Temporary Postponement of Electronic Filing and Payment Rules for Certain Madrid Protocol-Related Rules

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is temporarily postponing those provisions of the Trademark Rules of Practice that require electronic transmission to the USPTO of applications for international registration, responses to irregularity notices, and subsequent designations submitted pursuant to the Madrid Protocol. In conjunction with the postponement of the requirement for electronic submission of international applications, subsequent designations and responses to irregularity notices, the USPTO is also temporarily suspending those provisions of the Rules of Practice that allow payment of fees charged by the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (IB) to be submitted through the USPTO, and those provisions of the Trademark Rules of Practice that require that all fees for international trademark applications and subsequent designations be paid at the time of filing. Finally, as explained below, the USPTO is temporarily waiving the requirement that all trademark-related documents submitted on paper must be mailed to 2900 Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22202-3514. Pursuant to that waiver, international applications, subsequent designations and responses to irregularity notices should be mailed to an alternative address, provided below. This waiver applies solely to Madrid-related submissions. Any other trademark-related correspondence that is sent to the alternative address will not be accepted, and will be returned to the sender. The applicability dates for certain rules in 37 CFR parts 2 and 7, published September 26, 2003, are suspended from November 2, 2003, to January 2, 2004. If this postponement is required to be extended, the USPTO will issue a notice announcing these extensions at least 10 business days before the extensions commence. The postponement and waivers are procedural in nature and do not affect any substantive rights.