[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 143 (Thursday, July 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60405-60407]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16328]


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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; Trademark Post 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-
0055 (Trademark Post 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 September 23, 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-
0055 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 ``0651-0055 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. 1501 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.
    This information collection covers various communications submitted 
by individuals and businesses to the USPTO after the registration of a 
trademark. One type of communication is a request to amend a 
registration to delete goods or services that are no longer being used 
by the owner. Registered marks remain on the register for 10 years and 
can be renewed, but will be cancelled unless the owner files with the 
USPTO a declaration attesting to the continued use (or excusable non-
use) of the mark in commerce, and a renewal application, with specific 
deadlines. Owners may also request to amend or divide a registration, 
respond to a post-registration office action, and surrender a 
registration.
    The regulations implementing the Act are set forth in 37 CFR part 
2. These regulations mandate that each register entry include the mark, 
the goods and/or services in connection with which

[[Page 60406]]

the mark is used, ownership information, dates of use, and certain 
other information. The information in this information collection is 
used to maintain the quality of the trademark register. The register 
may be accessed by an individual or by businesses to determine the 
availability of a mark. By keeping the register current and accurate, 
parties may reduce the possibility of initiating use of a mark 
previously adopted by another.

II. Method of Collection

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

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0651-0055.
    Forms:

 PTO-1563 (Declaration of Use of Mark in Commerce Under Section 
8)
 PTO-1573 (Declaration of Incontestability of a Mark Under 
Section 15)
 PTO-1583 (Combined Declaration of Use and Incontestability 
Under Sections 8 and 15)
 PTO-1597 (Section 7 Request)
 PTO-1963 (Combined Declaration of Use of Mark in Commerce and 
Application for Renewal of Registration of a Mark Under Sections 8 and 
9)
 PTO-2302 (Response to Office Action for Post-Registration 
Matters)
 PTO-2309 (Surrender of Registration for Cancellation)
 PTO-2310 (Request to Divide Registration)
 PTO-2311 (Section 12(c) Affidavit)

    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: 271,793 respondents.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 271,793 responses.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses 
in this information collection will take the public approximately 
between 12 minutes (0.20 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: 162,987 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden: $72,855,189.

                                       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...............  Declaration of Use            67,809               1          67,809  0.58 (35 minutes)...        39,329       $447        $17,580,063
                   of Mark in Commerce
                   Under Section 8.
2...............  Combined Declaration          94,584               1          94,584  0.58 (35 minutes)...        54,859        447         24,521,973
                   of Use of Mark in
                   Commerce and
                   Application for
                   Renewal of
                   Registration of a
                   Mark Under Sections
                   8 and 9.
3...............  Declaration of                 1,341               1           1,341  0.20 (12 minutes)...           268        447            119,796
                   Incontestability of
                   a Mark Under
                   Section 15.
4...............  Combined Declaration          75,796               1          75,796  0.58 (35 minutes)...        43,962        447         19,651,014
                   of Use and
                   Incontestability
                   Under Sections 8
                   and 15.
5...............  Surrender of                     600               1             600  0.20 (12 minutes)...           120        447             53,640
                   Registration for
                   Cancellation.
6...............  Section 7 Request...           6,500               1           6,500  0.67 (40 minutes)...         4,355        447          1,946,685
7...............  Response to Office            22,000               1          22,000  0.83 (50 minutes)...        18,260        447          8,162,220
                   Action for Post-
                   Registration
                   Matters.
8...............  Request to Divide              3,161               1           3,161  0.58 (35 minutes)...         1,833        447            819,351
                   Registration.
9...............  Section 12(c)                      2               1               2  0.30 (18 minutes)...             1        447                447
                   Affidavit.
                                       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......  ....................         271,793  ..............         271,793  ....................       162,987  .........         72,855,189
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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).

    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-hourly Cost Burden: 
$103,718,072.
    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 filing fees and postage, is 
$103,718,072.

Filing Fees

    Filing fees are charged per class of goods or services and can vary 
depending on the number of classes. The filing fees shown here are 
based on the minimum fee of one class per document associated with this 
information collection.

[[Page 60407]]



                                                                  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..............................................            7205  Declaration of Use of Mark in Commerce           61,644            $225     $13,869,900
                                                                  Under Section 8--Filed During the
                                                                  Statutory Period (electronic).
1..............................................            6205  Declaration of Use of Mark in Commerce                1             325             325
                                                                  Under Section 8--Filed During the
                                                                  Statutory Period (paper).
1..............................................      7205, 7206  Declaration of Use of Mark in Commerce            6,163             325       2,002,975
                                                                  Under Section 8--Filed During the
                                                                  Grace Period (electronic).
1..............................................      6205, 6206  Declaration of Use of Mark in Commerce                1             525             525
                                                                  Under Section 8--Filed During the
                                                                  Grace Period (paper).
2..............................................      7201, 7205  Combined Declaration of Use of Mark in           85,984             525      45,141,600
                                                                  Commerce and Application for Renewal
                                                                  of Registration of a Mark Under
                                                                  Sections 8 and 9--Filed During the
                                                                  Statutory Period (electronic).
2..............................................      6201, 6205  Combined Declaration of Use of Mark in                1             825             825
                                                                  Commerce and Application for Renewal
                                                                  of Registration of a Mark Under
                                                                  Sections 8 and 9--Filed During the
                                                                  Statutory Period (paper).
2..............................................     7201, 7203,  Combined Declaration of Use of Mark in            8,598             725       6,233,550
                                                     7205, 7206   Commerce and Application for Renewal
                                                                  of Registration of a Mark Under
                                                                  Sections 8 and 9--Filed During the
                                                                  Grace Period (electronic).
2..............................................     6201, 6203,  Combined Declaration of Use of Mark in                1           1,225           1,225
                                                     6205, 6206   Commerce and Application for Renewal
                                                                  of Registration of a Mark Under
                                                                  Sections 8 and 9--Filed During the
                                                                  Grace Period (paper).
2..............................................            7211  Issuing New Certificate of Registration              97             100           9,700
                                                                  (electronic).
2..............................................            6211  Issuing New Certificate of Registration               1             200             200
                                                                  (paper).
2..............................................            7212  Certificate of Correction, Registrant's           6,421             100         642,100
                                                                  Error (electronic).
2..............................................            6212  Certificate of Correction, Registrant's               1             200             200
                                                                  Error (paper).
3..............................................            7208  Declaration of Incontestability of a              1,340             200         268,000
                                                                  Mark Under Section 15 (electronic).
3..............................................            6208  Declaration of Incontestability of a                  1             300             300
                                                                  Mark Under Section 15 (paper).
4..............................................      7205, 7208  Combined Declaration of Use and                  68,905             425      29,284,625
                                                                  Incontestability Under Sections 8 and
                                                                  15--Filed During the Statutory Period
                                                                  (electronic).
4..............................................      6205, 6208  Combined Declaration of Use and                       1             625             625
                                                                  Incontestability Under Sections 8 and
                                                                  15--Filed During the Statutory Period
                                                                  (paper).
4..............................................     7205, 7206,  Combined Declaration of Use and                   6,890             525       3,617,250
                                                           7208   Incontestability Under Sections 8 and
                                                                  15--Filed During the Grace Period
                                                                  (electronic).
4..............................................     6205, 6206,  Combined Declaration of Use and                       1             825             825
                                                           6208   Incontestability Under Sections 8 and
                                                                  15--Filed During the Grace Period
                                                                  (paper).
6..............................................            7012  Section 7 Request (electronic).........           6,499             250       1,624,750
6..............................................            6012  Section 7 Request (paper)..............               1             350             350
7..............................................            7012  Deletion of Goods or Services after               2,805             250         701,250
                                                                  submission and prior to acceptance of
                                                                  a section 8 affidavit (electronic).
7..............................................            6012  Deletion of Goods or Services after                   1             350             350
                                                                  submission and prior to acceptance of
                                                                  a section 8 affidavit (paper).
8..............................................            7006  Request to Divide Registration                    3,160             100         316,000
                                                                  (electronic).
8..............................................            6006  Request to Divide Registration (paper).               1             200             200
9..............................................            7210  Section 12(c) Affidavit (electronic)...               1             100             100
9..............................................            6210  Section 12(c) Affidavit (paper)........               1             200             200
                                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals.....................................  ..............  .......................................         258,520  ..............     103,717,950
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Postage Costs

    In limited circumstances, applicants may be permitted to submit the 
information in paper form by mail or hand delivery. Applicants and 
registrants incur postage costs when submitting information to the 
USPTO by mail through the United States Postal Service (USPS). The 
USPTO estimates that 12 items will be submitted to the USPTO by 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 $122.

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.

Lisa Lawn,
Director, Records and Information Compliance Program Office, Office of 
the Chief Administrative Officer, United States Patent and Trademark 
Office.
[FR Doc. 2024-16328 Filed 7-24-24; 8:45 am]
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