Trademark Office Delays New Digital Processing Requirement

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has postponed until Dec. 21 a requirement that nearly all trademark applications be electronically filed and managed.

The new rule, which was supposed to take effect Oct. 5, will mandate electronic applications and subsequent correspondence with examiners in nearly all cases. The agency noted it wouldn’t be “ready to implement the new requirements” on time, according to an Oct. 2 notice in the Federal Register. The delay will also let the public “more fully comprehend” the rule and prepare to comply, the notice said.

Although more than 99.9% of applications are filed electronically, roughly ...