As of May 24, 2022. the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) will begin issuing electronic trademark registration certificates. The electronic registration certificates issued by the USPTO will be made under the electronic signature of the Director and with a digital seal, which will authenticate the registration.

This is consistent with the practice in Canada, the EU, China, and other foreign trademark offices. It also should decrease the time between allowance of a trademark application and the issuance of a trademark registration. The USPTO further noted in a Federal Register Notice that this transition will alleviate “a paper vendor disruption that recently presented.”

The USPTO will upload the official registration certificate to the TSDR database, and an electronic notice will be emailed to the trademark owner and all email addresses of record with a link to access the certificate upon issuance.

A printed “presentation” copy of the registration certificate, however, may still be ordered by the trademark owner. Suitable for framing, this presentation copy will be printed on heavy paper and feature a gold foil seal. It is free for trademark applications that were initially filed prior to May 24, 2022. For applications filed after that date, the USPTO fee of a presentation copy will be $25.

A certified copy of the trademark registration also can still be ordered from the USPTO for $15. The certified copy often is used in connection with legal proceedings and foreign filings.

The trademark attorneys at Thomas P. Howard, LLC are experienced with prosecuting trademark applications before the USPTO.