This is something trivial, but important to the daily IP practice. Consistent with 5 U.S.C. §6103(c), which deems “January 20 of each fourth year after 1965, Inauguration Day, is a legal public holiday . . . . ,” the USPTO is closed. The Copyright Office is also closed for the presidential inauguration. Any deadlines that fall on January 20 are automatically extended to the next business day, per patent rules (MPEP 710.01(a)) and trademark rules (TMEP 308). Thank our democratic processes for extending any filings with our IP offices every four years that fall on this date.
