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Do I have to respond to a final office action?

Senior Trademark Attorney

You do not have to, but if you do not, the application will be abandoned and all fees paid are forfeited.

If the issues raised in the final office action are genuinely unresolvable, or if the cost of further prosecution exceeds the value of the registration, abandoning the application may be the practical decision. If the mark is commercially important, a response; either a Request for Reconsideration or an appeal; is worth pursuing.

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