Can I submit a mockup as a trademark specimen?

Photo of Jan Buza

Written by Jan Buza

Co-founder of Trama

No. A mockup is not an acceptable trademark specimen. The purpose of a specimen is to demonstrate genuine use of the mark in US commerce; a mockup, by definition, shows what a product or label might look like rather than what it actually looks like in the marketplace.

Partially altered images, digitally modified screenshots, printer proofs, and template labels that have not been used on actual goods are all refused for the same reason. The specimen must be a real, unaltered example from actual commerce.

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