USPTO NEWS: Trademarks: Share Comments/Suggestions on Draft Examination Guide

Continuing our recent initiative in response to feedback from practitioners and other stakeholders expressing a desire to provide constructive input on examination guides before they are finalized, a draft version of an examination guide on geographic certification marks is now available for comment.

The purpose of the examination guide, entitled “Geographic Certification Marks,” is to provide additional guidance to examiners and practitioners in this area, as well as provide examples illustrating the concepts discussed.

You can submit comments on the examination guide using a web-based collaboration tool, which some of you may have already used to comment on the TMEP or other guides. The tool allows users to post comments on a topic, and view and respond to others’ comments. In addition, users may vote to indicate agreement or disagreement with a particular comment. We will use the collaboration webpage to address comments and will take all timely comments into account before issuing a final version of the guide.

Please submit all comments on the examination guide via the online collaboration tool by July 31, 2013.

The draft of the “Geographic Certification Marks” examination guide can be accessed here. This copy of the guide contains hyperlinks in each section, taking you to the website where you can post comments about the guide. Further instructions concerning how to submit your suggestions may be found here.

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