(a) Paper submission when TEAS is unavailable on the date of a filing deadline.

(1) An applicant or registrant may file a petition to the Director under this section requesting acceptance of a submission filed on paper if:

(i) TEAS is unavailable on the date of the deadline for the submission specified in a regulation in part 2 or 7 of this chapter or in a section of the Act; and

(ii) The petition is timely filed, pursuant to §2.197 or §2.198, on the date of the deadline.

(2) The petition must include:

(i) The paper submission;

(ii) Proof that TEAS was unavailable on the date of the deadline;

(iii) A statement of the facts relevant to the petition, supported by a declaration under §2.20 or 28 U.S.C. 1746 that is signed by the petitioner, someone with legal authority to bind the petitioner (e.g., a corporate officer or general partner of a partnership), or a practitioner qualified to practice under §11.14 of this chapter;

(iv) The fee for a petition filed on paper under §2.6(a)(15)(i); and

(v) Any other required fee(s) under §2.6 for the paper submission.

(b) Certain paper submissions timely filed before the date of a filing deadline.

(1) An applicant, registrant, or petitioner for cancellation may file a petition to the Director under this section, requesting acceptance of any of the following submissions that was timely submitted on paper and otherwise met the minimum filing requirements, but not processed or examined by the Office because it was not submitted electronically pursuant to §2.21(a), §2.23(a), or §2.111(c)(1), and the applicant, registrant, or petitioner for cancellation is unable to timely resubmit the document electronically by the deadline:

(i) An application seeking a priority filing date with a deadline under section 44(d)(1) of the Act;

(ii) A statement of use filed within the last six months of the period specified in section 1(d)(2) of the Act;

(iii) An affidavit or declaration of continued use or excusable nonuse with a deadline under section 8(a)(3) or section 71(a)(3) of the Act;

(iv) A request for renewal of a registration with a deadline under section 9(a) of the Act;

(v) An application for transformation of an extension of protection into a United States application with a deadline under section 70(c) of the Act; or

(vi) A petition to cancel a registration under section 14 of the Act on the fifth year anniversary of the date of the registration of the mark.

(2) The petition must be filed by not later than two months after the issue date of the notice denying acceptance of the paper filing and must include:

(i) A statement of the facts relevant to the petition, supported by a declaration under §2.20 or 28 U.S.C. 1746 that is signed by the petitioner, someone with legal authority to bind the petitioner (e.g., a corporate officer or general partner of a partnership), or a practitioner qualified to practice under §11.14 of this chapter;

(ii) A copy of the relevant paper submission and proof that it was timely filed;

(iii) Proof that a sufficient fee accompanied the original paper submission;

(iv) The required fee(s) under §2.6 for the paper submission; and

(v) The relevant petition fee under §2.6(a)(15).

(c) Petition under §2.146. If the applicant or registrant is unable to meet the requirements under paragraphs (a) or (b) of this section for filing the petition, the applicant or registrant may submit a petition to the Director under §2.146(a)(5) to request a waiver of §2.21(a) or §2.23(a).

(d) This section does not apply to requirements for paper submissions to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board except as specified in paragraph (b)(vi).

[84 FR 37095, July 31, 2019]