Cheaper, Faster, … Better?

In its quest to improve the accuracy of the trademark register, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (the "PTO") has proposed a streamlined cancellation process for review and comment by August 14, 2017. The proposal would modify existing regulations to make the streamlined process an option available to petitioners seeking to cancel a federal trademark registration on certain grounds.

Under the proposed system, someone could petition to cancel a trademark registration based on either abandonment and/or lack of use of the registered mark by the date use in commerce was alleged. The features of the proposed system include:

• Limited grounds (abandonment, lack of use as of date use was alleged);