[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 58 (Monday, March 27, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 15097-15098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2875]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

37 CFR Part 2

[Docket No. PTO-T-2005-0014]
RIN 0651-AB56


Miscellaneous Changes to Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Rules

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is 
reopening the comment period for proposed changes to certain rules 
affecting practice before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board that 
were published in the Federal Register January 17, 2006. Interested 
members of the public are invited to submit written comments on these 
proposed changes by the new deadline for comments.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published at 71 FR 
2498, January 17, 2006, originally set to close on March 20, 2006, is 
reopened from March 27, 2006, until May 4, 2006 (45 days beyond the 
original deadline).

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent by e-mail to 
[email protected], or by mail addressed to Trademark Trial and 
Appeal Board, P.O. Box 1451, Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1451, marked to 
the attention of Gerard F. Rogers. Comments may also be sent by 
electronic mail message over the Internet via the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal. See http://www.regulations.gov for additional instructions on 
using this option.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gerard F. Rogers, Administrative 
Trademark Judge, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, by telephone at 
(571) 272-4299, or by e-mail addressed to [email protected], or 
by facsimile transmission marked to his attention and sent to (571) 
273-0059.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A notice of proposed rule making to amend 
certain rules governing practice before the Trademark Trial and Appeal 
Board was published in the Federal Register on January 17, 2006 (71 FR 
2498). A number of comments made in response to that notice suggested 
that an extension of the comment period would be helpful; and some of 
these recommended a public hearing. In addition, the Trademark Public 
Advisory Committee has recommended to the USPTO an extension and a 
hearing. The USPTO has decided to reopen the comment period 
(announcement of an extension not being possible before the scheduled 
close of the comment period on March 20, 2006). The USPTO has also 
decided, however, that written comments are preferred over oral 
comments and therefore will not schedule a public hearing. Any comments 
submitted after the close of the original comment period on March 20, 
2006, but prior to the date of publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register will be considered. All comments submitted between 
January 17, 2006 and May 4, 2006, will be considered. All comments will 
be posted for public viewing on the Internet via the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal (http://www.regulations.gov).


[[Page 15098]]


    Dated: March 20, 2006.
Jon W. Dudas,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 06-2875 Filed 3-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P