1902.03(a)    Petition to Review Refusal to Certify

If an applicant believes that a refusal to certify an international application was erroneous, the applicant may file a petition to the Director to review the refusal.  The petition should refer to the USPTO control number, and include the petition fee required by 37 C.F.R. §2.6.  If the denial of certification was due to USPTO error, the USPTO will grant the petition and refund the petition fee.  In all other cases, whether the petition is granted or denied, the petition fee is not refundable, unless the petition is withdrawn before a decision issues.  The petition should be filed immediately.  If the international application is not certified within two months of the date of receipt of the application in the USPTO, the date of international registration will be affected.  Article 3(4); Common Reg. 15.   See TMEP §1902.04.

The petition should be mailed using the First Class Service of the USPS to:

Madrid Processing Unit

600 Dulany Street

Alexandria

Virginia

22314-5793

37 C.F.R. §§2.190(e)  and 7.4(b).  If the applicant is paying the petition fee using a USPTO deposit account, the applicant may e-mail the request to madridpetitions@uspto.gov, with an authorization to charge the petition fee to a deposit account.  See TMEP Chapter 1700 for further requirements for petitions to the Director.

Alternatively, the applicant may use a courier service or hand-deliver the petition to the Trademark Assistance Center at James Madison Building, East Wing, Concourse Level, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia, Attention MPU.  TAC is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays within the District of Columbia.  37 C.F.R. §7.4(c).