What is required to prevent abandonment of an application when no Statement of Use (SOU) is filed?

Filing a Statement of Use (SOU) within the specified time frame is essential to prevent abandonment of a trademark application based on intent to use. A trademark application filed as an intent-to-use requires the applicant to provide evidence of actual use in commerce before the trademark can be registered. The SOU is the legal document that confirms the trademark is being used in the way described in the application. This document must be submitted within six months after the Notice of Allowance is issued, with the possibility of extensions.

If the SOU is not filed within this timeframe, the application could be deemed abandoned, meaning the applicant would lose the rights to the mark as applied for. This ensures that the applicant maintains active pursuit of their rights and confirms that the trademark is in use, which is crucial for the integrity of the trademark registry.

While other options may be relevant in different contexts, such as responding to office actions or appealing decisions, they do not directly address the issue of maintaining an application due to the lack of a filed SOU. The focus of this specific question centers on the necessity of submitting the SOU in order to avoid abandonment, making it the correct answer.