# TMEP § 1001: Section 44 Applications - General

> Federal · Agency guidance · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1001

## Section

- **Citation:** TMEP § 1001
- **Heading:** Section 44 Applications - General
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Agency guidance
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** USPTO TMEP / Chapter 1000 - Applications Under Section 44 / TMEP § 1001

## Text

The United States has assumed certain obligations from agreements
adopted at the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property of 1883 and
subsequent revisions to these agreements. The United States is also a member of the
Inter-American Convention for Trademarks and Commercial Protection (also known as the
“Pan-American Convention”), the Buenos Aires Convention for the Protection of Trade Marks and
Commercial Names, the World Trade Organization, and certain other treaties and agreements. See
TMEP §1002.03
and
Appendix B
of this Manual for additional information about treaties and
international agreements.
Section 44 of the Trademark Act,
15 U.S.C.
§1126
, implements these agreements. Section 44 applications fall into two
basic categories: (1) U.S. applications relying on
foreign applications
to secure
a
priority filing date
in the United States under §44(d); and (2) U.S.
applications relying on ownership of
foreign registrations
as a
basis for
registration
in the United States under §44(e). See
TMEP §§1003
-
1003.08
regarding §44(d) and
§§1004
-
1004.02
regarding §44(e).
Section 44(d) of the Act provides only a basis for receipt of a
priority filing date,
not
a basis for publication or registration.
See
TMEP §1003.03
.
An applicant may file an application based solely on §44, or may
claim §44 in addition to §1(a) or §1(b) as a filing basis. An applicant who claims more than
one basis must comply with all application requirements for each basis asserted.
37 C.F.R.
§2.34
. See
TMEP §§806.02–806.02(g)
regarding
multiple-basis applications and
§§806.03(j)-806.03(j)(iii)
regarding amending
the basis after publication.
In an application based solely on §44, the applicant must submit
a verified statement that the applicant has a bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce,
but use in commerce is not required prior to registration.
TMEP §1009.
In limited circumstances, applicants domiciled in the United
States may be entitled to file under §44, if they meet the requirements of the Act
basis after publication.
In an application based solely on §44, the applicant must submit
a verified statement that the applicant has a bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce,
but use in commerce is not required prior to registration.
TMEP §1009.
In limited circumstances, applicants domiciled in the United
States may be entitled to file under §44, if they meet the requirements of the Act.
See
TMEP §1002.05
.
Applications based on Section 44, and related submissions,
must be filed through the trademark electronic filing system unless an exception to the
requirement to file electronically applies.
See
37 C.F.R. §§2.21(a)
,
2.23(a)
;
TMEP §301.01
. See
TMEP §301.02
regarding the limited exceptions for paper submissions.
See
TMEP Chapter
1900
regarding international registration under the Madrid
Protocol.
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## Nearby sections

- [TMEP § 1001 Section 44 Applications - General](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1001.md)
- [TMEP § 1002.01 Eligible Applicants Under §44(e)](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1002.01.md)
- [TMEP § 1002.02 Eligible Applicants Under §44(d)](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1002.02.md)
- [TMEP § 1002.03 Establishing Entitlement Under a Treaty or Foreign Law](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1002.03.md)
- [TMEP § 1002.04 Establishing Country of Origin](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1002.04.md)
- [TMEP § 1002.05 U.S. Applicants](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1002.05.md)
- [TMEP § 1003 Section 44(d) - Priority Filing Date Based on a Foreign Application](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1003.md)
- [TMEP § 1003.01 The “First-Filed” Requirement](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1003.01.md)
- [TMEP § 1003.02 Priority Claim Must Be Filed Within Six Months of Foreign Filing](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1003.02.md)
- [TMEP § 1003.03 Basis for Registration Required](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1003.03.md)
- [TMEP § 1003.04(a) Applications Based Solely on Section 44](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1003.04(a).md)
- [TMEP § 1003.04(b) Multiple-Basis Applications](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1003.04(b).md)
- [TMEP § 1003.04(c) Periodic Inquiries Issued as to Status of Foreign Application](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1003.04(c).md)
- [TMEP § 1003.05 Section 44(d) and Priority for Publication](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1003.05.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1001. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.