Responding to a Trademark "Office Action"
Instructions on How to Upload the Digital Response Form

Purpose of This Web page
  • The government's trademark office (USPTO) has issued an "Office Action" temporarily denying your trademark application.  The Small Business Clinic has prepared a Response Form that you can easily upload into USPTO's on-line system.

  • The Response Form is a digital file having an "OBJ" extension.  The Clinic has previously delivered it to you as an email attachment).

  • The purpose of this web page is to provide you with easy to understand step by step instructions on how to upload the Response Form into USPTO's on-line system.

Step by Step Instructions
  1. Store the digital Response Form that was emailed to you into a directory on your hard drive

    • NOTE:  the digital Response Form is complete and ready to file.  All you need to do is upload it into USPTO's on-line the system (as instructed below) and then add your electronic signature.

  2. Log-in to the same USPTO account that you created when you filed your initial trademark application.  CLICK HERE to go to the login page

    • If you can't remember your username and password you can create a new account using a different email address.  Using the above link click "Create an Account" then follow the instructions to create the new account - then log-in

    • If you are creating a new account you may be asked to go through a one-time-only identity verification process which will take about 15 minutes to complete - follow the instructions - CLICK HERE for a description of the process.   CLICK HERE for a page with more detailed information.

  3. After logging in click the link for "Respond to correspondence from the USPTO" (found under the heading "TRADEMARK FORM FINDER" in the top left corner of the page)

  4. Then, in the drop down list, click the link for "Respond to Office Action from Law Office Examining Attorney".  Doing that will take you to the next page.

  5. That next page is the first page of the actual Response Form.

    • Go to the bottom and choose the option to "upload a previously saved form file" - Click the button for "Choose File" and then navigate to the directory on your hard drive where you stored the digital Response Form file (which has an "OBJ" extension).  Once you have located it, click it once with your mouse to select it.

    • Then click "CONTINUE" at the bottom.  Doing that will take you to the next page

    • Now all you need to do is to navigate to the page where you will enter your electronic signature.  On each page click "CONTINUE" at the bottom to go to the next page.  Do this until you get to the signature page.

    • Once you are at the signature page do the following:

      • Under "Step Four" click the box indicating that you have read and understand the notice

      • In the "signature" box type your name as shown in the following example: "/Jane Doe/" (without the quotes)

      • Enter the date in the "date signed" box

      • At the bottom click the "Validate" button.  This will take you to the final page where you can click the "Submit" button at the bottom to submit the form to USPTO.