[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31143-31145]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-08756]


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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; Applications for Trademark Registration

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

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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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 
the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651-
0009 (Applications for Trademark Registration). 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 June 24, 2024.

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.
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0009 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://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 ``0651-0009 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

    The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) administers 
the Trademark Act (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. Registered marks may remain on the register 
indefinitely, so long as the owner of the registration files the 
necessary maintenance documents.
    This information collection addresses submissions required by the 
regulations at 37 CFR part 2 for initial applications regarding the 
registration of trademarks, service marks, collective trademarks and

[[Page 31144]]

service marks, collective memberships marks, and certification marks. 
Trademarks can be registered on either the Principal or Supplemental 
Register. The Trademark Act and rules mandate that each certificate of 
registration 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

    Items in this information collection must be submitted 
electronically. In limited circumstances, applicants may also be 
permitted to submit the information in paper form by mail, fax, or hand 
delivery.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0651-0009.
    Forms:

 PTO-1478 (Trademark/Service Mark Application, Principal 
Register)
 PTO-1479 (Trademark/Service Mark Form, Supplemental Register)
 PTO-1480 (Certification Mark Form, Principal Register)
 PTO-1481 (Collective Membership Mark Form, Principal Register)
 PTO-1482 (Collective Trademark/Service Mark Form, Principal 
Register)

    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: 581,377 respondents.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 581,377 responses.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses 
in this information collection will take the public approximately 
between 45 minutes (0.75 hours) and 1 hour 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: 508,394 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden: $227,252,118.

                                       Table 1--Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to Private Sector Respondents
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                 Estimated                                   Estimated
                                                       Estimated    Responses      Estimated      time for      Estimated    Rate \1\ ($/     annual
            Item No.                     Item            annual        per          annual        response    Burden (hour/     hour)       respondent
                                                      respondents   respondent     responses      (hours)         year)                     cost burden
                                  ..................          (a)          (b)     (a) x (b) =          (d)     (c) x (d) =          (f)     (e) x (f) =
                                                                                           (c)                          (e)                          (g)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...............................  Use-Based                71,914            1          71,914     0.83 (50          59,689         $447     $26,680,983
                                   Trademark/Service                                               minutes)
                                   Mark Applications
                                   (TEAS Standard).
1...............................  Use-Based               217,872            1         217,872            1         217,872          447      97,388,784
                                   Trademark/Service
                                   Mark Applications
                                   (TEAS Plus).
1...............................  Use-Based                     1            1               1            1               1          447             447
                                   Trademark/Service
                                   Mark Applications
                                   (Paper).
2...............................  Intent to Use           121,227            1         121,227     0.75 (45          90,920          447      40,641,240
                                   Trademark/Service                                               minutes)
                                   Mark Application
                                   (TEAS Standard).
2...............................  Intent to Use           142,832            1         142,832     0.83 (50         118,551          447      52,992,297
                                   Trademark/Service                                               minutes)
                                   Mark Application
                                   (TEAS Plus).
2...............................  Intent to Use                 1            1               1            1               1          447             447
                                   Trademark/Service
                                   Mark Application
                                   (Paper).
3...............................  Application for          18,632            1          18,632     0.75 (45          13,974          447       6,246,378
                                   Registration of                                                 minutes)
                                   Trademark/Service
                                   Mark under 37 CFR
                                   44 (TEAS
                                   Standard).
3...............................  Application for           8,897            1           8,897     0.83 (50           7,385          447       3,301,095
                                   Registration of                                                 minutes)
                                   Trademark/Service
                                   Mark under 37 CFR
                                   44 (TEAS Plus).
3...............................  Application for               1            1               1            1               1          447             447
                                   Registration of
                                   Trademark/Service
                                   Mark under 37 CFR
                                   44 (Paper).
                                                     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................  ..................      581,377  ...........         581,377  ...........         508,394  ...........     227,252,118
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    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-hourly Cost Burden: 
$166,906,580. There are no capital start-up, maintenance costs, or 
recordkeeping costs associated with this information collection. 
However, the USPTO estimates that the total annual non-hour cost burden 
for this information collection, in the form of filling fees, 
processing fees, and postage costs, is $166,906,580.
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    \1\ 2023 Report of the Economic Survey, published by the 
Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American 
Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA); pg. F-41. The USPTO 
uses the average billing rate for intellectual property work in all 
firms which is $447 per hour (https://www.aipla.org/home/news-publications/economic-survey).
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Filing Fees

    A complete application must include a filing fee for each class of 
goods and services. Therefore, the total filing fees associated with 
this information collection can vary depending on the number of classes 
in each application. The total filing fees shown in the table below 
reflect the minimum filing fees associated with this information 
collection.

[[Page 31145]]



                                              Table 2--Filing Fees
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                                                                         Estimated
            Item No.                Fee code             Item              annual     Filing fee    Non-hourly
                                                                         responses       ($)        cost burden
                                               .......................          (a)          (b)     (a) x (b) =
                                                                                                             (c)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...............................         7009  Use-Based Trademark/          71,914         $350     $25,169,900
                                                Service Mark
                                                Applications (TEAS
                                                Standard).
1...............................         7007  Use-Based Trademark/         217,872          250      54,468,000
                                                Service Mark
                                                Applications (TEAS
                                                Plus).
1...............................         6001  Use-Based Trademark/               1          750             750
                                                Service Mark
                                                Applications (Paper).
2...............................         7009  Intent to Use Trademark/     121,227          350      42,429,450
                                                Service Mark
                                                Application (TEAS
                                                Standard).
2...............................         7007  Intent to Use Trademark/     142,832          250      35,708,000
                                                Service Mark
                                                Application (TEAS
                                                Plus).
2...............................         6001  Intent to Use Trademark/           1          750             750
                                                Service Mark
                                                Application (Paper).
3...............................         7009  Applications for              18,632          350       6,521,200
                                                Registration of
                                                Trademark/Service Mark
                                                under 37 CFR 44 (TEAS
                                                Standard).
3...............................         7007  Applications for               8,897          250       2,224,250
                                                Registration of
                                                Trademark/Service Mark
                                                under 37 CFR 44 (TEAS
                                                Plus).
3...............................         6001  Applications for                   1          750             750
                                                Registration of
                                                Trademark/Service Mark
                                                under 37 CFR 44
                                                (Paper).
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    Totals......................  ...........  .......................      581,377  ...........     166,523,050
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Processing Fees

    The USPTO charges a processing fee of $100 per class for TEAS Plus 
applications that do not meet the TEAS Plus filing requirements. The 
total processing fees associated with this information collection can 
vary depending on the number of classes in each application.
    The total processing fees shown in the table below reflect the 
minimum processing fees associated with this information collection.

                                            Table 3--Processing Fees
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                                                                         Estimated
               Item No.                              Item                  annual     Filing Fee    Non-hourly
                                                                         responses       ($)        cost burden
                                                                                (a)          (b)     (a) x (b) =
                                                                                                             (c)
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1.....................................  Processing fee for use-based          1,911         $100        $191,100
                                         application that fails to
                                         meet the additional filing
                                         requirements for reduced
                                         filing fee (TEAS Plus).
2.....................................  Processing fee for intent-to-         1,742          100         174,200
                                         use application that fails to
                                         meet the additional filing
                                         requirements for reduced
                                         filing fee (TEAS Plus).
3.....................................  Processing fee for Section 44           182          100          18,200
                                         application that fails to
                                         meet the additional filing
                                         requirements for reduced
                                         filing fee (TEAS Plus).
                                                                       -----------------------------------------
    Totals............................  ..............................        3,835  ...........         383,500
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Postage Costs

    In limited circumstances, applicants may be permitted to submit the 
information in paper form by mail, fax, or hand delivery. Applicants 
and registrants incur postage costs when submitting information to the 
USPTO by mail through the United States Postal Service. The USPTO 
estimates that 3 items will be submitted in the mail. The USPTO 
estimates that the average postage cost for a mailed submission, using 
a Priority Mail legal flat rate envelope, will be $10.15. Therefore, 
the USPTO estimates the total mailing costs for this information 
collection at $30.

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. The 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, the 
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. 2024-08756 Filed 4-23-24; 8:45 am]
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