General

According to the US WTR report, the backlog of trademark applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) exceeded 900,000 for the first time, which means that the registration agency is facing a huge challenge. To this end, USPTO trademark director David. Goode promised to "improve efficiency" to resolve the backlog. The United States Patent and Trademark Office faces a "huge challenge." On June 28, 2021, the number of trademark applications (classes) of the USPTO exceeded 900,000 for the first time in history. Since the beginning of last year, as of July, the backlog has risen sharply. The backlog of US trademarks has soared from the previous 600,000 to 900,560.

This surge in application data has led to a domino effect, doubling the number of trademark applications waiting for examination and increasing the waiting time at all stages of the bureau’s trademark procedures. Therefore, applicants may need to wait longer for their trademark application to be initially processed, to receive the notice of examination opinion, and to respond to the notice of examination opinion, etc.

Combining the current situation, I believe that the efficiency of trademark application will not be improved in the short term, and the trademark review is becoming more and more stringent. It is recommended that sellers who have trademark registration needs make arrangements as soon as possible, and remember not to delay the time to avoid delays.