T.M.E.P. § 809.02
Printing of Translations and Transliterations

Executive summary:

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809.02 Printing of Translations and Transliterations

Generally, non-English wording in a mark must be translated into English and the translation (and transliteration, if applicable) must be printed in the Official Gazette and on the registration certificate.

Sometimes translations that are not precise, or that give a variety of meanings, are placed in the record. While all possible translations, and discussions relative to meaning, are useful for informational purposes, not all such matter is appropriate for printing in the Official Gazette or on the certificate of registration. Only a translation that is the clear and exact equivalent (see TMEP §809.01) should be printed. This normally means only one translation, because the existence of a variety of alternative translations or general explanations usually indicates a lack of a clearly recognized equivalent meaning.

If an applicant submits a translation that is too verbose or vague to be appropriate for printing in the Official Gazette and on the registration certificate, the examining attorney must indicate which translation, if any, is to be printed. The transliteration of non-Latin characters, if any, should be included in the statement to be printed. If necessary, the examining attorney should rewrite the statement and ensure that the TRAM database is updated accordingly. Language such as the following should be used for printing purposes whenever possible:

"The English translation of __________ in the mark is __________," or "The non-Latin characters in the mark transliterate to __________ and this means __________ in English."

All information in the translation/transliteration fields in the application record will automatically be printed in the Official Gazette and on the certificate of registration. Accordingly, when an examining attorney determines that a translation or transliteration should be printed, the examining attorney should ensure that the translation or transliteration is entered into the TRAM database. When an examining attorney determines that a translation or transliteration should not be printed because it is unnecessary, the examining attorney should ensure that the translation or transliteration is deleted from the TRAM database, and enter a note to the file indicating that the translation has been deleted. The document containing the information deleted from TRAM will remain of record for informational purposes. See TMEP §817 regarding preparation of an application for publication or issuance.