Specimen Guide - Services
Classes 35 - 45
In general, acceptable specimens for service related businesses include marketing materials, websites, conference banners, handouts and other items that the service related business may display to advertise and communicate to the public that they are in the business of providing a specific service or services at a cost.
Examples of acceptable specimens for classes 35 - 45 include the following:
In many cases, a photo of a sign on a building displaying the trademark and clear identification of what the business provides will be considered acceptable specimens as well. Examples of these are as follows:
Examples of unacceptable specimens that will NOT be considered valid include the following:
- Websites that display the trademark but do not identify the services that the company provides.
- Signs or other images that just show the trademark, but there is no indication of what services are provided.
- Banners, pennants or flags that simply show the trademark image.
- Photos that depict your trademark, but do not show the full trademark image or do not clearly show the trademark exactly as it appears in your application.
Here are some examples of specimens that would likely be rejected:
Of course, at the end of the day it is up to the USPTO examining attorney to decide what is and what is not acceptable. However, providing a specimen that is more likely to be considered acceptable from the beginning can greatly reduce the time and cost it takes to get your trademark registered.
