Ward and Smith, P.A.
Ward and Smith, P.A. is a Raleigh, North Carolina-based trademark practice with 2,442 USPTO filings on file, 1,480 of which are currently live. The firm has represented 809 distinct trademark owners — a mid-breadth client roster at roughly 3.0 marks per client. In TTAB practice, the firm has handled 294 proceedings, more often as plaintiff (156) than defendant (141). 21 attorneys have appeared at the firm — 3 focused on prosecution, 8 on TTAB matters, 5 working across both areas.
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Editorial deep dives on prosecution strategy, TTAB, and brand portfolios
Board refuses request to register UNPLEX after earlier UNPLEX TECHNOLOGIES use
The Board refused the request to register UNPLEX after finding that UNPLEX TECHNOLOGIES had been used first in the United States.
Prove the Connection or Show the Name Points Elsewhere: Clearing a Section 2(a) Refusal Over a School, Agency, Tribe or Company Name
A Section 2(a) refusal says your mark falsely suggests a connection with a university, government agency, tribe, company or famous estate. Permission from the institution, the heirs' rights, another meaning, or goods its fame does not reach: the real USPTO files for each.
Three Fixes Examiners Accepted After a Specimen Refusal, and the Substitutes They Turned Down
Specimen refused under Sections 1 and 45: a mockup, an ad, a web page with no way to buy, or a drawing that does not match. What got real files approved: a dated substitute specimen, an explanation of the specimen you already filed, or a matching drawing, and why some substitutes were refused again.