40-1-104. Examination of application; amendment of application.

(a) Upon the filing of an application for registration and payment of the application fee, the secretary may cause the application to be examined for conformity with this act.

(b) The applicant shall provide any additional pertinent information requested by the secretary, including a description of a design mark and may make or authorize the secretary to make such amendments to the application as may be reasonably requested by the secretary or deemed by the applicant to be advisable to respond to any rejection or objection.

(c) The secretary may require the applicant to disclaim an unregisterable component of a mark otherwise registerable and an applicant may voluntarily disclaim a component of a mark sought to be registered. No disclaimer shall prejudice or affect the applicant's or registrant's rights then existing or thereafter arising in the disclaimed matter, or the applicant's or registrant's rights of registration on another application if the disclaimed matter be or shall have become distinctive of the applicant's or registrant's goods or services.

(d) Amendments may be made by the secretary upon the application submitted by the applicant upon the applicant's agreement or a fresh application may be required to be submitted.

(e) If the applicant is found not to be entitled to registration, the secretary shall advise the applicant of the reasons. The applicant shall have a reasonable period of time specified by the secretary in which to reply or to amend the application, in which event the application shall then be reexamined. This procedure may be repeated until (A) the secretary finally refuses registration of the mark or (B) the applicant fails to reply or amend within the specified period, whereupon the application shall be deemed to have been abandoned.