TMAE Summit RoundtablesGoods Housekeeping: Strategies for Drafting Applications in the USPTO’s ID Manual Era
Alt Legal Team | August 27, 2025
We’ll be making the most of our time during the lunch hour at the TMAE Summit by hosting small roundtable discussions on a variety of relevant topics. Each roundtable will have a host assigned to lead the discussion with pertinent questions, allowing you to share knowledge and resources and get to know your fellow conference attendees.
Roundtable Description
This past January, the USPTO reformed its trademark application filing and fee system to push applicants toward using identifications of goods and services from the Acceptable ID Manual. The reforms have led to more frustration and higher costs for applicants but also create opportunities for TMAs to highlight their knowledge and skills as trademark drafters. In this roundtable, Steve Cooper (Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP) will provide an overview of the trademark identification fee system and use requirements and lead a discussion about strategies for identifying goods and services to provide effective coverage for clients while minimizing costs and downstream risks. Participants will discuss:
- How identification drafting can positively and negatively impact prosecution and maintenance
- How to understand and efficiently utilize the USPTO ID Manual, including software and AI tools
- When to enter identifications free-form instead of using the ID Manual
- What strategies to use for U.S. applicants considering foreign filing and for non-U.S. applicants filing in the U.S.
- How to frame goods and services effectively during clearance searches
View all TMAE Summit Roundtables here.
Learn more about the TMAE Summit here.
Roundtable Host
Steve Cooper, Partner, Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP
Steve Cooper is a Partner in Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. As a registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) patent attorney and experienced trademark practitioner, Steven manages a global portfolio patent, design, and trademark applications and registrations across a broad range of industries. His practice focuses on drafting and prosecuting provisional, design, and utility patent applications before the USPTO, as well as managing comprehensive U.S. and international IP portfolios, and on trademark clearance, registration, and enforcement, assisting with filings and renewals worldwide. In addition to being an ally to the TMA Community, Steve is the Operations Coordinator for Brand Action, the President-elect of the Greater Bridgeport Bar Association, a co-chair of the Awards & Fellowships Subcommittee of INTA’s Young Practitioners Committee, and an active member of ECTA and its Patent and WIPO-Link Committees.