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I think the PTO has created great confusion around this, which is
why the question keeps coming up<br>
<br>
The PTO has decided that it's going to label any agreement where the
effective date is not the same as the execution date as a "nunc pro
tunc" assignment. If you have an ordinary assignment where those two
dates are different, and try to just enter it as a "new assignment,"
the form won't give you the opportunity to state the effective date.
The only way to do that is to use the "nunc pro tunc" entry.<br>
<br>
But I don't think it matters for the agreement itself. You don't
need to call it a "nunc pro tunc" assignment, just call it an
assignment. <br>
<br>
In fact I wouldn't call the first document "nunc pro tunc," I think
that invites confusion. Everyone is familiar with an agreement where
the effective date and signature date are different (our forms all
accommodate that possibility), so calling it "nunc pro tunc" will
just be "whaaaaat??" I think "nunc pro tunc" is more properly used
for the agreement itself when you've realized you made a mistake
somewhere and need a do-over. Say for example, you assigned the
marks to a division of a company instead of the company itself, so
you need to get it assigned to the legal entity but everything is
otherwise the same, including the original effective date. In that
case, you might describe it in the heading or recitals as an
assignment that is nunc pro tunc to an earlier version and replaces
the earlier version of the agreement, so that the original malformed
version never had legal effect. <br>
<br>
But before anyone gets too clever with nunc pro tunc, courts aren't
necessarily going to agree that they are effective. For example,
they can't be used to manufacture standing post- complaint or avoid
liability. The general rule is that they are effective and
enforceable between the two parties but third parties aren't
necessarily bound by them.<br>
<br>
Pam<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">Pamela S. Chestek<br>
Chestek Legal<br>
PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW MAILING ADDRESS<br>
4641 Post St.<br>
Unit 4316<br>
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762<br>
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<br>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2/14/2025 12:30 PM, Jessica R.
Friedman via E-trademarks wrote:<br>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41">*I
know we\u2019ve discussed this before many times, and if someone
wants to just point me to one of those discussions, that
would be great.*<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41">A
new client converted from Client LLC to Client Corp. but
never filed an assignment of its registered trademark with
the PTO. As part of a deal, before coming to me, Client
Corp. sold the trademark to a third party as part of an
asset sale. I know that before I can record an assignment
from Client Corp. to the third party, I have to execute and
record an assignment from Client LLC to Client Corp. Should
that assignment be a nunc pro tunc assignment, or just an
assignment dated \u201cas of\u201d the date of the corporate
conversion?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0A2F41"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Jessica
R. Friedman</span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Attorney
at Law<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">300
East 59 Street, Ste. 2406<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">New
York, NY 10022</span><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Phone:
212-220-0900</span><span
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Roman",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">Cell:
917-647-1884</span><span
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
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style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:blue"> </span><a
href="mailto:jrfriedman@litproplaw.com"
title="mailto:jrfriedman@litproplaw.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">jrfriedman@litproplaw.com</span></a><span
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#003366">URL: </span><a
href="http://www.literarypropertylaw.com"
title="http://www.literarypropertylaw.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">www.literarypropertylaw.com</span></a><span
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