[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34801-34802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16938]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office


Renewal and Amendment of the Charter of the Public Advisory 
Committee for Trademark Affairs

AGENCY: Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1976), and after consultation with GSA, 
it has been determined that the renewal and amendment of the charter of 
the Public Advisory Committee for Trademark Affairs is in the public 
interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed on the 
Department by law. The charter was renewed on May 23, 1996. Charter 
amendments will allow the Assistant Secretary of Commerce and 
Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks (Assistant Secretary) to select 
organizations which are representative of the Intellectual Property 
community. Each selected organization will, in turn, be able to appoint 
a designated number of members to the Committee. Committee membership 
will be limited to no more than 15 members. These members will serve 
staggered 3-year terms.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Committee was first chartered in January 
1973 and is now being renewed and its charter amended. The Committee's 
purpose is to advise the Patent and Trademark Office (Office) on ways 
to increase the Office's efficiency and effectiveness and to provide a 
continuing flow of knowledge from the private sector or the Office in 
the area of international and domestic trademark law.
    The Office is amending the charter of the Committee to make the 
Committee more diverse and more representative of trademark owners, 
trademark practitioners and the Intellectual Property community as a 
whole. The Assistant Secretary will select representative organizations 
from among intellectual property organizations, bar groups, business-
related organizations and academia, and determine the number of 
Committee members each organization can choose.
    Allowing each representative organization to select its own 
Committee member(s) will ensure that the Committee represents the 
concerns of each member organization. Members will serve staggered 
three-year terms. No member may serve more than two consecutive terms.
    The size of the Committee is being reduced from its former level of 
18 members to 15 members. After experience with both an 18-member and a 
15-member Committee, the smaller number seems to work better.
    The Committee Chair will be selected by the Assistant Secretary and 
will serve a one-year term. No individual may be the Chair for more 
than two consecutive terms.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynne G. Beresford at (703) 308-8900, 
by fax at (703) 308-7220, or by mail marked to her attention and 
addressed to:
    Assistant Commissioner for Trademarks, 2900 Crystal Drive, 
Arlington, Virginia 22202-3513. Any organization which has an interest 
in the Committee should contact Ms. Beresford. A list of interested

[[Page 34802]]

organizations will be maintained in the Office of the Assistant 
Commissioner for Trademarks.

    Dated: June 26, 1996.
Bruce A. Lehman,
Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and 
Trademarks.
[FR Doc. 96-16938 Filed 7-2-96; 8:45 am]
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