. They take effect on August 3, 2019. ...more
Canada and Brazil have signed on to the Madrid Protocol, which established "one-stop shopping" for filing an international trademark application. The Protocol came into effect in Canada on June 17, 2019 and will come into...more