Foreign Trademark Applicants To Be Represented By U.S. Licensed Attorneys

A new rule has been announced by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) requiring that any foreigner who applies for trademark registration or appears before a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in the United States can only be represented by a lawyer who is licensed to practice in the United States. This rule has been announced for those parties whose principal place of business or permanent address is outside the United States. Further, the attorneys, who will be representing these foreign parties, are required to show that they are in good standing of their bar and are an active member as well. Let us discuss the reasoning for these new rules by the USPTO.

ACCURACY AND INTEGRITY OF THE TRADEMARK REGISTER