[Federal Register: March 27, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 60)]
[Notices]
[Page 16272-16274]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27mr08-28]
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PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
Post Registration (Trademark Processing)
ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.
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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as part
of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden,
invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this
opportunity to comment on the extension of a continuing information
collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public
Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 27, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
E-mail: Susan.Fawcett@uspto.gov. Include ``0651-0055 comment'' in
the subject line of the message.
Fax: 571-273-0112, marked to the attention of Susan K. Fawcett.
Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the Chief
Information Officer, Customer Information Services Group, Public
Information Services Division, United States Patent and Trademark
Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
should be directed to the attention of Janis Long, Attorney Advisor,
Office of the Commissioner for Trademarks, United States Patent and
Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450, by
telephone at 571-272-9573, or by e-mail at janis.long@uspto.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 16273]]
I. Abstract
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) administers
the Trademark Act, 15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq. which provides for the
Federal registration of trademarks, service marks, collective
trademarks and service marks, collective membership marks, and
certification marks. Individuals and businesses that use or intend to
use such marks in commerce may file an application to register their
marks with the USPTO.
Such individuals and businesses may also submit various
communications to the USPTO, including requests to amend their
registrations to delete goods or services that are no longer being used
by the registrant. Registered marks remain on the register for ten
years and can be renewed, but will be cancelled unless the owner files
with the USPTO a declaration attesting to the continued use (or
excusable non-use) of the mark in commerce within specific deadlines.
Applicants may also surrender a registration and, in limited
situations, petition the Director to reinstate a registration that has
been cancelled.
The rules implementing the Act are set forth in 37 CFR Part 2.
These rules mandate that each register entry include the mark, the
goods and/or services in connection with which the mark is used,
ownership information, dates of use, and certain other information. The
USPTO also provides similar information concerning pending
applications. The register and pending application information may be
accessed by an individual or by businesses to determine availability of
a mark. By accessing the USPTO's information, parties may reduce the
possibility of initiating use of a mark previously adopted by another.
The Federal trademark registration process may lessen the filing of
papers in court and between parties.
II. Method of Collection
Electronically if applicants submit the information using the forms
available through TEAS. By mail or hand delivery if applicants choose
to submit the information in paper form.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0651-0055.
Form Number(s): PTO Forms 4.16, 1553, 1583, 1597 and 1963.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Primarily business or other for-profit
organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 106,030 per year.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take
approximately 3 minutes (0.05 hours) to 30 minutes (0.50 hours) to
complete this information. This includes the time to gather the
necessary information, create the documents, and submit the completed
request to the USPTO.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 16,689 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $5,073,456. The
USPTO believes that associate attorneys will complete this information.
The professional hourly rate for associate attorneys in private firms
is $304. Using this hourly rate, the USPTO estimates that the total
respondent cost burden for this collection is $5,073,456.
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Estimated Estimated Estimated
Item time for annual annual burden
response (min) responses hours
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Declaration of Use of a Mark in Commerce Under Sec. 8......... 11 866 156
TEAS Declaration of Use of a Mark in Commerce Under Sec. 8.... 10 6,559 1,115
Combined Declaration of Use in Commerce & Application for 14 3,013 693
Renewal of Registration of a Mark Under Sec. Sec. 8 & 9.....
TEAS Combined Declaration of Use in Commerce & Application for 12 41,287 8,257
Renewal of Registration of a Mark Under Sec. Sec. 8 & 9.....
Declaration of Incontestability of a Mark Under Sec. 15....... 3 92 5
TEAS Declaration of Incontestability of a Mark Under Sec. 15.. 6 508 51
Combined Declaration of Use & Incontestability Under Sec. Sec. 5 7,120 570
8 & 15........................................................
TEAS Combined Declaration of Use & Incontestability Under Sec. 3 37,555 1,878
Sec. 8 & 15..................................................
Amendments and Corrections...................................... 30 4,780 2,390
Surrenders...................................................... 30 450 225
Section 7 Request............................................... 20 1,900 627
TEAS Section 7 Request.......................................... 23 1,900 722
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Totals...................................................... .............. 106,030 16,689
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Estimated Total Annual Non-Hour Respondent Cost Burden (includes
postage costs and filing fees): $37,153,771. This collection has no
operating, maintenance or recordkeeping costs.
Customers incur postage costs when submitting non-electronic
information to the USPTO by mail through the United States Postal
Service. The USPTO estimates that the majority of submissions for these
paper forms are made via first class mail. First class postage is 41
cents. Therefore, a total estimated mailing cost of $7,471 is incurred
(18,221 responses x $0.41).
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Total cost
Item Responses (yr) Postage costs (yr)
(a) (b) (a x b)
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Declaration of Use of a Mark in Commerce Under Sec. 8......... 866 $0.41 $355.00
Combined Declaration of Use in Commerce & Application for 3,013 0.41 1,235.00
Renewal of Registration of a Mark Under Sec. Sec. 8 & 9.....
Declaration of Incontestability of a Mark Under Sec. 15....... 92 0.41 38.00
Combined Declaration of Use & Incontestability Under Sec. Sec. 7,120 0.41 2,919.00
8 & 15........................................................
Amendments and Corrections...................................... 4,780 0.41 1,960.00
Surrenders...................................................... 450 0.41 185.00
[[Page 16274]]
Section 7 Requests.............................................. 1,900 0.41 779.00
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Totals...................................................... 18,221 .............. 7,471.00
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Filing fees of $37,146,300 are associated with this collection. The
filing fees are based on per class filing of goods and services,
therefore, the total filing fees can vary depending on the number of
classes. There is a $100 filing fee for Section 7 Requests unless the
correction is due to a USPTO error, in which case there is no fee. The
USPTO estimates that approximately 2,533 of the 3,800 expected Section
7 Requests would require the fee. The filing fees shown here are the
minimum fees associated with this information collection.
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Filing fees Total cost
Item Responses (yr) (b) (yr)
(a) (b) (a x b)
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Declaration of Use of a Mark in Commerce Under Sec. 8......... 866 $100.00 $86,600.00
TEAS Declaration of Use of a Mark in Commerce Under Sec. 8.... 6,559 100.00 655,900.00
Combined Declaration of Use in Commerce & Application for 3,013 500.00 1,506,500.00
Renewal of Registration of a Mark Under Sec. Sec. 8 & 9.....
TEAS Combined Declaration of Use in Commerce & Application for 41,287 500.00 20,643,500.00
Renewal of Registration of a Mark Under Sec. Sec. 8 & 9.....
Declaration of Incontestability of a Mark Under Sec. 15....... 92 200.00 18,400.00
TEAS Declaration of Incontestability of a Mark Under Sec. 15.. 508 200.00 101,600.00
Combined Declaration of Use & Incontestability Under Sec. Sec. 7,120 300.00 2,136,000.00
8 & 15........................................................
TEAS Combined Declaration of Use & Incontestability Under Sec. 37,555 300.00 11,266,500.00
Sec. 8 & 15..................................................
Amendments and Corrections...................................... 4,780 100.00 478,000.00
Surrenders...................................................... 450 0.00 0.00
Section 7 Requests.............................................. 1,266 100.00 126,600.00
TEAS Section 7 Requests......................................... 1,267 100.00 126,700.00
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Totals...................................................... 104,763 .............. 37,146,300.00
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*Note: All filing fees are based on per class filing.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information;
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on respondents, e.g., the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized or
included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.
Dated: March 20, 2008.
Susan K. Fawcett,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer,
Customer Information Services Group, Public Information Services
Division.
[FR Doc. E8-6297 Filed 3-26-08; 8:45 am]
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