# TMEP § 1301.01(a)(i): Performance of a Real Activity

> Federal · Agency guidance · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01(a)(i)

## Section

- **Citation:** TMEP § 1301.01(a)(i)
- **Heading:** Performance of a Real Activity
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Agency guidance
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** USPTO TMEP / Chapter 1300 - Service Marks, Collective Marks, and Certification Marks / TMEP § 1301.01(a)(i)

## Text

A service must be a real activity. A mere idea or
concept, e.g., an idea for an accounting organizational format or a recipe for a
baked item, is not a service. Similarly, a system, process, or method is not a
service.
In re Universal Oil Prods.
Co.
, 476 F.2d 653, 177 USPQ 456
(C.C.P.A. 1973) ;
In re Citibank,
N.A.
, 225 USPQ 612
(TTAB 1985) ;
In re Scientific Methods, Inc.
, 201 USPQ 917
(TTAB 1979);
In re McCormick & Co.
, 179 USPQ 317 (TTAB
1973).  See
TMEP
§1301.02(e)
regarding marks that identify a system or
process.
The commercial context must be considered in
determining whether a real service is being performed. For example, at one time
the activities of grocery stores, department stores, and similar retail stores
were not considered to be services. However, it has long been recognized that
gathering various products together, making a place available for purchasers to
select goods, and providing any other necessary means for consummating purchases
constitutes the performance of a service.

## Nearby sections

- [TMEP § 1301 Service Marks](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.md)
- [TMEP § 1301.01 What Is a Service?](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01.md)
- [TMEP § 1301.01(a) Criteria for Determining What Constitutes a Service](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01(a).md)
- [TMEP § 1301.01(a)(i) Performance of a Real Activity](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01(a)(i).md)
- [TMEP § 1301.01(a)(ii) For the Benefit of Others](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01(a)(ii).md)
- [TMEP § 1301.01(a)(iii) Sufficiently Distinct from Activities Involved in Provision of Goods or Performance of Other Services](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01(a)(iii).md)
- [TMEP § 1301.01(b)(i) Contests and Promotional Activities](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01(b)(i).md)
- [TMEP § 1301.01(b)(ii) Warranty or Guarantee of Repair](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01(b)(ii).md)
- [TMEP § 1301.01(b)(iii) Publishing One’s Own Periodical](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01(b)(iii).md)
- [TMEP § 1301.01(b)(iv) Soliciting Investors](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01(b)(iv).md)
- [TMEP § 1301.01(b)(v) Informational Services Ancillary to the Sale of Goods](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01(b)(v).md)
- [TMEP § 1301.01(b)(vi) Clinical Trials](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01(b)(vi).md)
- [TMEP § 1301.02 What Is a Service Mark?](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.02.md)
- [TMEP § 1301.02(a) Matter that Does Not Function as a Service Mark](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.02(a).md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/TMEP_S1301.01(a)(i). Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.