[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44113-44114]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14607]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Response to Office Action and Voluntary Amendment Forms

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on 
the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651-
0050 (Response to Office Action and Voluntary Amendment Forms). The 
purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding 
submission of the information collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this information 
collection must be received on or before September 11, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
any of the following methods. Do not submit Confidential Business 
Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
     Mail: Justin Isaac, Office of the Chief Administrative 
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 at [email protected] with ``0651-0050 comment'' in 
the subject line. Additional information about this information 
collection is also available at http://www.reginfo.gov under 
``Information Collection Review.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This collection of information is required by the Trademark Act 
(Act), 15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq., which provides for the 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 United States Patent and 
Trademark Office (USPTO). The USPTO administers the Act through title 
37 of the Code of Federal Regulations. These rules allow the USPTO to 
request and receive information required to process applications. These 
rules also allow applicants to submit certain amendments to their 
applications. This information collection generally contains 
information that is not submitted with the initial trademark 
application but is associated with, or required for, the USPTO review 
of applications for registration.
    In some cases, the USPTO issues Office Actions to applicants who 
have applied to register a mark, requesting information that was not 
provided with the initial submission, but is required before the 
issuance of a registration. Also, the USPTO may determine that a mark 
is not entitled to registration, pursuant to one or more provisions of 
the Act. In such cases, the USPTO will issue an Office Action advising 
the applicant of the refusal to register the mark. Applicants reply to 
these Office Actions by providing the required information and/or by 
putting forth legal arguments as to why the refusal of registration 
should be withdrawn.
    Applicants may also supplement their applications and provide 
further information by filing the items included in this information 
collection. These items include a Voluntary Amendment Not in Response 
to USPTO Office Action/Letter, a Request for Reconsideration after 
Final Office Action, a Post-Approval/Publication/Post-Notice of 
Allowance (NOA) Amendment, a Petition to Amend Basis Post-Publication, 
or a Response to Suspension Inquiry or Letter of Suspension.

II. Method of Collection

    Items in this information collection must be submitted 
electronically through the Trademark Electronic Application System 
(TEAS). In limited circumstances, applicants may also be permitted to 
submit the information in paper form by mail or hand delivery.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0651-0050.
    Forms: None.
    Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Private sector.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits.
    Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 518,643 respondents.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 518,643 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses 
in this information collection will take the public approximately 
between 25 minutes (0.42 hours) and 50 minutes (0.83 hours) to 
complete. This includes the time to gather the necessary information, 
create the document, and submit the completed request to the USPTO.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 420,113 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden: $182,749,155.

[[Page 44114]]



                                       Table 1--Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to Private Sector Respondents
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Estimated                       Estimated                            Estimated               Estimated annual
    Item No.              Item              annual       Responses per      annual       Estimated time for   burden (hour/  Rate \1\   respondent cost
                                          respondents     respondent       responses      response (hours)        year)      ($/hour)        burden
                                                   (a)             (b)     (a) x (b) =  (d).................   (c) x (d) =        (f)    (e) x (f) = (g)
                                                                                   (c)                                 (e)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...............  Response to Office           467,083               1         467,083  0.83 (50 minutes)...       387,679       $435       $168,640,365
                   Action (TEAS).
2...............  Voluntary Amendment           21,312               1          21,312  0.58 (35 minutes)...        12,361        435          5,377,035
                   Not in Response to
                   USPTO Office Action/
                   Letter (TEAS).
3...............  Request for                   16,446               1          16,446  0.83 (50 minutes)...        13,650        435          5,937,750
                   Reconsideration
                   After Final Office
                   Action (TEAS).
4...............  Post-Approval/                 3,330               1           3,330  0.58 (35 minutes)...         1,931        435            839,985
                   Publication/Post-
                   Notice of Allowance
                   (NOA) Amendment
                   (TEAS).
5...............  Petition to Amend                590               1             590  0.58 (35 minutes)...           342        435            148,770
                   Basis Post-
                   Publication (TEAS).
6...............  Response to                    9,882               1           9,882  0.42 (25 minutes)...         4,150        435          1,805,250
                   Suspension Inquiry
                   or Letter of
                   Suspension (TEAS).
                                       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......  ....................         518,643  ..............         518,643  ....................       420,113  .........        182,749,155
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 2021 Report of the Economic Survey, published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American Intellectual Property Law Association
  (AIPLA); pg. F-27. The USPTO uses the average billing rate for intellectual property attorneys in private firms which is $435 per hour.

    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-hourly Cost Burden: $699,101. 
There are no capital start-up, maintenance cost, or recordkeeping costs 
associated with this information collection. However, USPTO estimates 
that the total annual (non-hour) cost burden for this information 
collection, in the form of filing fees ($647,500) and postage costs 
($51,601) is $699,101.

Filing Fees

    There are 2 filing fees associated with this information collection 
as listed in the table below:

                                                                  Table 2--Filing Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                             Estimated                    Estimated non-
                    Item No.                        Fee code                       Item                       annual      Estimated cost     hour cost
                                                                                                             responses                        burden
                                                                                                                     (a)             (b)     (a) x (b) =
                                                                                                                                                     (c)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1..............................................            7008  Additional processing fee for                     5,000            $100        $500,000
                                                                  application that does not meet TEAS
                                                                  Plus filing requirements, per Class.
5..............................................            7005  Petition to Amend Basis Post-                       590             250         147,500
                                                                  Publication (TEAS Global).
                                                                                                         -----------------------------------------------
    Total......................................  ..............  .......................................           5,590  ..............         647,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Postage Costs

    Although the USPTO requires that the items in this information 
collection be submitted electronically, in rare cases, the items may be 
submitted by mail through the United States Postal Service (USPS). The 
USPTO estimates that 1% of the 518,643 items will be submitted in the 
mail resulting in 5,186 mailed items. The USPTO estimates that the 
average postage cost for a mailed submission, using a Priority Mail 
flat rate legal envelope, will be $9.95. Therefore, the USPTO estimates 
the total mailing costs for this information collection at $51,601.

IV. Request for Comments

    The USPTO is soliciting public comments to:
    (a) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (b) Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of 
the 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.
    All comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. USPTO will include or summarize each comment in the 
request to OMB to approve this information collection. Before including 
an address, phone number, email address, or other personally 
identifiable information (PII) in a comment, be aware that the entire 
comment--including PII--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you may ask in your comment to withhold PII from public view, 
USPTO cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.

Justin Isaac,
Information Collections Officer, Office of the Chief Administrative 
Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2023-14607 Filed 7-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P