[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 24, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 31533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11196]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No. PTO-T-2022-0017]


USPTO To Accelerate Transition To Issuance of Electronic 
Trademark Registration Certificates; Issuing Next Certificates on May 
24, 2022

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is 
accelerating the transition date for issuance of electronic trademark 
registration certificates to May 24, 2022. On and after that date, the 
electronic registration certificate will be the official registration 
certificate. Because of a nationwide shortage of the specialized paper, 
and a recent vendor disruption, the USPTO will not issue registration 
certificates between May 10 and May 23, 2022, while the USPTO 
transitions to this new program. The new program will make the issuance 
of registration certificates more resilient. After the USPTO begins 
issuing electronic registration certificates, trademark owners will 
have the option to order paper ``presentation'' copies. Registrants 
will also continue to be able to order certified copies of their 
trademark registrations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine Cain, Office of the Deputy 
Commissioner for Trademark Examination Policy, USPTO, at 571-272-8946 
or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USPTO published a notice in the Federal 
Register on May 2, 2022 (87 FR 25623), notifying the public that it 
would begin issuing trademark registration certificates electronically 
via the Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) system on June 
7, 2022. The USPTO is accelerating the transition date for issuance of 
electronic trademark registration certificates to May 24, 2022. The new 
date accelerates the benefits of the electronic certificates, quickly 
adjusts for a paper vendor disruption that recently presented, and 
improves the resiliency of the USPTO to issue trademark registrations 
going forward.
    The USPTO will not issue registration certificates between May 10 
and May 23, 2022, while it transitions to the new, electronic process. 
In the course of addressing the issue caused by the paper shortage, the 
status of some applications was inadvertently changed to registered on 
May 10. The USPTO corrected the status of those applications to pending 
on May 11.
    As stated in the May 2, 2022 notice, upon implementation of 
electronic trademark registration certificates, all registration 
certificates issued by the USPTO will be made under the electronic 
signature of the Director and with a digital seal, which will 
authenticate the registration. The USPTO will upload the official 
registration certificate to the TSDR database, and an electronic notice 
will be emailed to the trademark owner and all email addresses of 
record with a link to access the certificate upon issuance. Trademark 
owners will be able to use the emailed link to view, download, and 
print a complete copy of the registration certificate at no charge at 
any time. Trademark owners who file an initial application on or after 
the implementation date will be able to order presentation copies for 
$25 per copy through the Trademark Electronic Application System 
(TEAS). Trademark owners who filed an initial application before the 
implementation date will be able to order one presentation copy for 
free. Trademark owners will continue to be able to order certified 
copies of their trademark registration for a fee. The certified copy 
certifies the status and title of the registration and includes the 
signature of an authorized certifying officer.

Katherine K. Vidal,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2022-11196 Filed 5-23-22; 8:45 am]
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