202.03 Premature Request
Trademark Act § 13(a), 15 U.S.C. § 1063(a), provides that an opposition to the registration of a mark upon the Principal Register may be filed "within thirty days after" the publication of the mark in the Official Gazette under Trademark Act § 12(a), 15 U.S.C. § 1062(a). Trademark Act § 13(a), 15 U.S.C. § 1063(a) also provides for extensions of the time for filing an opposition under certain conditions. ESTTA, does not permit a party to file a premature notice of opposition or premature request for an extension of time to oppose. Any paper-filed opposition, and any paper-filed request for an extension of time to oppose, filed before the date of publication of the mark sought to be opposed, is premature, and the Board will reject the opposition even if the mark has been published by the time of the Board’s action. Cf. TBMP § 306.03 (Premature Opposition).