"Published for opposition" means a USPTO examining attorney has approved your U.S. trademark application to appear in the Official Gazette. The Gazette is the USPTO's weekly public bulletin. Once the mark is published, other parties have 30 days to oppose the registration.
This is a normal step, not a refusal. Most applications that reach publication are not opposed. You can confirm the status in TSDR. Our TSDR how-to shows how to open the file.
The 30-day opposition window
After the mark appears in the Official Gazette, any party who believes it would be damaged by the registration can file a notice of opposition at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).
A party that needs more time can ask for an extension of time to oppose. If the USPTO grants it, the deadline can be extended, often by 30 to 90 days.
Publication and opposition procedure is covered in TMEP Chapter 1500 (Post-Examination Procedures).
What happens next
If no opposition is filed, and no extension is pending:
For a use-in-commerce application, the USPTO can register the mark and issue a registration certificate. You can download the certificate from TSDR.
For an intent-to-use application, the USPTO issues a Notice of Allowance. You then have six months to file a Statement of Use, or to request a six-month extension. See our Statement of Use FAQs and the Statement of Use guide.
If someone opposes the application: the case moves to the TTAB. That is a separate proceeding, with its own deadlines and fees. See trademark oppositions and cancellations.
If Markavo is your attorney of record, we watch the publication period and tell you if an opposition or extension is filed.