809.01(a) Inquiry/Applicant’s Response Regarding Meaning in a Foreign Language
If it is necessary to make a separate inquiry regarding the meaning of non-English wording, the examining attorney should provide the applicant with the correct format for a translation or transliteration statement. See TMEP §809.03. If a general inquiry is made regarding meaning under 37 C.F.R. §2.61(b) (i.e., whether the term has significance in the relevant trade, any geographical significance, or any meaning in a foreign language), the applicant’s response may not be in the correct format for the translation or transliteration statement. If necessary, the examining attorney should ensure that the translation or transliteration is entered in the relevant Trademark database, using the appropriate format. See TMEP §809.03. It is not necessary to issue an examiner's amendment in such cases.
If the applicant responds to an inquiry regarding the meaning of non-English wording by stating that "the term has no significance in the relevant trade, no geographical significance, and no meaning in a foreign language," the statement should not be entered into the relevant Trademark database. Similarly, if the applicant responds that "the mark has only trademark significance," or in some similar manner, the examining attorney should not enter the statement in the Trademark database.