Determining an Owner’s Domicile

For a natural person, domicile is the permanent legal place

of residence, which is the place the person resides and intends to be the person's

principal home.

37 C.F.R. §2.2(o)

.

For a juristic entity, domicile is the principal place of

business, which is the entity’s headquarters where its senior executives or officers

ordinarily direct and control the entity’s activities and is usually the center from

where other locations are controlled.

37 C.F.R.

§2.2(o)-(p)

.

Determining whether an applicant’s or registrant’s

domicile is within or outside the United States is based on the applicant’s or

registrant’s street address. When necessary, the USPTO may require an applicant or

registrant to furnish information or documentation to support an applicant’s or

registrant’s domicile address.

See

37 C.F.R. §2.11(b)

;

TMEP §601.01(b)

.

An address that does not identify an actual street address

or that functions as a mail forwarding address generally may not serve as a domicile

address because it does not identify the location of the place the person resides and

intends to be the person’s principal home (for a natural person) or the location of a

juristic entity’s headquarters where the entity’s senior executives or officers

ordinarily direct and control the entity’s activities (for a juristic entity).

TMEP §601.01(c)(i)

.