What happens when the Examiner reviews the application?
The Examiner may approve the application as filed, in which case the mark will be set for publication in the Official Gazette of the Patent & Trademark Office. When the mark is published, others have thirty days within which to file an opposition (or to obtain an extension of time to do so). If no opposition is filed, and the application is based on actual use, a registration is granted, usually about three months after the date of publication. If no opposition is filed, and the application is based on “intent to use”, the Patent & Trademark Office issues a “Notice of Allowance”, which sets a six-month deadline within which you must file a Statement of Use, showing you have begun to use the mark (or file a request for extension of time to do so). You may obtain extensions in six-month increments, up to a maximum of three years from the date of the Notice of Allowance. The Examiner often rejects an application, for one or more of several reasons. These reasons can sometimes be serious,
