120.01    Non - confidential Files

Except for materials filed under seal pursuant to a protective order or agreement, all pending Board proceeding files and exhibits thereto are available for public inspection and copying. [ Note 1.] Most Board records since 2001 are electronic. The electronic records of the Board are accessible via TTABVUE on the Board’s home page of the USPTO website at http://ttabvue.uspto.gov /. The electronic record of applications and registrations, which are the subject matter of pending proceedings before the Board, and extensions of time to oppose are accessible via the Internet at http://tsdr.uspto.gov/.

Board records submitted prior to approximately 2001 are kept in paper. An individual who wishes to inspect or copy one of the paper files that are located at the Board or one of the USPTO Warehouses may place a request for access to a particular Board file with the Trademark Assistance Center, located at 600 Dulany Street, Madison East Concourse Level, Room C55, Alexandria, Virginia. Requests for access may be made using the self-service electronic File Ordering System or by logging such in the Public Access Log Book located in the Trademark Assistance Center public access area. A Trademark Assistance Center employee is available to assist customers desiring to place requests for access to Board files.

An individual who wishes to inspect or copy a paper file located at the Board may also contact a Board Customer Service Representative at (571) 272-8500 or (800) 786-9199 (toll free), and ask that the file be located. When the file has been located, the Board will deliver the file to the Trademark Assistance Center and will notify the customer that the file has been delivered and is available for access at the Trademark Assistance Center, 600 Dulany Street, Madison East Concourse Level, Room C55, Alexandria, Virginia.

Paper files which have been ordered and received for customers will be held at the Trademark Assistance Center customer service window for a period of two weeks to enable the customer to return to inspect or copy the ordered files. Customers may copy pages from the files using the photocopier designated for public use which is located in the Trademark Assistance Center public access area by using a magnetic card to charge the fees for the copies. The magnetic card, known as a "copy card" may be purchased from the cashier at the USPTO Public Search Facility, located at 600 Dulany Street, Madison East, 1st Floor, Alexandria, Virginia.

Paper files or portions thereof may not be taken from the premises of the Trademark Assistance Center and a person who removes papers from a file for copying must return the papers to the file in their proper order.

For information concerning access to the paper files of cases that are on appeal from a decision of the Board, see TBMP § 904.

NOTES:

 1.   See 37 CFR § 2.27.