The newly-enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides patent and trademark applicants the opportunity for temporary relief from certain deadlines as more and more businesses face mandatory shutdowns due to effects of COVID-19.
Patent and trademark extensions
On March 31, 2020, the USPTO issued two notices indicating that it will waive certain patent and trademark filing deadlines under the CARES Act. The notices indicate that certain deadlines that arise between March 27, 2020 and April 30, 2020 will be extended by 30 days if the applicant or patent/trademark registrant can certify that the delay in filing was because the applicant, inventor, patent or trademark registrant, petitioner, or attorney or agent was “personally affected” by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The patent-related deadlines that may be extended include due dates for Office Action responses, maintenance fee payments, issue fees, appeal filings, and certain Patent Trial and Appeals Board filings. The trademark-related deadlines that may be extended include deadlines for Office Action responses, statements of use and affidavits of use, renewal applications, and notices of opposition.
Copyright extensions
The U.S. Copyright Office has extended certain registration timing requirements that typically must be followed in order to seek stautory damages in an infringement claim. In general, a copyright owner is eligible for statutory damages in an infringement action only if the work is registered prior to the infringement or within three months of the work’s first publication. The Copyright Office is extending the three-month window for certain works having a window close date that is between March 13, 2020 and the date that the Acting Register of Copyrights announces an end of the disruption period. However, this extension is only available if the applicant submits evidence that the applicant was “unable to submit a physical deposit of the work and would have done so but for the national emergency.” The extension is not available for works that can be submitted entirely in electronic form.
Cautions before taking advantage of extended deadlines
Patent and trademark applicants and registrants should exercise caution before relying on the USPTO’s extended deadlines under the CARES Act. First and foremost, patent application filing deadlines are not changed. The extended deadlines for patents only apply to granted patents and already-filed applications.
Also, to qualify for any of the USPTO’s extended deadlines the late filing must be accompanied by a statement that the applicant, patent or trademark owner, inventor, attorney or agent, or petitioner was “personally affected” by the COVID-19 outbreak. This means that “the outbreak materially interfered with timely filing or payment.” Patent and trademark applicants, owners and their representatives who contracted COVID-19, or applicants (such as healthcare providers) whose businesses are focused on COVID-19 response can likely state that the outbreak materially interfered with the filing. Patent and trademark applicants, owners and representatives with an affected family member likely also can make the statement. It’s likely that applicants, owners, and representatives who are subject to “stay at home” government mandates and who are caring for family members and/or home-schooling young children could also do so. Further, applicants that are businesses with cash flow concerns due to business distruption should be able to make this statement, especially if the deadline involves payment of a fee.
However, someone who simply chooses to delay may not be able to truthfully say that the outbreak “materially interfered” with timely filing or payment. Thus, patent and trademark applicants, owners, and their representatives should carefully consider whether they qualify for the extended deadlines before relying on them.
Copyright applicants should consider whether they can provide evidence that they were “unable” to file the application within the normal three-month window. If the work is of a type that can be electronically deposited, the applicant must do so within the unextended time period unless the applicant provides evidence that it could not do so, for example by certifying that the applicant had no access to a computer and/or the Internet. If the work is of a type that cannot be electronically deposted, the applicant must certify that it was subject to a government stay-at-home order, or that it was unable to access physical materials due to business closure.
Special thanks to my Fox Rothschild colleagues Flynn Barrison, Dianna El Hioum, and Brienne Terril for their contributions to this post.
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