What is one of the consequences of missing the deadline for responding to an office action?

When a trademark applicant fails to respond to an office action by the set deadline, one significant consequence is that the application may be abandoned. This means that the applicant loses the opportunity to receive a registration for the trademark, as the application effectively becomes inactive and will not move forward in the examination process.

It is crucial for applicants to adhere to deadlines in the trademark application process because the USPTO relies on timely responses to resolve any issues or concerns regarding the application. Hence, rather than being prioritized or receiving an extension, the failure to respond can result in the loss of the application entirely. Appeals are typically related to decisions made post-examination or refusals, not directly tied to failure to meet response deadlines. Thus, the correct understanding is that missing the deadline can lead to the cancellation of the registration process.