1715.04(b)    Tracking of Letter of Protest by the Protestor

A protestor will always receive a response from the Deputy Commissioner accepting, denying, or holding moot the letter of protest, and should generally receive the response within 60 days of filing the letter.  The protestor should monitor the application status by checking the TSDR database at http://tsdr.uspto.gov/  to determine whether an action accepting the letter of protest has been taken.  This information will be in the public record only if the letter of protest is accepted.  If a protestor has not received a response within six months of submitting a letter of protest, the protestor should contact the Petitions Office to confirm receipt of the letter of protest.

Protestors should continue to monitor the status of the application being protested because the application may be approved for publication, republication, or issuance of a registration even after a letter of protest is accepted.  Ongoing monitoring will ensure protestors the opportunity to take other action (such as filing a notice of opposition) if the refusal or requirement raised as a result of the evidence referred by the letter of protest procedure is successfully overcome by the applicant.  A protestor may file a second letter of protest after publication only if a substantially different basis for filing the letter of protest is raised or significant additional evidence is provided that clearly establishes a prima facie case for refusal of registration.