206.04    Examining Attorney’s Action After Conducting New Search When the Effective Filing Date Changes to a Later Date

When the effective filing date changes to a later date, the examining attorney must conduct a new search of USPTO records for conflicting marks.  If the search shows that because of the new, later effective filing date, there is a later-filed conflicting application that now has an earlier filing date, the examining attorney must suspend action of the subject application pending disposition of the other application, if the application is otherwise in condition for suspension.  In addition, the examining attorney must notify the examining attorney assigned to the other application of the change in the effective filing date of the subject application, so that the other examining attorney may withdraw the application from suspension and either approve it for publication or take action on any other outstanding issues.

See TMEP §§206.02 regarding the procedures when the effective filing date changes to an earlier date and TMEP §§1208–1208.02(f) regarding conflicting marks in pending applications.