[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 66 (Friday, April 4, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18519-18520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7019]



[[Page 18519]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Substantive Submissions Made During Prosecution of the Trademark 
Application

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 June 3, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected]. Include ``0651-0054 
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 e-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 1451, Alexandria, VA 22313-1451, by 
telephone at 571-272-9573, or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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 the 
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 
thereby 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 the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS). 
By mail or hand delivery if applicants choose to submit the information 
in paper form.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-0054.
    Form Number(s): PTO Forms 1553, 1581, 2194, 2195, 2200, and 2202.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Primarily business or other for-profit 
organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 228,115 per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
approximately 3 minutes (0.05 hours) to 20 minutes (0.33 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: 34,684 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $10,543,936. 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 $10,543,936 per year.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Estimated time     Estimated       Estimated
                              Item                                 for response       annual       annual burden
                                                                   (in minutes)      responses         hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trademark/Service Mark Allegation of Use (Statement of Use/                   13          10,475           2,305
 Amendment to Allege Use).......................................
TEAS Trademark/Service Mark Allegation of Use (Statement of Use/              11          54,992           9,899
 Amendment to Allege Use).......................................
Request for Extension of Time to File a Statement of Use........              10          10,211           1,736
TEAS Request for Extension of Time to File a Statement of Use...               9         117,429          17,614
Petition to Revive Abandoned Application--Failure to Respond                  12           2,004             401
 Timely to Office Action........................................
TEAS Petition to Revive Abandoned Application--Failure to                      5           8,015             641
 Respond Timely to Office Action................................
Petition to Revive Abandoned Application--Failure to File Timely              12           2,004             401
 Statement of Use or Extension Request..........................
TEAS Petition to Revive Abandoned Application--Failure to File                 5           8,015             641
 Timely Statement of Use or Extension Request...................
Request to Delete Section 1(/B) Basis, Intent to Use............               4             194              14
TEAS Request to Delete Section 1(b) Basis, Intent to Use........               3           1,100              55
Request for Express Abandonment (Withdrawal) of Application.....               4           4,686             328
TEAS Request for Express Abandonment (Withdrawal) of Application               3           6,500             325
Request to Divide...............................................               5           1,990             159
Other Petitions.................................................              30             500             165
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................................  ..............         228,115          34,684
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[[Page 18520]]

    Estimated Total Annual Non-Hour Respondent Cost Burden (includes 
postage costs and filing fees): $27,958,968. This collection has no 
operating or maintenance costs.
    Applicants 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 the paper forms are 
submitted to the USPTO via first class mail. First class postage will 
increase to 42 cents effective May 12, 2008. Therefore, the USPTO 
estimates that the postage costs for this collection will be $13,468.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Responses                      Total cost
                              Item                                     (yr)        Postage costs       (yr)
                                                                             (a)             (b)         (a x b)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trademark/Service Mark Allegation of Use (Statement of Use/               10,475           $0.42          $4,400
 Amendment to Allege Use).......................................
Request for Extension of Time to File a Statement of Use........          10,211            0.42           4,289
Petition to Revive Abandoned Application--Failure to Respond               2,004            0.42             842
 Timely to Office Action........................................
Petition to Revive Abandoned Application--Failure to File Timely           2,004            0.42             842
 Statement of Use or Extension Request..........................
Request to Delete Section 1(b) Basis, Intent to Use.............             194            0.42              81
Request for Express Abandonment (Withdrawal) of Application.....           4,686            0.42           1,968
Request to Divide...............................................           1,990            0.42             836
Other Petitions.................................................             500            0.42             210
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................................          32,064  ..............          13,468
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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. The total filing fees of $27,945,500 shown here are the 
minimum fees associated with this information collection.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Responses                      Total cost
                              Item                                     (yr)         Filing fees        (yr)
                                                                             (a)             (b)         (a x b)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trademark/Service Mark Allegation of Use (Statement of Use/               10,475         $100.00      $1,047,500
 Amendment to Allege Use).......................................
TEAS Trademark/Service Mark Allegation of Use (Statement of Use/          54,992          100.00       5,499,200
 Amendment to Allege Use).......................................
Request for Extension of Time to File a Statement of Use........          10,211          150.00       1,531,650
TEAS Request for Extension of Time to File a Statement of Use...         117,429          150.00      17,614,350
Petition to Revive Abandoned Application--Failure to Respond               2,004          100.00         200,400
 Timely to Office Action........................................
TEAS Petition to Revive Abandoned Application--Failure to                  8,015          100.00         801,500
 Respond Timely to Office Action................................
Petition to Revive Abandoned Application--Failure to File Timely           2,004          100.00         200,400
 Statement of Use or Extension Request..........................
TEAS Petition to Revive Abandoned Application--Failure to File             8,015          100.00         801,500
 Timely Statement of Use or Extension Request...................
Request to Delete Section 1(b) Basis, Intent to Use.............             194            0.00               0
TEAS Request to Delete Section 1(b) Basis, Intent to Use........           1,100            0.00               0
Request for Express Abandonment (Withdrawal) of Application.....           4,686            0.00               0
TEAS Request for Express Abandonment (Withdrawal) of Application           6,500            0.00               0
Request to Divide...............................................           1,990          100.00         199,000
Other Petitions.................................................             500          100.00          50,000
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................................         228,115  ..............      27,945,500
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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 27, 2008.
Susan K. Fawcett,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Customer Information Services Group, Public Information Services 
Division.
 [FR Doc. E8-7019 Filed 4-3-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P