[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 117 (Friday, June 17, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35411-35415]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15016]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Applications for Trademark Registration
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 August 16, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
E-mail: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0009 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the
Chief Information Officer, 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 Catherine Cain,
[[Page 35412]]
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 571-272-8946; or by e-mail to
[email protected] with ``Paperwork'' in the subject line.
Additional information about this collection is also available at
http://www.reginfo.gov under ``Information Collection Review.''
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 who use their marks, or
intend to use their marks, in commerce regulable by Congress, may file
an application with the USPTO to register their marks. Registered marks
remain on the register indefinitely, so long as the owner of the
registration files the necessary maintenance documents.
The rules implementing the Trademark Act are set forth in 37 CFR
part 2. The Act and rules mandate that each certificate of registration
include the mark, the particular goods and/or services for which the
mark is registered, the owner's name, dates of use of the mark in
commerce, and certain other information. The USPTO also provides
similar information to the public concerning pending applications.
Individuals or businesses may access the register and pending
application information through the USPTO's Web site to determine
availability of a mark. Accessing and reviewing the USPTO's publicly
available information may reduce the possibility of initiating use of a
mark previously registered or adopted by another. Thus, the Federal
trademark registration process may lessen the filing of papers in court
and between parties. The information in this collection is available to
the public.
Trademarks can be registered on either the Principal or
Supplemental Register. Registrations on the Principal Register confer
all of the benefits of registration provided under the Trademark Act.
Certain marks that are not eligible for registration on the Principal
Register, but are capable of functioning as a trademark, may be
registered on the Supplemental Register. Registrations on the
Supplemental Register do not have all of the benefits of marks on the
Principal Register. Registrations on the Supplemental Register cannot
be transferred to the Principal Register, but owners of registrations
on the Supplemental Register may apply for registration of their marks
on the Principal Register.
The information in this collection can be submitted in paper format
or electronically through the Trademark Electronic Application System
(TEAS) using a regular TEAS application form or a TEAS Plus application
form. Applicants that file their applications using the TEAS Plus form
pay a reduced filing fee if they file a complete application, agree to
file certain communications regarding the application through TEAS, and
agree to receive communications concerning the application by e-mail.
TEAS Plus applications are only available for trademark/service mark
applications. There are no TEAS Plus application forms available for
the certification marks, collective marks, collective membership marks,
and applications for registration on the Supplemental Register at this
time. This collection contains three paper forms and six electronic
forms.
II. Method of Collection
Electronically if applicants submit the information using the TEAS
forms. By mail or hand delivery if applicants choose to submit the
information in paper form.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0651-0009.
Form Number(s): PTO Forms 4.8, 4.9, 1478, and 1478(a).
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profits; and not-for-
profit institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 380,289 responses per year.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it takes the
public approximately 18 minutes (0.30 hours) to 30 minutes (0.50 hours)
to complete this information, depending on the application. This
includes the time to gather the necessary information, prepare the
application, and submit the completed request to the USPTO. The time
estimates shown for the electronic forms in this collection are based
on the average amount of time needed to complete and electronically
file the associated form.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 132,106 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $42,934,450. The
USPTO expects that associate attorneys will complete these
applications. The professional hourly rate for attorneys in private
firms is $325. Using this hourly rate, the USPTO estimates that the
total respondent cost burden for this collection is $42,934,450 per
year.
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Estimated annual Estimated annual
Item Estimated time for response responses burden hours
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Use-Based Trademark/Service Mark 30 minutes.................... 2,342 1,171
Application, including:
Trademark/Service Mark
Application.
Collective Trademark/Service
Mark Application.
Collective Membership Mark.....
Certification Mark Application.
TEAS Use-Based Trademark/Service Mark 25 minutes.................... 92,902 39,019
Application, including:
Trademark/Service Mark
Application.
Collective Trademark/Service
Mark Application.
Collective Membership Mark.....
Certification Mark Application.
TEAS Plus Use-Based Trademark/Service Mark 25 minutes.................... 46,842 19,674
Application.
Intent to Use Trademark/Service Mark 23 minutes.................... 3,548 1,348
Application, including:
Trademark/Service Mark
Application.
Collective Trademark/Service
Mark Application.
Collective Membership Mark.....
Certification Mark Application.
TEAS Intent to Use Trademark/Service Mark 18 minutes.................... 140,720 42,216
Application, including:
Trademark/Service Mark
Application.
[[Page 35413]]
Collective Trademark/Service
Mark Application.
Collective Membership Mark.....
Certification Mark Application.
TEAS Plus Intent to Use Trademark/Service 18 minutes.................... 70,951 21,285
Mark Application.
Application for Registration of Trademark/ 25 minutes.................... 379 159
Service Mark under Sec. 44(d) and (e),
including:
Trademark/Service Mark
Application.
Collective Trademark/Service
Mark Application.
Collective Membership Mark.....
Certification Mark Application.
TEAS Application for Registration of 19 minutes.................... 15,028 4,809
Trademark/Service Mark under Sec. 44(d)
and (e), including:
Trademark/Service Mark
Application.
Collective Trademark/Service
Mark Application.
Collective Membership Mark.....
Certification Mark Application.
TEAS Plus Application for Registration of 19 minutes.................... 7,577 2,425
Trademark/Service Mark under Sec. 44(d)
and (e).
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Totals.................................. .............................. 380,289 132,106
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Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) Respondent Cost Burden:
$117,791,578. There are no capital start-up, maintenance, or operating
fees associated with this information collection. However, this
collection does have annual (non-hour) cost burden in the form of
postage costs, as well as filing and processing fees.
Applicants incur postage costs when submitting the non-electronic
information to the USPTO by mail through the United States Postal
Service. The USPTO estimates that the majority (98%) of the paper forms
are submitted to the USPTO via first class mail. Out of 6,269 paper
forms, the USPTO estimates that 6,143 forms will be mailed, with a
first class postage cost of 44 cents. Therefore, the USPTO estimates
that the postage costs for this collection will be $2,703.
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Total cost
Item Responses Postage costs (yr) (a) x
(yr) (a) (b) (b)
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Use-Based Trademark/Service Mark Application, including......... 2,295 0.44 $1,010.00
Trademark/Service Mark Application.................
Collective Trademark/Service Mark Application......
Collective Membership Mark.........................
Certification Mark Application.....................
Intent to Use Trademark/Service Mark Application, including..... 3,477 0.44 1,530.00
Trademark/Service Mark Application.................
Collective Trademark/Service Mark Application......
Collective Membership Mark.........................
Certification Mark Application.....................
Application for Registration of Trademark/Service Mark under 371 0.44 163.00
Sec. 44 (d) and (e), including...............................
Trademark/Service Mark Application.................
Collective Trademark/Service Mark Application......
Collective Membership Mark.........................
Certification Mark Application.....................
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Total................................................... 6,143 .............. 2,703.00
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There is also annual (non-hour) cost burden in the way of filing
fees associated with this collection. Applicants who choose to file
their applications electronically instead of submitting them in paper
pay a reduced filing fee. Those who choose to file TEAS Plus
applications pay a further reduced fee. An application must include a
filing fee for each class of goods and services. Therefore, the total
filing fees associated with this collection can vary depending on the
number of classes in each application. The total filing fees of
$117,638,875 shown here are based on the minimum fee of one class per
application.
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Total non-hour cost
Item Responses (a) Filing fee * ($) burden (yr) (a) x
(b) (b) (c)
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Use-Based Trademark/Service Mark Application, 2,342 $375.00 $878,250.00
including....................................
Trademark/Service Mark
Application..............................
Collective Trademark/Service Mark
Application..............................
Collective Membership Mark.......
[[Page 35414]]
Certification Mark Application...
TEAS Use-Based Trademark/Service Mark 92,902 325.00 30,193,150.00
Application, including.......................
Trademark/Service Mark
Application..............................
Collective Trademark/Service Mark
Application..............................
Collective Membership Mark.......
Certification Mark Application...
TEAS Plus Use-Based Trademark/Service Mark 46,842 275.00 12,881,550.00
Application..................................
Intent to Use Trademark/Service Mark 3,548 375.00 1,330,500.00
Application, including.......................
Trademark/Service Mark
Application..............................
Collective Trademark/Service Mark
Application..............................
Collective Membership Mark.......
Certification Mark Application...
TEAS Intent to Use Trademark/Service Mark 140,720 325.00 45,734,000.00
Application, including.......................
Trademark/Service Mark
Application..............................
Collective Trademark/Service Mark
Application..............................
Collective Membership Mark.......
Certification Mark Application...
TEAS Plus Intent to Use Trademark/Service Mark 70,951 275.00 19,511,525.00
Application..................................
Application for Registration of Trademark/ 379 375.00 142,125.00
Service Mark under Sec. 44(d) and (e),
including....................................
Trademark/Service Mark
Application..............................
Collective Trademark/Service Mark
Application..............................
Collective Membership Mark.......
Certification Mark Application...
TEAS Application for Registration of Trademark/ 15,028 325.00 4,884,100.00
Service Mark under Sec. 44(d) and (e),
including....................................
Trademark/Service Mark
Application..............................
Collective Trademark/Service Mark
Application..............................
Collective Membership Mark.......
Certification Mark Application...
TEAS Plus Application for Registration of 7,577 275.00 2,083,675.00
Trademark/Service Mark under Sec. 44(d) and
(e)..........................................
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Total......................................... 380,289 .................... 117,638,875.00
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* Note: All filing fees are based on per class filing.
In addition, the USPTO charges a processing fee of $50 to process
applications that were originally filed as TEAS Plus applications, but
which failed to meet the requirements stated above. The USPTO estimates
that out of the 125,370 TEAS Plus use-based, intent to use, and Sec.
44(d) and (e) applications filed, 3,000 will be subject to the
processing fee. A processing fee is charged for each class of goods and
services in the application, so the total processing fee can vary
depending on the number of classes. The total processing fees shown
here are based on the minimum fee of one class per application.
Therefore, the USPTO estimates that at a minimum, the processing fees
will add $150,000 to the filing fees estimated above.
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Total Non-hour
Item Responses (yr) Processing fee cost burden
* ($) (yr)
(a) (b) (a) x (b)
(c)
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TEAS Plus Use-Based Applications That Do Not Meet TEAS Plus 1,121 $50.00 $56,050.00
Requirements...................................................
TEAS Plus Intent to Use Applications That Do Not Meet TEAS Plus 1,698 50.00 84,900.00
Requirements...................................................
TEAS Plus Application for Registration of Trademark/Service Mark 181 50.00 9,050.00
under Sec. 44(d) and (e) That Do Not Meet TEAS Plus
Requirements...................................................
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Total....................................................... 3,000 .............. 150,000.00
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Note: All processing fees are based on per class filing.
The USPTO estimates that the total non-hour cost burden associated
with the filing and processing fees for this collection will be
$117,788,875.
Therefore, the USPTO estimates that the total annual (non-hour)
cost burden for this collection, in the form of postage costs and
filing and processing fees is $117,791,578 per year.
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
[[Page 35415]]
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 also will become a matter of public record.
Dated: June 13, 2011.
Susan K. Fawcett,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-15016 Filed 6-16-11; 8:45 am]
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