The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has requested comments for its draft Examination Guide: Geographic Certification Marks.
The USPTO has released for public comment a draft Examination Guide: Geographic Certification Marks. The guide intends to provide additional guidance and examples of the discussed concepts. Specifically, it:
Describes the application requirements for geographic certification marks.
Explains the analysis for determining whether a mark functions to certify regional origin.
Discusses the relevant considerations for Section 2(d) likelihood of confusion determinations involving geographic certification marks.
Provides examples of the covered concepts.
Practitioners and other stakeholders can comment through a web-based collaboration tool that allows users to:
Post a comment.
View and respond to others' comments.
Vote to indicate agreement or disagreement with a comment.
The USPTO is accepting comments through July 31, 2013. The USPTO website provides information about submitting comments and instructions for accessing the collaboration tool.