T.M.E.P. § 1207.03
Marks Previously Used in United States but Not Registered

Executive summary:

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1207.03 Marks Previously Used in United States but Not Registered

As a basis for refusal, §2(d) refers not only to registered marks but also to "a mark or trade name previously used in the United States by another and not abandoned." Refusal on the basis of an unregistered mark or trade name has sometimes been referred to as refusal on the basis of a "known mark." This provision is not applied in ex parte examination because of the practical difficulties with which an examining attorney is faced in attempting to locate "previously used" marks and attempting to determine whether anyone has rights in them and whether they are "not abandoned."