[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 83 (Monday, May 3, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23350-23352]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-09235]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Trademark Petitions
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments
on the extension and revision of an existing information collection:
0651-0061 (Trademark Petitions). 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 July 2, 2021.
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-
0061 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Mail: Kimberly Hardy, 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 to [email protected] with ``0651-0061 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, 15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq., which provides for the
registration of trademarks, service marks, collective trademarks and
collective 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 trademark related
communications to the USPTO, including letters of protest, requests to
make special, responses to petition inquiry letters, petitions to make
special, requests to restore a filing date, and requests for
reinstatement. The information is used by the public for a variety of
private business purposes related to establishing and enforcing
trademark rights. Information relating to the registration of a
trademark is made available to the public by the USPTO. However, the
release of information in a letter of protest is controlled and may be
available only upon request.
A letter of protest is a procedure whereby third parties who object
to the registration of a mark in a pending application may bring to the
attention of the USPTO evidence bearing on the registrability of the
mark. A letter of protest must identify the application being protested
and the proposed grounds for refusing registration and include relevant
evidence to support the protest.
A request to make special may be submitted where an applicant
requests that initial examination of an application be advanced out of
its regular order because the mark in the application was the subject
of an inadvertently cancelled or expired previous registration.
A response to a petition inquiry letter is submitted by a
petitioner who is responding to a notice of deficiency that the USPTO
issued after receiving an incomplete petition to the Director. A
petition may be considered incomplete if, for example, it does not
include the fee required by 37 CFR 2.6 or if it includes an unverified
assertion that is not supported by evidence.
The USPTO generally examines applications in the order in which
they are received. A petition to make special is a request by the
applicant to advance the initial examination of an application out of
its regular order.
A request to restore a filing date is submitted by an applicant who
previously filed an application that was denied a filing date. The
request must include evidence showing that the applicant is entitled to
the earlier filing date.
If an applicant has proof that an application was abandoned due to
a USPTO error, an applicant may file a request to reinstate the
application instead of a petition to revive. To support such a request,
the applicant must include evidence of the USPTO error.
II. Method of Collection
Items in this information collection must be submitted via online
electronic submissions 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: 0651-0061.
Form Numbers:
PTO 2303 (Letter of Protest)
PTO 2304 (Request to Make Special)
PTO 2305 (Response to Petition to Director Inquiry Letter)
PTO 2306 (Petition to Make Special)
PTO 2307 (Request to Restore Filing Date)
PTO 2308 (Request for Reinstatement)
Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Affected Public: Private sector; individuals or households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 6,221 respondents per year.
Estimated Number of Responses: 6,221 responses per year.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it takes the
public
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approximately 40 minutes (0.67 hours) to 90 minutes (1.25 hours), to
complete a response, depending on the complexity of the situation. This
includes the time to gather the necessary information, prepare the
appropriate documents, and submit the information to the USPTO.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 6,953 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent (Hourly) Cost Burden: $2,781,200.
Table 1--Total Hourly Burden for Private Sector Respondents
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Estimated
Estimated Estimated Estimated time for response Estimated Rate \1\ annual
Item No. Item annual annual (hours) burden (hour/ ($/hour) respondent
respondents responses year) cost burden
(a) (b)......................... (a) x (b) = (d) (c) x (d) =
(c) (e)
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1........................ Letter of Protest (TEAS) 3,683 3,683 1.25 (75 minutes)........... 4,604 $400 $1,841,600
PTO/2303.
2........................ Request to Make Special 175 175 0.67 (40 minutes)........... 117 400 46,800
(TEAS) PTO/2304.
3........................ Response to Petition to 321 321 0.83 (50 minutes)........... 266 400 106,400
Director Inquiry Letter
(TEAS) PTO/2305.
4........................ Petition to Make Special 523 523 0.67 (40 minutes)........... 350 400 140,000
(TEAS) PTO/2306.
5........................ Request to Restore 13 13 0.67 (40 minutes)........... 9 400 3,600
Filing Date (TEAS) PTO/
2307.
6........................ Request for 263 263 0.83 (50 minutes)........... 218 400 87,200
Reinstatement (TEAS)
PTO/2308.
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Total................ ........................ 4,978 4,978 ............................ 5,564 ........... 2,225,600
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\1\ 2019 Report of the Economic Survey, published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American Intellectual Property Law Association
(AIPLA); https://www.aipla.org/detail/journal-issue/2019-report-of-the-economic-survey. The USPTO uses the mean rate for attorneys in private firms
which is $400 per hour.
Table 2--Total Hourly Burden for Individuals or Households Respondents
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Estimated
Estimated Estimated Estimated time for response Estimated Rate \2\ ($/ annual
Item No. Item annual annual (hours) burden (hour/ hour) respondent
respondents responses year) cost burden
(a) (b)......................... (a) x (b) = (d) (c) x (d) =
(c) (e)
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1........................ Letter of Protest (TEAS) 920 920 1.25 (75 minutes)........... 1150 $400 $460,000
PTO/2303.
2........................ Request to Make Special 44 44 0.67 (40 minutes)........... 29 400 11,600
(TEAS) PTO/2304.
3........................ Response to Petition to 80 80 0.83 (50 minutes)........... 66 400 26,400
Director Inquiry Letter
(TEAS) PTO/2305.
4........................ Petition to Make Special 131 131 0.67 (40 minutes)........... 88 400 35,200
(TEAS).
PTO/2306................
5........................ Request to Restore 3 3 0.67 (40 minutes)........... 2 400 800
Filing Date (TEAS) PTO/
2307.
6........................ Request for 65 65 0.83 (50 minutes)........... 54 $400 $21,600
Reinstatement (TEAS)
PTO/2308.
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Total................ ........................ 1,243 1,243 ............................ 1,389 ........... 555,600
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\2\ 2019 Report of the Economic Survey, published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American Intellectual Property Law Association
(AIPLA); https://www.aipla.org/detail/journal-issue/2019-report-of-the-economic-survey. The USPTO uses the mean rate for attorneys in private firms
which is $400 per hour.
Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) Respondent Cost Burden: $328,390.
This information collection has no capital start-up, maintenance, or
operating fees. However, this information collection does have filing
fees ($328,350) and postage costs ($40).
Filing Fees
Table 3--Filing Fees (Non-Hour) Cost Burden for Trademark Petitions
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Estimated Estimated non-
Item No. Item annual Estimated hour cost
responses cost burden
(a) (b) (a) x (b) =
(c)
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1................................. Letter of Protest (TEAS).... 4,603 $50 $230,150
4................................. Petition to Make Special 653 150 97,950
(TEAS).
4................................. Petition to Make Special 1 250 250
(Paper).
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Total......................... ............................ .............. .............. 328,350
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Postage Cost
Although the USPTO requires that the items in this information
collection be submitted electronically, the items may, in limited
situations, be submitted by mail through the United States Postal
Service (USPS). The USPTO estimates that the average first-class
postage cost for a mailed submission will be $8.05 and that
approximately 5 submissions may be mailed to the USPTO, for a total
postage cost of $40 per year.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
IV. Request for Comments
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
[[Page 23352]]
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 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 personal identifying
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.
Kimberly Hardy,
Information Collections Officer, Office of the Chief Administrative
Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2021-09235 Filed 4-30-21; 8:45 am]
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