By: Michael Geller
The USPTO has shifted course on a new rule which required applicants and registrants to provide a company-monitored email address for trademark filings. The USPTO’s new rule met strong criticism from various sources who raised concerns about privacy, spam and other issues.
In the newly revised rule, applicants and registrants may provide an email address of their choice in the “Owner” field for filings. Gone is the requirement that the address be monitored by the company. Instead, the email address simply cannot be “identical to the listed primary correspondence email address of [the] attorney.”
Applicants and registrants will still be responsible for updating the correspondence address for their filings.