[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 120 (Monday, June 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35533-35535]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14511]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Substantive Submissions Made During Prosecution of the Trademark 
Application

ACTION: Notice.

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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 comment on the 
continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. Sec.  
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 22, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0054 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 the attention of Catherine Cain, 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 571-272-8946, or by email to [email protected]. 
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. Sec.  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 
mark with the USPTO.
    Such individuals and businesses may also submit various 
communications to the USPTO, including providing additional information 
needed to process a request to delete a particular filing basis from an 
application or to divide an application identifying multiple goods and/
or services into two or more separate applications. Applicants may seek 
a six-month extension of time to file a statement that the mark is in 
use in commerce or submit a petition to revive an application that 
abandoned for failure to submit a timely response to an office action 
or a timely statement of use or extension request. In some 
circumstances, an applicant may expressly abandon an application by 
filing a written request for withdrawal of the application.
    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 reduce the number of filings between both litigating parties 
and the courts.

II. Method of Collection

    The forms in this collection are available in electronic format 
through the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), which may 
be accessed on the USPTO Web site. TEAS Global Forms are available for 
the items where a TEAS form with dedicated data fields is not yet 
available. Applicants may also submit the information in paper form by 
mail, fax, or hand delivery.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-0054.
    Form Number(s): PTO Forms 1553, 1581, 2194, 2195, 2200, and 2202.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profits; not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 292,706 per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
the public from 5 minutes (0.083 hours) to 30 minutes (0.50 hours), 
depending on the complexity of the situation, to gather the necessary 
information, prepare the appropriate documents, and submit the 
information to the USPTO.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 63,981.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $24,888,609. The 
USPTO expects that the information in this collection will be prepared 
by attorneys at an estimated rate of $389 per hour. Therefore, the 
USPTO estimates that the respondent cost burden for this collection 
will be approximately $24,888,609 per year.

[[Page 35534]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Estimated
                                                                     time for        Estimated       Estimated
            Item No.                           Item                  response         annual      annual  burden
                                                                     (minutes)       responses         hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...............................  Trademark/Service Mark                      25           1,704          710
                                   Allegation of Use (Statement
                                   of Use/Amendment to Allege
                                   Use) (Paper).
1...............................  Trademark/Service Mark                      20          80,733       26,911
                                   Allegation of Use (Statement
                                   of Use/Amendment to Allege
                                   Use) (TEAS).
2...............................  Request for Extension of Time               12           1,819          363.8
                                   to File a Statement of Use
                                   (Paper).
2...............................  Request for Extension of Time               10         180,047       30,007.83
                                   to File a Statement of Use
                                   (TEAS).
3...............................  Petition to Revive Abandoned                20             348          116
                                   Application--Failure to
                                   Respond Timely to Office
                                   Action (Paper).
3...............................  Petition to Revive Abandoned                15          18,548        4,637
                                   Application--Failure to
                                   Respond Timely to Office
                                   Action (TEAS).
4...............................  Petition to Revive Abandoned                15              34            8.5
                                   Application--Failure to File
                                   Timely Statement of Use or
                                   Extension Request (Paper).
4...............................  Petition to Revive Abandoned                12             159           31.8
                                   Application--Failure to File
                                   Timely Statement of Use or
                                   Extension Request (TEAS).
5...............................  Request to Delete Section 1(b)              10              26            4.33
                                   Basis, Intent to Use (Paper).
5...............................  Request to Delete Section 1(b)               5           1,300          108.33
                                   Basis, Intent to Use (TEAS).
6...............................  Request for Express                         10             100           16.67
                                   Abandonment (Withdrawal) of
                                   Application (Paper).
6...............................  Request for Express                          5           4,900          408.33
                                   Abandonment (Withdrawal) of
                                   Application (TEAS).
7...............................  Request to Divide Application               15              39            9.75
                                   (Paper).
7...............................  Request to Divide Application               10           1,922          320.33
                                   (TEAS Global).
8...............................  Response to Intent-to-Use                   30               1             .5
                                   (ITU) Divisional Unit Office
                                   Action (Paper).
8...............................  Response to Intent-to-Use                   30               1             .5
                                   (ITU) Divisional Unit Office
                                   Action (TEAS Global).
9...............................  Response to Petition to Revive              20               5            1.67
                                   Deficiency Letter (Paper).
9...............................  Response to Petition to Revive              15             250           62.5
                                   Deficiency Letter (TEAS
                                   Global).
10..............................  Petition to the Director Under              25              12            5
                                   Trademark Rule 2.146 (Paper).
10..............................  Petition to the Director Under              20             600          200
                                   Trademark Rule 2.146 (TEAS
                                   Global).
11..............................  Due Diligence Petition Under                25               2             .83
                                   Trademark Rule 2.66 (Paper).
11..............................  Due Diligence Petition Under                20             130           43.33
                                   Trademark Rule 2.66 (TEAS
                                   Global).
12..............................  Petition to Revive with                     30               1             .5
                                   Request to Delete Section
                                   1(b) Basis or to Delete ITU
                                   Goods/Services After NOA
                                   (Paper).
12..............................  Petition to Revive with                     30              25           12.5
                                   Request to Delete Section
                                   1(b) Basis or to Delete ITU
                                   Goods/Services After NOA
                                   (TEAS Global).
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    TOTALS......................  ..............................  ..............         292,706       63,981
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual (Non-Hour) Respondent Cost Burden: 
$37,707,606. There are no capital start-up, maintenance or 
recordkeeping costs associated with this information collection. 
However, this collection does have annual (non-hour) cost burden in the 
form of postage costs and filing fees.
    Applicants incur postage costs when submitting 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 at a rate of 49 cents per ounce. Therefore, 
the USPTO estimates that with 4,091 total paper submissions, the 
postage costs in this collection will be $2,006.
    The filing fees for several items in this collection are charged 
per class of goods and/or services; therefore, the filing fees will 
vary for each respondent depending on the number of classes. The total 
filing fees of $37,705,600 shown here are based on the minimum fee of 
one class for those items for which a fee is required.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                    Total cost
            Item No.                           Item               Responses (yr)    Filing fees        (yr)
                                                                             (a)             (b)         (a x b)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...............................  Trademark/Service Mark                   1,704         $100.00     $170,400.00
                                   Allegation of Use (Statement
                                   of Use/Amendment to Allege
                                   Use) (Paper).
2...............................  Trademark/Service Mark                  80,733          100.00    8,073,300.00
                                   Allegation of Use (Statement
                                   of Use/Amendment to Allege
                                   Use) (TEAS).
2...............................  Request for Extension of Time            1,819          150.00      272,850.00
                                   to File a Statement of Use
                                   (Paper).
2...............................  Request for Extension of Time          180,047          150.00   27,007,050.00
                                   to File a Statement of Use
                                   (TEAS).
3...............................  Petition to Revive Abandoned               348          100.00       34,800.00
                                   Application--Failure to
                                   Respond Timely to Office
                                   Action (Paper).
3...............................  Petition to Revive Abandoned            18,548          100.00    1,854,800.00
                                   Application--Failure to
                                   Respond Timely to Office
                                   Action (TEAS).
4...............................  Petition to Revive Abandoned                34          100.00        3,400.00
                                   Application--Failure to File
                                   Timely Statement of Use or
                                   Extension Request (Paper).
4...............................  Petition to Revive Abandoned               159          100.00       15,900.00
                                   Application--Failure to File
                                   Timely Statement of Use or
                                   Extension Request (TEAS).
5...............................  Request to Delete Section 1(b)              26            0.00            0.00
                                   Basis, Intent to Use (Paper).
5...............................  Request to Delete Section 1(b)           1,300            0.00            0.00
                                   Basis, Intent to Use (TEAS).

[[Page 35535]]

 
6...............................  Request for Express                        100            0.00            0.00
                                   Abandonment (Withdrawal) of
                                   Application (Paper).
6...............................  Request for Express                      4,900            0.00            0.00
                                   Abandonment (Withdrawal) of
                                   Application (TEAS).
7...............................  Request to Divide Application               39          100.00        3,900.00
                                   (Paper).
7...............................  Request to Divide Application            1,922          100.00      192,200.00
                                   (TEAS Global).
8...............................  Response to Intent-to-Use                    1            0.00            0.00
                                   (ITU) Divisional Unit Office
                                   Action (Paper).
8...............................  Response to Intent-to-Use                    1            0.00            0.00
                                   (ITU) Divisional Unit Office
                                   Action (TEAS Global).
9...............................  Response to Petition to Revive               5            0.00            0.00
                                   Deficiency Letter (Paper).
9...............................  Response to Petition to Revive             250            0.00            0.00
                                   Deficiency Letter (TEAS
                                   Global).
10..............................  Petition to the Director Under              12          100.00        1,200.00
                                   Trademark Rule 2.146 (Paper).
10..............................  Petition to the Director Under             600          100.00       60,000.00
                                   Trademark Rule 2.146 (TEAS
                                   Global).
11..............................  Due Diligence Petition Under                 2          100.00          200.00
                                   Trademark Rule 2.66 (Paper).
11..............................  Due Diligence Petition Under               130          100.00       13,000.00
                                   Trademark Rule 2.66 (TEAS
                                   Global).
12..............................  Petition to Revive with                      1          100.00          100.00
                                   Request to Delete Section
                                   1(b) Basis or to Delete ITU
                                   Goods/Services After NOA
                                   (Paper).
12..............................  Petition to Revive with                     25          100.00        2,500.00
                                   Request to Delete Section
                                   1(b) Basis or to Delete ITU
                                   Goods/Services After NOA
                                   (TEAS Global).
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    TOTALS......................  ..............................         292,706  ..............      37,705,600
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will 
become a matter of public record.
    The USPTO is soliciting public comments to: (a) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of 
the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and (d) Minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.

    Dated: June 17, 2014.
Susan K. Fawcett,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-14511 Filed 6-20-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P