The USPTO has issued the April 2017 Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP).
This revision clarifies USPTO trademark policies and practices. It includes relevant Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and court decisions reported before March 1, 2017. This revision supersedes prior versions of the TMEP, examination guides, or any other statement of USPTO policy to the extent that there is any conflict.
The Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP) may be downloaded free of charge. This can be done from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website at http://www.uspto.gov/trademark/guides-and-manuals/tmep-archives.
The Manual is published to provide trademark examining attorneys in the USPTO, trademark applicants, and attorneys and representatives for trademark applicants with a reference work on the practices and procedures relative to prosecution of applications to register marks in the USPTO. The Manual contains guidelines for Examining Attorneys and materials in the nature of information and interpretation, and outlines the procedures which Examining Attorneys are required or authorized to follow in the examination of trademark applications.
Trademark Examining Attorneys will be governed by the applicable statutes, the Trademark Rules of Practice, decisions, and Orders and Notices issued by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commissioners, or Deputy Commissioners. Policies stated in this revision supersede any previous policies stated in prior editions, examination guides, or any other statement of Office policy, to the extent that there is any conflict.
Suggestions for improving the form and content of the Manual are always welcome. Users can e-mail them to vog.otpsunull@pemtmt, or address them to:
Commissioner for Trademarks
Attention: Editor, Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure
P.O. Box 1451
Alexandria
Virginia
22313-1451
Catherine P. Cain
Editor
Mary Boney Denison
Commissioner for Trademarks
