1904.01(j) Requirement for Email Address of §66(a) Applicant
Applicants must provide and maintain a valid email address for correspondence. 37 C.F.R. §§2.23(b), 2.32(a)(2); see 37 C.F.R. §7.25(a). Although providing an email address is required for applicants filing under Trademark Act Sections 1 and/or 44 (37 C.F.R. §2.21(a)(1); TMEP §202), this is not a filing date requirement for a Section 66(a) application because these are transmitted to the USPTO by the International Bureau (IB) and generally do not include an e-mail address for receiving USPTO correspondence. See TMEP §803.05(b) regarding the examination procedure for requiring an applicant’s email address.
If a Section 66(a) application is otherwise in condition for approval for publication upon first action, the examining attorney will not require the owner to first provide an email address prior to publication. However, the TEAS forms will require an email address for the owner in any subsequent submissions.