It is possible to acquire ownership of a trademark by filing an “intent-to-use” (ITU) trademark registration application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office before someone else has actually started using the mark. The filing date of this application will be considered the date of first use of the mark if the applicant actually uses the mark within the required time limits – six months to three years after the USPTO approves the mark – depending on whether the applicant seeks and pays for extensions of time.
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