Archives For Trademark Renewal

How Long Does My Trademark Registration Last

December 22, 2015 — 1 Comment

If you’ve obtained a federal trademark registration with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (or USPTO for short) you may be wondering how long your registration lasts and how long you can protect your trademark.

Well, there is good news here. Unlike copyright law and patent law, which have time limits on protection (usually 75 years after the death of the creator for copyrights and 20 years for patents), trademark protection can extend indefinitely if you stay current on filings. That’s because you can protect your registration for so long as you are using the mark in commerce, provided it doesn’t become generic.

Assuming you are still using the mark in commerce, the key is to stay current on your filings. Here’s what you need to do.

5 years after registration

To keep your registration alive, make sure you file your Section 8 Declaration of Use between the 5th and 6th year after your registration. You’ll have to include a new specimen of use to prove to the USPTO that you are still using the mark in commerce.

You can file a Section 15 Declaration of Incontestability. This filing allows you to claim “Incontestability” status for your mark which gives you a legal presumption that your registration is valid (among other benefits). That can be really helpful if you find yourself in court as a plaintiff or a defendant.

Since these two filings occur at the same time, the USPTO has a combined Sections 8/15 form you can file to save time.

These are critical filings because, if you fail to make them, you can lose your mark. There are some grace periods in which you can file the documents after the deadline, but you really should strive to timely file the documents to avoid headaches.

10 years after registration

Five years later (10 years after the registration) you have to renew your registration. Specifically, you file this between the 9th and 10th years following the registration. Here you use a Section 9 renewal form. Also at this time, you must file another Section 8 Declaration of Use to prove that you are still using the mark in commerce.

Just like the filings above, the USPTO maintains a combined form, the Sections 8/9 form to help you save time.

And also like above, if you fail to timely file these forms, there is a grace period. But you are better off filing it all on time.

20+ years after registration

Ten years later (20 years after the registration) you have to repeat that last process. You file another Section 9 form and another Section 8 form, or just use the combined 8/9 form. You must do this every 10 years to maintain the trademark registration.

Need help with your USPTO filings?

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Image: Adobe/raywoo
*This article is very general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Readers with legal questions should consult with an attorney prior to making any legal decisions.

 

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How to Keep Your Trademark Registration Alive

May 26, 2015 — 2 Comments

When you search the USPTO database for trademarks you will find a lot of marks classified as “DEAD.” This usually means one of two things: First, the mark was denied registration and the applicant either failed to appeal the denial or they did not win their appeal; or second, that the mark was canceled for failing to file proper maintenance documents with the USPTO.

If you have a trademark registration, don’t let that happen to you! Make sure you file the below forms to keep your registration “ALIVE.”

Section 8 Declaration of Use

The first filing you should make after receiving a registration is a Section 8 Declaration of Use. You must file this between the 5th and 6th year after the registration date.

The purpose of this filing is to show the USPTO that you are still using the mark in commerce. For that reason, you will be required to file specimens of your use (much like when you filed the original application).

If you fail to timely file this declaration, there are grace periods before your mark is cancelled, but you don’t want to wait too long, so file as soon as you can!

Section 15 Declaration of Incontestability

Assuming your mark has been in use for 5 continuous years and is on the Principal Register, you can file a Section 15 Declaration of Incontestability to claim “Incontestability Status.” This creates a legal presumption that your registration is valid and provides for many other benefits to mark owners.

Often this is filed along with the Section 8 filing above. In fact the USPTO maintains a combined 8/15 form that you can use to save time and paperwork.

Section 9 Renewal

Lastly, between the 9th and 10th year after you receive a registration you must renew your registration. Then, it must be renewed every ten years thereafter. At the same time, you must file another Section 8 Declaration of Use showing actual use of the mark in commerce.

Again here, the USPTO maintains a combined 8/9 form to save you time and paperwork. And like above, there are grace periods if you fail to file, but you really should just file on time to save money and headaches.

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Image: Thinkstock/simo988
*This article is very general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Readers with legal questions should consult with an attorney prior to making any legal decisions.

In Trademark Law , , , , ,
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