[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 188 (Friday, September 29, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45579-45581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20836]


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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 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on a 
proposed extension of an existing information collection: 0651-0009 
(Applications for Trademark Registration).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before November 28, 
2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0009 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
     Mail: Marcie Lovett, Records and Information Governance 
Division Director, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, United 
States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 
22313-1450.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Catherine Cain, 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 email to [email protected] with ``0651-0009 comment'' 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 regulated 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 determine the availability of a mark by 
accessing the register through the USPTO's Web site: www.uspto.gov/trademark. 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 reduces unnecessary litigation and its 
associated costs and burdens.
    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 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). Applicants who file using the TEAS RF or TEAS Plus forms pay a 
lower filing fee than applicants who file using the TEAS Regular form. 
These applicants must agree to file certain communications regarding 
the application through TEAS and to receive communications by email. 
TEAS Plus users must also file a ``complete'' application, select their 
identification(s) of goods/services from the USPTO's Acceptable 
Identification of Goods and Services Manual, and pay the fees for all 
classes at the time of filing. TEAS Plus applications are only 
available for trademark/service mark applications. There are no TEAS 
Plus application forms available for certification marks, collective 
marks, collective membership marks, and applications for registration 
on the Supplemental Register at this time.

II. Method of Collection

    Electronically via TEAS forms, by mail, or by hand delivery.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-0009.
    Instrument Number(s): PTO Forms 1478, 1479, 1480, 1481, 1482.
    Type of Review: Extension of a Previously Existing Information 
Collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profits; not-for-profit 
institutions; individuals.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 437,599 responses per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it takes the 
public approximately 23 minutes (0.38 hours) to 35 minutes (0.58 hours) 
to complete this information, depending on the application. This 
includes the time to gather the necessary information, prepare the 
application, and submit the complete 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: 205,854.64 hours 
per year.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $90,164,332.32. The 
USPTO expects that associated attorneys will complete these 
applications. The professional hourly rate for attorneys is $438. The 
rate is established by estimates in the 2017 Report on the Economic 
Survey, published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of 
the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Using this hourly 
rate, the USPTO estimates that the total respondent cost burden for 
this collection is $90,164,332.32 per year.

[[Page 45580]]



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                                                               Estimated time for        Estimated        Estimated                         Estimated
            IC No.                         Item                responses  (hours)        responses      burden hours         Rate       respondent  cost
                                                           (a)......................             (b)               (c)             (d)               (e)
                                                                                                             (a) x (b)                         (c) x (d)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.............................  Use-Based Trademark/       0.58 (35 minutes)........              58             33.64         $438.00        $14,734.32
                                 Service Mark
                                 Applications (Paper).
1.............................  Use-Based Trademark/       0.50 (30 minutes)........           7,752          3,876.00          438.00      1,697,688.00
                                 Service Mark
                                 Applications (TEAS).
1.............................  Use-Based Trademark/       0.50 (30 minutes)........          94,756         47,378.00          438.00     20,751,564.00
                                 Service Mark
                                 Applications (TEAS RF).
1.............................  Use-Based Trademark/       0.58 (35 minutes)........          82,053         47,590.74          438.00     20,844,744.12
                                 Service Mark
                                 Applications (TEAS Plus).
2.............................  Intent to Use Trademark/   0.47 (28 minutes)........              70             32.90          438.00         14,410.20
                                 Service Mark Application
                                 (Paper).
2.............................  Intent to Use Trademark/   0.38 (23 minutes)........           9,390          3,568.20          438.00      1,562,871.60
                                 Service Mark Application
                                 (TEAS).
2.............................  Intent to Use Trademark/   0.38 (23 minutes)........         114,779         43,616.02          438.00     19,103,816.76
                                 Service Mark Application
                                 (TEAS RF).
2.............................  Intent to Use Trademark/   0.47 (28 minutes)........          99,392         46,714.24          438.00     20,460,837.12
                                 Service Mark Application
                                 (TEAS Plus).
3.............................  Applications for           0.50 (30 minutes)........               9              4.50          438.00          1,971.00
                                 Registration of
                                 Trademark/Service Mark
                                 under Sec.   44 (Paper).
3.............................  Applications for           0.40 (24 minutes)........           1,232            492.80          438.00        215,846.40
                                 Registration of
                                 Trademark/Service Mark
                                 under Sec.   44 (TEAS).
3.............................  Applications for           0.40 (24 minutes)........          15,064          6,025.60          438.00      2,639,212.80
                                 Registration of
                                 Trademark/Service Mark
                                 under Sec.   44 (TEAS
                                 RF).
3.............................  Applications for           0.50 (30 minutes)........          13,044          6,522.00          438.00      2,867,636.00
                                 Registration of
                                 Trademark/Service Mark
                                 under Sec.   44 (TEAS
                                 Plus).
                                                                                     -------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals....................  .........................  .........................         437,599        205,854.64  ..............     90,164,332.32
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    Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) Respondent Cost Burden: 
$109,770,653.13. 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 
filing fees, processing fees, and postage costs. The USPTO amended its 
rules to set, increase or decrease certain trademark fees, effective 
January 14, 2017 affecting many of the fees in this collection.
    There is also an annual (non-hour) cost burden associated with this 
collection in the form of filing fees. Applicants who file their 
applications electronically instead of submitting them on paper pay a 
reduced filing fee. Those who choose to file TEAS RF or 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 $109,561,086.00, shown in the table below, 
reflect the minimum filing fees associated with this information 
collection.

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                                                                                                Total filing fee
              IC No.                           Item                Responses      Filing fee          cost
                                                                           (a)             (b)               (c)
                                                                                                       (a) x (b)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1................................  Use-Based Trademark/Service              58         $600.00        $34,800.00
                                    Mark Applications (Paper).
1................................  Use-Based Trademark/Service           7,752          400.00      3,100,800.00
                                    Mark Applications (TEAS).

[[Page 45581]]

 
1................................  Use-Based Trademark/Service          94,756          275.00     26,057,900.00
                                    Mark Applications (TEAS
                                    RF).
1................................  Use-Based Trademark/Service          82,053          225.00     18,461,925.00
                                    Mark Applications (TEAS
                                    Plus).
2................................  Intent to Use Trademark/                 70          600.00         42,000.00
                                    Service Mark Application
                                    (Paper).
2................................  Intent to Use Trademark/              9,390          400.00        375,600.00
                                    Service Mark Application
                                    (TEAS).
2................................  Intent to Use Trademark/            114,779          275.00     31,564,225.00
                                    Service Mark Application
                                    (TEAS RF).
2................................  Intent to Use Trademark/             99,392          225.00     22,363,200.00
                                    Service Mark Application
                                    (TEAS Plus).
3................................  Applications for                          9          600.00          5,400.00
                                    Registration of Trademark/
                                    Service Mark under Sec.
                                    44 (Paper).
3................................  Applications for                      1,232          400.00        492,800.00
                                    Registration of Trademark/
                                    Service Mark under Sec.
                                    44 (TEAS).
3................................  Applications for                     15,064          275.00      4,127,536.00
                                    Registration of Trademark/
                                    Service Mark under Sec.
                                    44.
                                   (TEAS RF)..................
3................................  Applications for                     13,044          225.00      2,934,900.00
                                    Registration of Trademark/
                                    Service Mark under Sec.
                                    44 (TEAS Plus).
                                                               -------------------------------------------------
    Totals.......................  ...........................         437,599  ..............    109,561,086.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition, the USPTO charges a processing fee of $125.00 per 
class for certain TEAS RF and TEAS Plus applications. If an applicant 
files a TEAS Plus or TEAS RF application that does not satisfy the 
relevant requirements for TEAS RF or TEAS Plus, they will be required 
to submit the additional $125 processing fee to bump the application 
back up to TEAS Regular. The total processing fees associated with this 
collection can vary depending on the number of classes in each 
application.
    The total processing fees of $209,500, shown in the table below, 
reflect the minimum processing fees associated with this information 
collection.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                       Total
              IC No.                            Item                 Responses      Processing      processing
                                                                                        fee            fees
                                                                             (a)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.................................  Processing fee for                       898         $125.00     $112,250.00
                                     applications that fail to
                                     meet the additional filing
                                     and processing requirements
                                     for the reduced filing fee
                                     (TEAS RF).
1.................................  Processing fee for                       778          125.00       97,250.00
                                     applications that fail to
                                     meet the additional filing
                                     and processing requirements
                                     for reduced filing fee
                                     (TEAS Plus).
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Totals........................  ............................           1,676  ..............      209,500.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Applicants incur postage costs when submitting the non-electronic 
information covered by this collection to the USPTO by mail. The USPTO 
expects that approximately 99 percent of the responses in this 
collection will be submitted electronically. The USPTO estimates that 
the overwhelming majority of the paper forms are submitted to the USPTO 
via first-class mail. The USPTO estimates that 137 will be mailed with 
a first-class-postage cost of $0.49 per submission. Therefore, the 
USPTO estimates that the postage costs for this collection will be 
$67.13.
    Therefore, the USPTO estimates that the total annual (non-hour) 
cost burden for this collection in the form of filing fees 
($109,561,086), processing fees ($209,500), and postage costs ($67.13) 
is $109,770,653.13.

IV. Requests for Comments

    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.
    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 estimation 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.

Marcie Lovett,
Records and Information Governance Division Director, OCTO, United 
States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2017-20836 Filed 9-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-16-P