United StatesUnited States Patent and Trademark Office

    Got a USPTO refusal? Respond before the 3-month clock runs out.

    Our US-licensed attorneys read the examining attorney's objections, draft the response, and file it with the USPTO inside your deadline, so an objection doesn't cost you the mark.

    Your deadline is firm: 3 months from the issue date (since December 2022). Replies from $150, confirmed before any work.

    A US-licensed GTC attorney reviewing a USPTO trademark Office Action

    Refusal read

    Grounds confirmed

    Response drafted

    By a US attorney

    Filed in 3 months

    Before the deadline

    10+ years
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    How it works

    Three steps to a clean USPTO Office Action response.

    1

    Submit your application number

    Send us your USPTO application or serial number. That's all we need to retrieve the Office Action and the full prosecution history. A US-licensed attorney reads the cited grounds, even if GTC didn't file the original application.

    2

    Strategy, quote, then draft

    We send a strategy recommendation and a transparent flat quote based on case complexity. Once you approve, your attorney drafts a comprehensive response and shares it before anything is filed.

    3

    File and monitor

    We file the response with the USPTO on your behalf, typically within 5 business days of approval, then monitor the case and notify you of any examiner update.

    What you're up against

    An Office Action is an objection, not a rejection.

    When a USPTO examining attorney reviews your application, they may issue a written objection citing prior conflicting marks, descriptiveness, a specimen problem, or a formality issue. A large share of US applications receive one. The right strategy depends entirely on which family the refusal falls into.

    Usually straightforward

    Non-substantive (procedural) Office Actions

    Technical or formality issues that rarely threaten the mark itself. A precise, on-time response normally clears them and the application proceeds to publication.

    • Disclaimer requirements for descriptive or generic terms
    • Amendments to the identification of goods / services
    • Informality fixes. Signature, entity type, classification
    • Requests for additional information or clarification

    $200 or $475, by type

    Substantive refusals

    Legal refusals that turn on argumentation and evidence. We scope the response and quote it before any drafting begins, never billed by surprise.

    • Section 2(d): likelihood of confusion with an existing mark
    • Section 2(e)(1): mark is merely descriptive of the goods / services
    • Section 2(a): immoral, deceptive, or scandalous matter
    • Specimen refusals. Mark not shown in use in commerce

    3 months, firm

    The clock starts on the issue date. One 3-month extension costs $125/class; Madrid §66(a) filings keep 6 months, no extension.

    If it goes final

    A final Office Action narrows your options to a TTAB appeal ($200/class), a request for reconsideration, or abandonment.

    Miss it = abandonment

    No response in time abandons the application and its fees, a fresh filing ($350/class USPTO) restarts the whole 8–12 month examination.

    What it costs

    A fixed price for each type of reply.

    Your attorney reads the Office Action, confirms which reply it needs and its price, and starts only when you agree. There is no USPTO fee for filing the response itself.

    What the response includes

    • Full retrieval and review of the Office Action and every cited prior mark or ground
    • Response strategy memo before drafting. You approve the approach first
    • Attorney-drafted response with the statutory argumentation the refusal calls for
    • du Pont likelihood-of-confusion analysis for Section 2(d) refusals
    • Acquired-distinctiveness (Section 2(f)) evidence package for descriptiveness refusals
    • Identification-of-goods amendments and disclaimers where they clear the objection
    • Substitute or supplemental specimens prepared where a specimen refusal is raised
    • Filing through the USPTO Trademark Center as your attorney of record
    • Status updates through to the examiner's next action in your client portal
    Procedural reply

    Disclaimers, goods wording, formality issues, minor specimen corrections.

    $150Included if we filed it
    Standard reply

    One ground, such as descriptiveness (Section 2(e)(1)) or a specimen refusal.

    $200
    Detailed reply

    Several grounds, or a likelihood-of-confusion refusal (Section 2(d)).

    $475
    Evidence package or appeal

    Acquired distinctiveness evidence, reconsideration, TTAB appeal.

    Quoted
    USPTO response fee
    $0
    Deadline extension (if needed)
    $125/class USPTO

    Your attorney confirms the type of reply and its price in writing before any work begins. Government fees, if any, are passed through at cost.

    Start your response

    Tell us about your Office Action

    Share your USPTO application or serial number and what the examiner raised, a US-licensed attorney will triage it and email a flat-fee quote.

    Your deadline is firm. The USPTO gives 3 months from the issue date, a missed deadline abandons your application. Send it now and we'll triage it today.

    Why GTC

    An online-first firm, built for USPTO office actions.

    Free triage before you commit

    Send us your application number and a US-licensed attorney reads the refusal, confirms the grounds, and quotes a flat fee, before any work or payment.

    Attorney-drafted argumentation

    A US-licensed attorney drafts the du Pont analysis for §2(d), the §2(f) evidence for descriptiveness, or the specimen fix, and you approve every argument before filing.

    Your 3-month deadline, tracked

    We diarise the USPTO response window and file inside it, so a missed deadline never abandons your application.

    One team, worldwide

    The same team answers your USPTO office actions and your office actions at every other registry your brand reaches.

    Your Customer Success Team

    A dedicated team that owns your matter from start to finish.

    Every GTC client gets a dedicated Account Manager and a Senior Account Manager who learn your business and stay with you from first email to final filing. They are named people who pick up the phone and already know your matter, so every step moves forward without delay.

    Your Account Manager

    Your day-to-day point of contact, who coordinates every matter, keeps things moving, and already knows your file. They have your full history, so you start every conversation where the last one left off.

    Your Senior Account Manager

    Senior oversight on strategy and escalations, stepping in as your needs grow, so every important detail stays on track.

    A named person, on email or a call, at every step.

    Your dedicated GTC Customer Success Team

    How we compare

    Answering a USPTO refusal? Here's what sets GTC apart.

    What you get GTC Online filing services Doing it yourself
    A US-licensed attorney reads the refusal and confirms the grounds
    Response drafted to TMEP rules and filed in your 3-month window
    A flat fee quoted before any drafting
    Both procedural and substantive refusals handled
    One team for office actions, worldwide
    USPTO fees passed through at cost

    A US-licensed attorney reads the refusal and confirms the grounds

    GTC
    Online filing services
    Doing it yourself

    Response drafted to TMEP rules and filed in your 3-month window

    GTC
    Online filing services
    Doing it yourself

    A flat fee quoted before any drafting

    GTC
    Online filing services
    Doing it yourself

    Both procedural and substantive refusals handled

    GTC
    Online filing services
    Doing it yourself

    One team for office actions, worldwide

    GTC
    Online filing services
    Doing it yourself

    USPTO fees passed through at cost

    GTC
    Online filing services
    Doing it yourself

    The response timeline

    From issue date to the examiner's next action.

    The 3-month clock starts the day the Office Action issues. Here's how a GTC response fits inside it.

    1. Day 0

      Office Action issued

      The USPTO mails the examining attorney's Office Action. Your 3-month response clock starts on the issue date (6 months for Madrid §66(a) applications).

    2. Within days

      Triage, strategy & quote

      Send us your application number and we retrieve the action, identify every issue, and return a response strategy plus a flat quote, no payment required to get the assessment.

    3. ~5 business days

      Response drafted & filed

      Once you approve, your attorney drafts the response and files it through the USPTO Trademark Center, comfortably inside your 3-month window.

    4. ~3–4 months later

      Examiner reviews your response

      If the examiner is satisfied, the application proceeds to publication. If not, a final Office Action issues, and we map the TTAB appeal or reconsideration route upfront.

    In their words

    Rajat has expertly guided me through the process of registering my company in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and more. Currently, he is safeguarding my business interests on a global scale. His dedication and expertise are unmatched.

    Darius Tay, Indonesia

    ExcellentTrustpilot
    10+
    Years since 2016

    Office Action Response FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    An Office Action is a formal letter from a USPTO examining attorney identifying issues that must be resolved before your trademark can register. It is not a rejection. It is a request for clarification, legal argument, or additional evidence. Office Actions can raise procedural issues or legal refusals, and each requires a tailored response within a strict deadline.

    Before you respond

    Read before you respond

    Contact us

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    Tell us what you need, and we will reply within 1 business day.

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