How long does it take for a mark to be registered?

... and how long does a trademark registration last?

Thanks

[sandra]

It is difficult to predict how long it will take for an application to mature into a registration, because there are so many factors that can affect the process. Generally, an applicant will receive a filing receipt approximately six months after filing. The filing receipt will include the serial number of the application. All future correspondence with the PTO must include this serial number. You should receive a response from the Office within six to seven months from filing the application. However, the total time for an application to be processed may be anywhere from almost a year to several years, depending on the basis for filing, and the legal issues which may arise in the examination of the application. Current status information on trademark applications and registrations may be obtained through the Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval (TARR) database on the Office's World Wide Web site at TARR Home Page. If you do not have access to the Internet, you can call the Trademark Assistance Center at 1-800-786-9199 (or 571-272-9250 if you live in Northern Virginia) to request a status check.

How long does a trademark registration last?

For a trademark registration to remain valid, an Affidavit of Use ("Section 8 Affidavit") must be filed: (1) between the fifth and sixth year following registration, and (2) within the year before the end of every ten-year period after the date of registration. The registrant may file the affidavit within a grace period of six months after the end of the sixth or tenth year, with payment of an additional fee.

The registrant must also file a §9 renewal application within the year before the expiration date of a registration, or within a grace period of six months after the expiration date, with payment of an additional fee.

Assuming that an affidavit of use is timely filed, registrations granted PRIOR to November 16, 1989 have a 20-year term, and registrations granted on or after November 16, 1989 have a 10-year term.

This is also true for the renewal periods; renewals granted PRIOR to November 16, 1989 have a 20-year term, and renewals granted on or after November 16, 1989 have a 10-year term.

When did the renewal period change from twenty to ten years?

November 16, 1989. Registrations issued on or after November 16, 1989 have a ten-year term, renewable every ten years.