Trademark Docketing – In the current global situation, the corporate needs to continuously innovate itself with new products and services. They need to understand the current market situation, their competitors, consumer interest, and work on innovation accordingly. The protection of innovation works is necessary to have commercial and financial benefits in the market. These protections must be done as per the procedures and guidelines of the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). Hence, it becomes important to keep track of all important communication from PTO.

Similar to Patent Docketing, the Trademark Docketing relates to keeping track of the communications and important Notices from PTO. The Docketing Team make sure of the correct docketing of details associated with the Trademark in the Docketing software system. The docketing system reflects the present status, upcoming deadlines, foreign filings, renewals, etc. The missing of any deadlines causes additional cost, maximum loss or sometimes rejection of Trademark. Therefore, Trademark Docketing plays an important role during the Trademark prosecution process.

The Trademark Docketing system guarantees a thorough review of each and every communication from PTO.

The Trademark docketing process is as follows:

• The team receives an email notification related to the Trademark from the PTO. The Docketing team member extracts the email notification in the excel sheet.
• The team reviews the communication received from the PTO.
• The team member verifies all details of the Trademark as given in the notification and enters it into the Docketing system.
• Thereafter, the team reviews the notification and the Trademark details from the Docketing system.
• The Docketing Team study and finds the purpose of the notification. The content of notification such as publication, Registration of Trademark or any important Notice which needs to be responded.
• If the notification contains important communication, the team Member updates its details and dockets it in the Docketing system.
• If the notification has important Notice which requires a response, the Docketing Team member reviews the communication in detail as follow:
  • Whether the Notice is for incomplete formalities or examination Objection.
  • Whether the deadline given in Notice is Fixed or Extendable.
• After the analysis of the purpose of the Notice, The team Member dockets the following in the Docketing System:
  • Important Deadlines
  • Appropriate comments summarizing the purpose of the Notice.
• The Docketing Team member uploads the images and other relevant documents in the system corresponding to each email notification.
• After the appropriate docketing of notification in the Docketing system, the team reports it to the client according to the client’s instructions.

Docketing Team makes a weekly report to send a reminder to the client (if required). The team does a regular audit of the Docketing system to make sure that all Trademark deadlines are correct. Trademark Docketing provides no IP loss to the company during the prosecution process.