110.09(a) Plan Ahead
ESTTA users are strongly urged to plan ahead. Because unexpected problems can occur, users should keep filing deadlines in mind and allow plenty of time to resolve any issue which may arise. [ Note 1.] The Board will provide general assistance to ESTTA filers, see TBMP § 110.09(e) (Questions about ESTTA Filing), but cannot guarantee that any problem will be resolved prior to a deadline. Except when filing extensions of time to oppose or oppositions to Madrid Protocol applications, ESTTA filing is optional. If ESTTA filing is not possible prior to a deadline for any reason, parties should timely submit their filings on paper, using another filing option as appropriate (e.g., certificate of mailing or Priority Mail Express® procedures). See TBMP § 110 (Certificate of Mailing), and TBMP § 111 (Priority Mail Express® procedure). Note, however, that an extension of time to oppose, or a notice of opposition involving an application under Trademark Act § 66(a) must be filed through ESTTA. [ Note 2.] Users should not anticipate that the Board will extend a deadline because it was not possible to file a paper by ESTTA on the due date.
NOTES:
1. Vibe Records Inc. v. Vibe Media Group LLC, 88 USPQ2d 1280 (TTAB 2008) (ESTTA filer encountered unexpected problem in ESTTA filing; filer transmitted notice of opposition by fax. Held: ESTTA filing not received and fax filing is unacceptable; opposition dismissed as a nullity.).
2. See 37 CFR § 2.102(a)(2) (extension of time to oppose) and 37 CFR § 2.101(b)(2) (notice of opposition). CSC Holdings LLC v. SAS Optimhome, 99 USPQ2d 1959, 1960 (TTAB 2011) (any opposition to a Trademark Act § 66(a), 15 U.S.C. § 1141f(a), application must be filed through ESTTA); Hunt Control System, Inc. v. Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., 98 USPQ2d 1558, 1561 (TTAB 2011) (same).