Recent USPTO Rule Change No Longer Allows PO Boxes for Applicant Addresses

A recent USPTO policy change states that trademark applicants are no longer allowed to use PO boxes as the address of record in a trademark application and must now use a street address.

This change arguably creates a problem for a lot of home-based businesses that would rather not list their home address in their application, as trademark documents are public and very searchable.

If you have a home-based business and are looking to apply for a trademark, you may want to consider finding a shared office space or a mail provider that has a street address. The policy change is currently in effect, so it is important to prepare an alternative address for when you submit your trademark application with the USPTO.

If have any further questions about the rule change or your trademarks, please feel free to reach out to Gerben IP trademark attorney.

Josh Gerben, Esq.

Josh Gerben, Esq. is the founder and principal of Gerben IP. In 2008, Mr. Gerben started the firm to provide high-quality trademark services at reasonable prices. Today, he is recognized by the World Trademark Review as a top trademark filer, having registered over 7,500 trademarks. The contents of this blog are for informational purposes only and may not be relied on as legal advice.

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