The Trademark Company

No Habla Espanol ... or Chinese or even Esperanto .... the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Mandates Applications be filed in English

Taking a step that some would call controversial, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is amending § 2.21(a) to require that trademark and service mark applications be filed solely in English.

There is no mention in the U.S. Constitution that English is the preferred or required language of the United States. Moreover, no legislature has truly taken steps recognizing an “official” U.S. or state language in this country.

Notwithstanding the lack of legislative precidential support the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has taken a stand where the country has not. Perhaps this new rule will be challenged. Perhaps it will not. If it is challenged one thing is for sure – the challenge will probably need to be in English.

The Trademark Company