Audit Program At USPTO Brings Changes And Additional Requirements For Registrants

Following a pilot program conducted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the USPTO is considering and implementing some new procedures that will have a big effect on trademark filers, especially those belonging to foreign companies.

In 2012, the USPTO launched a pilot program to gather data on whether registered trademarks were actually being used on all the products or services listed in their registrations. As both domestic and foreign filers know, the USPTO requires specificity in the identifications of goods and services. This has sometimes been an issue for foreign filers who are accustomed to drafting identifications either containing the class heading or to include as many goods or services under a class heading as possible.