The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has
announced a new prioritized examination program to expedite the
examination of applications for marks used to identify qualifying
COVID-19 medical products and services. Applications that qualify
for the program will immediately be assigned to an examining
attorney for review, which expedites examination by approximately
two months. The USPTO will not charge additional fees for
applications that qualify for the program because it considers the
COVID-19 outbreak to be an "extraordinary situation" for
trademark applicants.
To qualify for prioritized examination, the trademark or service
mark application must cover a product that is subject to the United
States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use in the
prevention and/or treatment of COVID-19, or a medical service
(including medical research) for the prevention and/or treatment of
COVID-19.