1604.21(a) Certification Standards
Submitting certification standards for the first time. If the registration issued from an application based solely on §44 of the Act, the owner must include a copy of the standards established to determine whether others may use the certification mark on their goods and/or in connection with their services, in the first §8 affidavit or declaration of use that is filed with the USPTO. 37 C.F.R §2.161(a)(9)(i)(A).
The standards do not have to be originally created by the owner. They may be standards established by another party, such as specifications promulgated by a government agency or standards developed through research of a private research organization.
The standards must cover the full scope of the goods/services identified in the registration. For example, if the goods are "olive oil," but the standards are only for "extra virgin olive oil," the USPTO must require the owner to submit standards that cover all types of olive oil or to amend the identification to "extra virgin olive oil."
In the rare circumstance when it is impracticable to provide a copy of the standards, the USPTO may accept a permanent link or permanent URL to the owner’s standards with a synopsis of those standards. This provision is not intended as a general alternative for providing a copy of the standards; it applies only to situations when the nature of the standards makes providing a copy impracticable. For example, it may be impracticable to include a copy of the standards if the standards exceed 1,000 or more pages.
Certification standards submitted in prior filing. If the certification standards in use at the time of filing the §8 affidavit or declaration have not changed since the date they were previously submitted to the USPTO, the §8 affidavit or declaration must include a statement to that effect. 37 C.F.R §2.161(a)(9)(i)(B). If the certification standards in use at the time of filing the §8 affidavit or declaration have changed since the date they were previously submitted to the USPTO, the §8 affidavit or declaration must include a copy of the revised certification standards. 37 C.F.R §2.161(a)(9)(i)(B).