USPTO

Join us to learn how to file patent-related documents in DOCX format using Patent Center. Experts will demonstrate using Patent Center training mode, which allows you to practice filing using DOCX documents without officially submitting your patent application. DOCX provides quick and reliable feedback to applicants to correct their applications before they hit the examiner’s desk, so examiners can spend more time working with applications to identify subject matter for protection, and preventing unnecessary delays in processing an application. Explore training sessions and more free resources for DOCX filing on our website: https://lnkd.in/efugVGrb. 🗓️ March 25 🕐 1 p.m. ET 💻 Register: https://lnkd.in/eAcPnV8R

Following her cancer diagnosis and bilateral mastectomy, Lisa Crites used a trash bag to protect her healing wounds so she could shower. She was frustrated, and wanted to give future mastectomy patients a different option. So, she put her mind and her hands to work innovating a solution. She designed and engineered a water-resistant garment to protect chest surgery patients while showering. She secured a patent and registered a trademark for The Shower Shirt®, which she now distributes to patients undergoing chest surgeries worldwide. Crites, and three more incredible innovators, will share tips they learned on their innovation journeys at the USPTO’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium next week. Register to join this virtual event! 🗓️ March 27 🕒 3 p.m. ET 💻 Register: https://bit.ly/3FsOivq

Today, March 20, 2025, the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) designated an informative decision relating to Cambridge Mobile Telematics, Inc. v Sfara, Inc. The decision addresses circumstances in which a petitioner argues in district court that a claim limitation should be construed as means-plus-function and argues in a petition for inter partes review that the PTAB should construe the same limitation using the plain and ordinary meaning. The majority opinion determines that the petition should, at a minimum, explain why the different positions are warranted or, alternatively, set forth a means-plus-function construction for the limitation. Learn more about this precedential and informative decision: https://bit.ly/4kXXpVd

Scammers often demand immediate payment or request specific payment methods. USPTO employees will never ask for payment information by phone, email text, or through check or money order to third-party addresses. Think you’re being scammed, email us at TrademarkAssistanceCenter@uspto.gov or call 1-800-786-9199 (press 1). Learn more about protecting against trademark scams: https://lnkd.in/gwe4RJSg #TrademarkScamAwareness #StopTrademarkScams #ProtectYourBrand #SpotTheScam

Spring is in bloom — and so is IP! As cherry blossoms brighten the D.C. area, they mark the start of spring and the beginning of the National Cherry Blossom Festival— a popular celebration of nature, art, and culture. The Festival name and logos are trademarked, along with additional service marks covering educational, fundraising, and entertainment events—including the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade ®! The cherry trees at the Tidal Basin can be traced back to 1912. Dr. David Fairchild of the USDA, Eliza Scidmore, first female board member of the National Geographic Society, First Lady Helen Herron Taft, and Jokichi Takamine—a renowned chemist from Takaoka, Japan and first president of Daiichi Sankyo—played a crucial role in this gesture of goodwill. Through their efforts, Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo gifted Washington, D.C. with 3,000 cherry trees, creating a lasting symbol of harmony between the two nations. Takamine was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his research, which led to the use of adrenaline in medicine. Supporting efforts to beautify the Tidal Basin was his way of using his success to support and give back to his community. Today, there are more than 3,500 cherry trees in Washington, D.C. that continue to symbolize beauty and culture. As you admire the blossoms, take a moment to appreciate how nature is inspiring creativity all around us.

Yesterday, Coke Morgan Stewart, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting Director of the USPTO met with trademark leaders and managers for a conversation and Q&A session. Acting Director Stewart praised the trademarks team for its work on fraud mitigation and reducing pendency and discussed her optimism for modernizing systems and improving processes in the future. She was introduced by Acting Commissioner for Trademarks, Dan Vavonese, with managing attorneys guiding discussion.

Join USPTO experts for our federal trademark filing webinar on March 28, 2025, at 3 p.m. ET. You'll learn the fundamentals of our new filing system in Trademark Center. We'll cover: ✅Trademark Center basics ✅ Pre-filing checklist ✅ Step-by-step filing demonstration ✅ Where to find helpful resources We'll end with a Q&A session to address your questions. Whether you're a small business owner preparing to file a trademark application, or an experienced trademark attorney looking to expand your skills, you won't want to miss this opportunity to get expert guidance on the new system. Register for the webinar: https://bit.ly/41VgkrY

Patent examiners have blazed new trails for over a century! In 1873, amid a national debate about women’s rights, the Patent Office appointed its first female examiner. Already employed as a clerk at the Patent Office, Anna Nichols was one of five women permitted to sit for the examinership test, and the only one to be granted an examiner position. Her success paved the way for others; several women joined Nichols in examining over the next few decades. #WomensHistoryMonth #TeamUSPTO

Did you know that your signature brand colors can be protected as part of a federal trademark?    Companies have been protecting their colors for decades, building recognition of their goods or services for customers.    If you’ve ever eaten a Reese’s peanut butter cup, you may have noticed a message on the wrapper: The orange color is a trademark owned by the Hershey Company. It was claimed as a feature of its mark – along with brown and yellow – in a 1971 trademark application.    In its 1998 trademark application for advertising and business services, Tiffany and Company said its mark is “a shade of blue sometimes referenced to as robin’s egg blue.” The company called it one of the most famous color trademarks and said it is so well-known around the world that people instantly recognize Tiffany as the source.    Christian Louboutin secured a trademark for the lacquered red soles on his footwear – which are so well known, they’ve made cameos in the lyrics of countless songs.     Colors can’t be claimed as an all-encompassing mark on any product – they must be registered for specific classes of goods or services. Also, the color must be claimed as a feature of the mark in the mark’s description. To claim a color in a trademark application, innovators must demonstrate distinctiveness and non-functionality of the color. Have questions about protecting your brands colors? Contact our team of experts at the Trademark Assistance Center:    🗓️ Monday to Friday  🕒 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET  📞 800 – 786 – 9199 (press 1)  📩 TrademarkAssistanceCenter@USPTO.gov  💻 https://bit.ly/3Sao3NH 

We love to talk about intellectual property – what it is, the different ways to protect it, and why it’s such an exciting field to work in. Last week, we met with students from The Ohio State University who were visiting various federal agencies to learn about their missions and the types of roles at each. We may be biased, but we think we might be THE, -err, the, favorite! 😉  #TeamUSPTO