USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct

Office of Enrollment and Discipline Offers Anonymous Ethics Hotline for PTO Practitioners

Who are you going to call if you have a question about whether your conduct as a patent or trademark attorney is ethical?   Many state bars offer “ethics hotlines” to aid their members in their understanding of, and compliance with, their obligations under applicable rules of professional conduct. Although the USPTO does not advertise a […]

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Trademark Ethics: 5 Things That Might Keep You Up At Night

Emil Ali has been keeping very busy representing trademark practitioners in USPTO ethics investigations and disciplinary proceedings.  Next Thursday, May 12, Emil will be sharing his insights into the perilous ethical landscape faced by trademark counsel, in a live online webinar.  Every trademark practitioner should watch and learn from the mistakes others have made!  This

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DOC OIG Slams USPTO’s Handling of Foreign Trademark Filings, U.S. Counsel Rule

On August 11, 2021, the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce (“OIG”), which oversees the USPTO, issued a scathing report on the state of the USPTO’s control over the integrity of the Trademark Register.  The report discussed a number of areas of concern, including the enforcement of the U.S. Counsel rule, as well as

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Top Three Things IP Practitioners Must Know When Working With Foreign Associates

As we noted in a prior post, the USPTO has gone on record allowing U.S. practitioners to partner with foreign attorneys by way of ownership of law firms, without violating the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct.  However, practitioners continue to be surprised when they are told that practitioner relationships with foreign associates and agents outside

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Trademark Signature Best Practices and OED

The letter comes in the mail from OED asking you a few questions about a handful of trademark applications, including whether each form was electronically signed by the respective applicant or attorney. The light bulb still has not hit—you ask yourself who is OED, and why are they asking about signatures. You read further into

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Balancing Newly Divergent State, USPTO Ethics Rules

This article appeared in Law360 on September 23, 2020. (Subscription Required) The rules of ethics adopted by each state are often said to be based upon or modeled after the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct. While the ABA model rules provide a template for states to consider when adopting their own ethics

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New IP Ethics CLE: A Look at the USPTO’s Focus on Declarations

On Monday, June 1, 2020, I will be moderating an ethics webinar panel discussion on behalf of the ABA’s Intellectual Property Law Section (for which I serve as Chair of the Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee). The webinar is entitled “A Look at the USPTO’s Focus on Declarations” and will focus on ethics issues relating

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Avoiding USPTO Discipline: Five Recommendations for IP Practitioners

The USPTO’s Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED) exists, in large part, to ensure that patent and trademark practitioner are practicing ethically and in accordance with the Office’s Rules of Professional Conduct.  The OED’s staff includes a dozen attorneys, many of whom have practical experience in the area of IP law.  Whether you have been

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