Approve Mark Protocol For Free

A certification mark is a type of trademark that is used to show consumers that particular goods and/or services, or their providers, have met certain standards.

The Lanham Act places four requirements on those that own certification marks: standards, objectivity, exclusivity of use, and non-discrimination. First, the owner has to set relevant standards for quality, safety, or other characteristics and control the use of the mark by any parties it certifies.

Certification marks can be names, symbols, or devices that are used by groups or people that show compliance to a set of standards. Certification marks are protected and regulated as a type of trademark under the Lanham Act but serve a distinctly different function in the marketplace.

After your trademark is approved for publication, your trademark is published in our weekly online Trademark Official Gazette. Your trademark hasn't yet registered. Publication begins a 30-day period during which any member of the public who thinks they'll be harmed by the registration of your trademark may oppose it.

Two basic requirements must be met for a mark to be eligible for trademark protection: it must be in use in commerce and it must be distinctive. The first requirement, that a mark be used in commerce, arises because trademark law is constitutionally grounded in the congressional power to regulate interstate commerce.

There are time limits of either 12 or 18 months (depending upon the designated office) in which the designated offices have to give notice of the objections or to issue a Statement of Grant of Protection. The 18 month period may be extended where an opposition is filed against the relevant designation.

What are Some Examples? Here are a few examples of fairly well-known certification marks in the United States: ENERGY STAR used to certify that appliances (e.g. refrigerators and washing machines) meet certain energy efficiency standards. USDA ORGANIC used to certify that produce meets certain agricultural standards.