On what grounds can an IPO raise an office action?

Photo of Tomas Orsula

Written by Tomas Orsula

Senior Trademark Attorney

Generally, an intellectual property office will raise an office action on one of the following grounds (not accounting for jurisdiction differences):

  • Not meeting formal requirements of the respective IPO
  • Due to similarity or risk of confusion with prior filed trademarks/pending applications
  • General deficiencies (not recognized legal form, misspelt address, etc.)

The above-stated reasons are usually avoidable with proper legal guidance, but even if they do occur, a resolution could still be possible depending on the depth of the issue raised.

You should be informed of receiving an office action from your legal representative or the IPO directly. Be aware that each office action has a deadline for responding, which, if you don't meet, the application will be considered abandoned, and you will lose the registration.

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