Businesses should consider consulting an expert before commencing the online trademark registration process, it has been claimed.
According to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) is a “complex” legal proceeding which requires applicants to satisfy many requirements within strict time deadlines.
As a consequence, the USPTO urges businesses and consumers to consider hiring an attorney or another specialist service provider before starting the process.
“All information you submit to the USPTO at any point in the application and/or registration process will become public record, including your name, phone number, email and street address,” the organization stated.
“The public will be able to view this information in the USPTO’s online databases and through internet search engines and other online databases.”
Information remains public even if the application is later abandoned or any resulting registration is surrendered, cancelled, or expired, the USPTO added.
Most filings made through TEAS are uploaded into the USPTO’s Trademark Document Retrieval system within four to five calendar days.