In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in view of the critical need to develop and help speed to market medical products and services to combat COVID-19, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) initiated the COVID-19 Prioritized Trademark Examination Program in June of 2020.
To further support efforts to combat COVID-19, the USPTO is now initiating a Pilot Prioritized Review Program for Appeals Related to COVID-19, in which the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) will expedite the review and issuance of ex parte appeal decisions for applications examined under the COVID-19 Prioritized Trademark Examination Program.
To further support these efforts, the USPTO will initiate a Conference Pilot Program for Oppositions Against Applications Related to COVID-19. With this program, a TTAB attorney or judge may participate in the parties’ mandatory settlement and discovery planning conference, as is always available upon request of a party, if the involved application was examined under the COVID-19 Prioritized Trademark Examination Program. Such conferences can be useful to the parties to provide clarity and procedural information.
For additional information on these programs, see the USPTO’s notice on the topic or visit the TTAB webpage on the USPTO website.