Submitting a Translated Foreign Registration Certificate with your USPTO Trademark Application

When filing a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), applicants are required to provide a filing basis for their application. While applicants can provide proof of use or intent-to-use as a basis for their applications, the USPTO allows foreign applicants to use their pending foreign trademark application or a foreign trademark registration as a basis to satisfy the requirement for their trademark application in the United States.

Whether an applicant applies under the Section 44(d) basis (pending foreign application) or the Section 44(e) basis (foreign registration), the applicant will be required to file a true copy, a photocopy, a certification, or a certified copy of the registration in the country of origin of the applicant. This submission will either happen at the time the application is filed with the USPTO or later on in the trademark application process. The submitted document must be a copy of a document that was issued to the applicant by or certified by the intellectual property office in the applicant’s country of origin, such as a trademark registration certificate. The document must also show the name of the owner, the mark, and the goods or services that are covered under the mark’s registration.

One common pitfall for trademark applicants filing under the Section 44(d) or Section 44(e) basis is when the applicant submits an original copy of the trademark registration certificate issued by the foreign intellectual property office in the original, non-English language, triggering the issuance of an Office Action. Foreign intellectual property offices, such as the offices listed below in Spanish-speaking countries, issue foreign registration certificates in Spanish: 

• Argentina: Instituto Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial (INPI)

• Bolivia: El Servicio Nacional de Propiedad Intelectual (SENAPI)

• Chile: Instituto Nacional de Propiedad industrial (INAPI)

• Colombia: Superintendencia De Industria y Comercio (SIC)

• Costa Rica: Registro de Propiedad Intelectual

• Dominican Republic: La Oficina Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial (ONAPI)

• Ecuador: Servicio Nacional de Derechos Intelectuales (SENADI)

• El Salvador: Centro Nacional de Registros (CNR)

• Guatemala: Registro de la Propiedad Intelectual de Guatemala (RPI)

• Honduras: Dirección General de Propiedad Intelectual (DIGEPIH)

• Mexico: Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial (IMPI)

• Nicaragua: Ministerio de Fomento, Industria y Comercio (MIFIC)

• Peru: Instituto Nacional de Defensa de la Competencia y de la Protección de la Propiedad Intelectual (INDECOPI)

• Spain: La Oficina Española de Patentes y Marcas, O.A. (OEPM)

• Uruguay: La Dirección Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial (DNPI)

• Venezuela: El Servicio Autónomo de la Propiedad Intelectual (SAPI) 

The USPTO requires that a trademark applicant provides a translation of the foreign trademark registration certificate (or other submitted document) if the foreign trademark registration certificate, a trademark certificate of renewal, or other certification of renewal from the intellectual property office of the foreign country is not in English. The English copy must be provided alongside the copy of the original issued document, and must be signed by the individual that translated the document. Providing a foreign registration certificate without an accompanying translated copy can delay the registration of your trademark application or even ultimately result in the refusal of your trademark registration.

If you are filing a trademark application in the United States with a foreign registration as a basis for your application, make sure to enlist the services of a competent translator before submitting the required foreign registration certificate (or other issued document) and obtain a copy of the translated document to be submitted alongside the original copy. Given the legal terms and often complicated terminology found in these types of documents, a competent translator with experience in dealing with trademark documents should be retained. Remember, the translation must be included with the original document issued by the foreign intellectual property office, and must be signed by the translator!  

With a properly done translation alongside the original document, you should hopefully avoid this commonly raised issue for foreign applicants filing a trademark application with the USPTO.

Hermes Mobile Notary & Translations offers certified English translations and Spanish translations of foreign trademark registration certificates and other documents issued by foreign intellectual property offices that provide its documents in the Spanish language. Our translator is experienced in translating legal terminology between English and Spanish, and has over a decade of intellectual property experience. We also offer a free “do-over” guarantee for certified translations in the event that a certified translation is rejected or refused. 

Check out “Our Services” page for pricing information and contact us for a free estimate on your translation now!