U.S. Trademark Electronic Appplication Update

John Welch at the TTABlog is reporting on USPTO TEAS Project Manager Craig K. Morris' presentation to the Boston Patent Law Association on the recent and upcoming developments for the PTO's Trademark Operation. Highlights include

• plans to add 80 more examining attorneys and two new law offices in FY2006
• requests for additions to the USPTO "ID Manual" may be sent (in 25 words or less) to Jesse Roberts at TMSuggest@uspto.gov. Additions to the ID Manual are made once per month
• applicants will be given an opportunity to approve or correct the design codes assigned to their marks
• the USPTO is considering allowing applicants to request more than a single 6-month extension at one time
• assignment documents that are filed electronically via ETAS are processed in one or two days, compared to the five months required for documents filed by mail
• Beginning December 17, 2005, the PTO will allow the attachment of pdf files in addition to jpegs, but initially only with regard to TEAS responses to office actions