The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) processed 362,227 patent applications and 323,527 trademark applications during the past year, the highest numbers in history. The USPTO also set records for quality examinations and processing times. For example, the average time from filing an initial trademark application to receiving a preliminary decision was less than three months. The USPTO also initiated a number of improvements such as offering a 12-month accelerated patent examination process and making electronic filings simpler. More than 95% of trademark applications were filed online along with 50% of patent applications.
Protecting the intellectual property rights of SEMA members is a top association priority, beginning when companies register their patents, trademarks, and copyrights with government agencies in the United States (and other countries). SEMA notes that registering intellectual property is a key to establishing legal rights.
To assist its membership, the association has created a web page called Trademarks, Patents & Copyrights: What Your Business Needs to Know that provides a basic overview on how to register intellectual property. The intellectual property webpage is listed under the “Legislation & Regulations” link on SEMA’s home page, www.sema.org.
For further details, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.