United States Patent and Trademark Office

PREFACE TO THE JANUARY 2017 REVISION

This January 2017 revision incorporates amendments to the Trademark Rules of Practice. In particular, this revision in corporates the Miscellaneous Changes to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Rules of Practice, published as a final rule on Friday, October 7, 2016, 81 Fed. Reg. 69950, as corrected on December 12, 2016, 81 Fed. Reg. 89382; and the Trademark Fee Adjustment, published as a final rule on October 21, 2016, 81 Fed. Reg. 72694, as corrected on November 7, 2016, 81 Fed. Reg. 78042. The amended Trademark Rules of Practice are effective January 14, 2017. Amendments to the Trademark Act and the Federal Rules, where applicable, are also incorporated. This revision updates references to Board, Federal Circuit and other federal court cases issued between March 5 and September 30, 2016.

The title of the manual is abbreviated as "TBMP." A citation to a section of the manual may be written as "TBMP § _____ (Jan. 2017)."

As with previous editions, this edition is available online at the TTAB home page of the USPTO web site in a searchable, printable format as well as in pdf. A link to archived editions of the TBMP is also available at the TTAB's home page.

Cheryl Butler

Senior Counsel and TBMP Editor

Trademark Trial and Appeal Board