为了适应商标业务实现全面无纸化的审查流程，美国专利商标局于近期对商标审理和上诉委员会评审规则进行了修订，目前修订工作已完成，修订后的新规则将于2017年1月14日正式实施。
该修订后的评审规则对商标审理和上诉委员会案件的程序进行了诸多重要修改，其中部分具有广泛影响的内容总结下：
1. All pleadings and submissions must be filed through ESTTA.
2. Service of all papers must be by email, unless otherwise stipulated.
3. Response periods are no longer extended by five days for service by mail.
4. Deadlines for submissions to the Board that are initiated by a date of service are 20 days. Responses to motions for summary judgment remain 30 days. Similarly, deadlines for responses to discovery requests remain 30 days.
5. All discovery requests must be served early enough to allow for responses prior to the close of discovery. Duty to supplement discovery responses will continue after the close of discovery.
6. Motions to compel initial disclosures must be E1ed within 30 days after the deadline for serving initial disclosures.
7. Motions to compel discovery, motions to test the sufficiency of responses or objections, and motions for summary judgment must be filed prior to the first pretrial disclosure deadline.
8. Requests for production and requests for admission, as well as interrogatories, are each limited to 75.
9. Testimony may be. sub】nitted in the form of an affidavit or declaration.
10. New requirements for the submission of trial evidence and deposition transcripts.
11. For proceedings filed on or after January 14, 2017, in addition to the Changes set forth above, the Board's notice of institution constitutes service of complaints.
