Intellectual Property - TTAB Rules Amended - Recent Developments

Trademark Rules of Practice Revised

Effective November 1, 2007, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) is amending the Trademark Rules of Practice to require the plaintiff in a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) inter partes proceeding to serve the Notice of Opposition or Petition for Cancellation directly on the defendant.  The amendments also provide for a standard protective order and modify various provisions governing discovery.   To access the PTO’s chart summarizing the rule changes, click here.