Merchant & Gould To Hold "Power Breakfast" on Proposed TTAB Rule Changes

Denizens of the Twin Cities (no, not Champaign-Urbana. Minneapolis-St. Paul!) should note that Merchant & Gould will be hosting a "Power Breakfast" presentation on the proposed TTAB rule changes. Date: March 7, 2006. Time: 9-10 A.M. You may sign up here.

The Merchant & Gould announcement states:

The Trademark Office has proposed significant procedural changes to contested proceedings. The proposed changes, which move TTAB practice even closer to Federal Rules practice, include:

* Party service of Notices of Opposition, Petitions for Cancellation

* Detailed Mandatory Initial Disclosures (with expected disclosure of information on origin of mark, dates of use, actual confusion evidence, third party use, non-trademark use of mark, classes of customers, channels of trade, current and past use of mark, surveys, other disputes related to mark)

* Expert disclosures, including identification and summary of subjects on which witness will testify

* Mandatory party discovery conference

* TTAB protective order form as the default order (in force absent party stipulation)

The TTAB is taking comments on the proposed rules until March 20, 2006. Learn how the proposed rules could greatly change TTAB practice and discuss possible comments.

Comments may be e-mailed to AB56Comments@uspto.gov. So far, no comments have been posted at the USPTO website comment page, here.