Trademark Technical and Conforming Amendment Act of 2010
Public Law 111-146 · S. 2968 · 111th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Mar 17, 2010 · Commerce
Sponsor: Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Jeff Sessions
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Trademark Technical and Conforming Amendment Act of 2010 - Amends the Act commonly known as the Lanham Act to replace references to "registrant" with references to "owner" in provisions: (1) making a certificate of registration prima facie evidence of the validity, registration, ownership, and exclusive rights to use a mark; and (2) relating to a registrant's surrender, cancellation, or amendment of registration. Requires, in the event of a surrender, cancellation, or amendment, that an appropriate entry be made on the records of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and on the certificate of registration. (Current law allows, when the certificate is lost or destroyed, such an entry to be made on a certified copy of the certificate.)
Requires, when the USPTO makes a material mistake in a registration, that a certificate stating the fact and nature of the mistake be attached to each printed copy of the registration. (Current law requires that the certificate stating the mistake be attached to each printed copy of the registration certificate.)
Replaces references to "registrant" with references to "owner" in provisions relating to the incontestability of the right to use a mark under certain conditions.
Allows the holder of an international registration to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit if the holder is dissatisfied with the decision of the Director or Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Modifies requirements regarding the duration of registrations and related affidavits and fees.
Requires a study and report to Congress on: (1) the extent to which small businesses may be harmed by litigation tactics by corporations attempting to enforce trademark rights beyond a reasonable interpretation of the scope of the rights granted to the trademark owner; and (2) the best use of federal government services to protect trademarks and prevent counterfeiting.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 4515Identical bill
Trademark Technical and Conforming Amendment Act of 2010
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.
- Mar 17, 2010Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-146.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Mar 5, 2010FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Mar 3, 2010FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2968.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Johnson (GA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Jan 29, 2010FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Jan 28, 2010FloorFloor · Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.