{"abstract":"The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) amends the Rules of Practice in Trademark Cases, the Rules of Practice in Filings Pursuant to the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, and the rules regarding Representation of Others Before the United States Patent and Trademark Office to require applicants, registrants, or parties to a trademark proceeding whose domicile is not located within the United States (U.S.) or its territories (hereafter foreign applicants, registrants, or parties) to be represented by an attorney who is an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a state in the U.S. (including the District of Columbia or any Commonwealth or territory of the U.S.). A requirement that such foreign applicants, registrants, or parties be represented by a qualified U.S. attorney will instill greater confidence in the public that U.S. trademark registrations that issue to foreign applicants are not subject to invalidation for reasons such as improper signatures and use claims and enable the USPTO to more effectively use available mechanisms to enforce foreign applicant compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements in trademark matters.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE","name":"Commerce Department","id":54,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/commerce-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/54","parent_id":null,"slug":"commerce-department"},{"raw_name":"Patent and Trademark Office","name":"Patent and Trademark Office","id":402,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/patent-and-trademark-office","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/402","parent_id":54,"slug":"patent-and-trademark-office"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2019/07/02/2019-14087.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":2,"title":37},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":7,"title":37},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":11,"title":37}],"citation":"84 FR 31498","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This rule is effective on August 3, 2019.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. PTO-T-2018-0021"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2019-14087","effective_on":"2019-08-03","end_page":31511,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2019/07/02/2019-14087.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/07/02/2019-14087/requirement-of-us-licensed-attorney-for-foreign-trademark-applicants-and-registrants","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2019-14087?publication_date=2019-07-02","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2019-07-02/2019-14087/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":14,"page_views":{"count":18002,"last_updated":"2026-06-24 04:15:03 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-07-02/pdf/2019-14087.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2019-14087.pdf?1561985126","publication_date":"2019-07-02","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2019/07/02/2019-14087.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"0651-AD30":{"issue":"201904","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/0651-AD30/requirement-of-u-s-licensed-attorney-for-foreign-trademark-applicants-and-registrants","title":"Requirement of U.S. Licensed Attorney for Foreign Trademark Applicants and Registrants","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201904&RIN=0651-AD30&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["0651-AD30"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/0651-AD30/requirement-of-u-s-licensed-attorney-for-foreign-trademark-applicants-and-registrants","title":"Requirement of U.S. Licensed Attorney for Foreign Trademark Applicants and Registrants"},"comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=PTO-T-2018-0021","supporting_documents_count":0,"docket_id":"PTO-T-2018-0021","regulation_id_number":"0651-AD30","title":"Requirement of U.S. Licensed Attorney for Trademark Applicants and Registrants Not Domiciled in the United States","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2019-07-04T03:00:08Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":31498,"subtype":null,"title":"Requirement of U.S. Licensed Attorney for Foreign Trademark Applicants and Registrants","toc_doc":"Requirement of U.S. Licensed Attorney for Foreign Trademark Applicants and Registrants","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Courts","Inventions and patents","Lawyers","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Trademarks"],"type":"Rule","volume":84}