[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 60 (Thursday, March 27, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16272-16274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-6297]


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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: [email protected]. 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 [email protected].

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.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Estimated       Estimated       Estimated
                              Item                                   time for         annual      annual  burden
                                                                  response (min)     responses         hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    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
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    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.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                    Filing fees     Total cost
                              Item                                Responses (yr)        (b)            (yr)
                                                                             (a)             (b)         (a x b)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    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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