1104.01(a)    Review by Legal Instruments Examiner for Compliance with Minimum Filing Requirements

A legal instruments examiner (LIE) will conduct a preliminary review of an amendment to allege use to determine whether it is timely and complies with the minimum filing requirements of 37 C.F.R. §2.76(c).  If so, the LIE will refer the amendment to allege use to the examining attorney for examination on the merits.

With respect to the requirement that the amendment to allege use include a properly signed verification or declaration (see TMEP §611.03(a) regarding who may sign a verification) stating that the mark is in use in commerce, the LIE will review the document only to determine whether it bears a signed verification stating that the mark is in use in commerce.  The examining attorney will determine whether the amendment to allege use was properly signed and filed by the owner.   See TMEP §§611.03(a), 1104.10(b)(i).

See TMEP §1104.01(b) regarding processing an amendment to allege use that does not meet minimum filing requirements and §1104.03(c) regarding processing an untimely amendment to allege use.