Are there other reasons the examining attorney might refuse my mark?
Yes. In addition to likelihood of confusion (discussed above), an examining attorney will refuse registration if the mark is:
- primarily merely descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive of the goods/services;
-
primarily geographically descriptive or primarily geographically deceptively; misdescriptive of the goods/services;
-
primarily merely a surname; or
-
ornamental.
Once your trademark application passes the Examining Attorney's review, your mark will be published in the Official Gazette for opposition. This gives the public an opportunity to oject to registration of the mark if they believe they will be damaged by that registration. If there are no objections filed within 30 days of that publication the mark will typically be registered within 12 weeks-6 months time. You are then an official holder of a federally registered US Trademark!
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