Patent and Trademark Office Shutdown Update
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) posted an update on its official website yesterday with information about its activities during the shutdown. Up until this point, the USPTO has been operating through the use of prior-year fee collections. The USPTO now expects that patent operations will continue to function normally until “at least the second week in February”, while trademark operations will continue normally until “at least mid-April 2019”. Applicants and registrants should plan to comply with all outstanding deadlines in pending matters – even if the USPTO is forced to limit activities as a result of the shutdown. While the expectation is that the USPTO website and electronic filing system will continue to function normally and will accept submissions after this timeframe, applicants and registrants should be prepared to make other filing arrangements if necessary.
As the law continues to evolve on these matters, please note that this article is current as of date and time of publication and may not reflect subsequent developments. The content and interpretation of the issues addressed herein is subject to change. Cole Schotz P.C. disclaims any and all liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the contents of this publication to the fullest extent permitted by law. This is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Do not act or refrain from acting upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining legal, financial and tax advice. For further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to your firm contact or to any of the attorneys listed in this publication.
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