The United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) announced that beginning on December 3, 2022, trademark applicants will have three months to respond to office actions issued by the USPTO. The current deadline is six months from the date the office action was issued. The December 3, 2022, effective date applies to pre-registration office actions; for post-registration office actions, the new three-month deadline will become effective on October 7, 2023. 

 

For applicants that need additional time to respond to an office action, a three-month extension is available for a $125 fee. No additional extensions will be granted. 

 

The USPTO hopes that the three-month deadline will expedite the trademark review and registration process. More information about this change can be found at https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/laws/2020-modernization-act/new-response-deadline-applications.