Takeaway: Starting December 3, 2022, trademark applicants will have a shorter time period to respond to official letters from the USPTO.
In an effort to shorten the trademark application process, the USPTO has decided to shorten the time for applicants to respond to trademark office actions from six months to three months. For a fee, there will be an option to obtain a three-month extension. This will go into effect starting starting December 3, 2022.
This same change will go into effect for post-registration office actions, maintenances, and renewals starting October 7, 2023.
This change is met with mixed opinions. Some say that if the goal was to expedite registration, applications should be assigned to examiners faster. Others say there are strategic reasons why a client would want to wait to file a response. Either way, attorneys and applicants alike need to be prepared for this new change.
