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What is a "specimen illegible" trademark refusal?

Written by Jan Buza

Co-founder of Trama

A specimen illegible refusal is issued when the submitted image is too small, blurry, taken from too far away, shot at an awkward angle, or otherwise visually defective to allow the examiner to clearly verify the mark and its use in connection with the goods or services.

If you do receive this kind of refusal, overcoming it should be pretty straightforward in most cases. You should submit a replacement image that is clear, properly lit, taken at an appropriate angle, and of sufficient resolution to show both the mark and the goods or services context clearly. The mark must be properly readable, and its connection to the goods or services should be apparent from the image.

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