Trademark Examination Guides, Notes and Announcements - Examination Guide 3-00

Examination Guide 3-00

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRADEMARKS

EXAMINATION GUIDE NO. 3-00

OCTOBER 31, 2000

General Guidelines for Acceptable Identifications of Goods and Services

With few exceptions, an identification of goods and services will be considered acceptable if it is:

  • Written in English
  • Describes the goods and/or services so that an English speaker could understand what the goods and/or services are even if the grammar or phrasing isn't optimal
  • Meets the standards (not necessarily the language) set forth in the US ID Manual
  • Not a class heading
  • In the correct class

Deference should be given to the language and the classification set forth by the applicant in the original application. Obvious spelling errors in an identification of goods or services may be corrected by Examiner's Amendment without contacting the applicant.

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