Patent and Trademark Office December 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On July 31, 2019, the United States Patent and Trademark Office published in the Federal Register a final rule amending the regulations to mandate electronic filing of trademark applications and all submissions associated with trademark applications and registrations, and to require the designation of an email address for receiving USPTO correspondence, with limited exceptions. That final rule had an effective date of October 5, 2019, which was subsequently delayed until December 21, 2019. A correction to the July 31, 2019 rule was published on December 13, 2019 and is also effective on December 21, 2019. This action further delays the effective date of the both the July 31, 2019 final rule, and the December 13, 2019 correction, until February 15, 2020.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a request for comments in the Federal Register on October 30, 2019, seeking public comment on the impact of artificial intelligence (``AI'') technologies on intellectual property law and policy. Through this notice, the USPTO is extending the period for public comment until January 10, 2020.