On July 2, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a new rule for applicants, registrants, and parties who live outside the country. They must be represented by a US-licensed attorney for filing applications and all activity with the USPTO and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) proceedings starting August 3, 2019. 

This rule was created in an effort to reduce inaccurate and fraudulent trademark filings by foreign parties. In a USPTO press release, the Commissioner for Trademarks Mary Boney Denison said, “Many other countries worldwide have had this requirement for decades. We believe that this new rule will help improve the quality of submissions to the USPTO.”

Trademark Representation: The Marks Gray IP Team Is Ready to Help

Attorney Crystal Broughan and the Marks Gray Intellectual Property team are available to help with trademark representation. Contact us via email at [email protected] or by calling 904-398-0900.