[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 11, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11724-11726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-03830]
[[Page 11724]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Madrid Protocol
AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comments.
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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-
0051 (Madrid Protocol). The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days
for public comments preceding submission of the information collection
to the office of Management and Budget (OMB).
DATES: To ensure consideration, you must submit comments regarding this
information collection on or before May 12, 2025.
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: InformationCollection@uspto.gov. Include ``0651-
0051 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: 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 Cristiana Schwab at: Attorney Advisor, Office of
the Commissioner for Trademarks, United States Patent and Trademark
Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; 571-272-3514; or
cristiana.schwab@uspto.gov with ``0651-0051 comment'' in the subject
line. Additional information about this information collection is also
available at www.reginfo.gov under ``Information Collection Review.''
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
This collection of information is required by the Trademark Act of
1946, 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.
The Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the
International Registration of Marks (Madrid Protocol) is an
international treaty that allows a trademark owner to seek registration
in any of the participating countries by filing a single international
application. The International Bureau of the World Intellectual
Property Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, administers the
international registration system.
The Madrid Protocol Implementation Act of 2002 amended the
Trademark Act to provide that: (1) the owner of a U.S. application or
registration may seek protection of its mark in any of the
participating countries by submitting a single international
application through the USPTO and (2) the holder of an international
registration may request an extension of protection of the
international registration to the United States. The Madrid Protocol
came into effect in the United States on November 2, 2003, and is
implemented under 15 U.S.C. 1141 et seq. and 37 CFR parts 2 and 7.
Individuals and businesses that use or intend to use such marks in
commerce may file an application to register the marks with the USPTO.
Both the register and the information provided in pending applications
for registration can be accessed by the public. This public access
allows users to determine the availability of a mark and lessens the
likelihood of initiating the 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 be permitted
to submit the information by mail or hand delivery.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0651-0051.
Forms: (MM = Madrid Mark).
MM2(E) (Application for International Registration Under the
Madrid Protocol)
MM4(E) (Designation Subsequent to the International
Registration)
PTO-1663 (Declaration of Continued Use/Excusable Nonuse of
Mark in Commerce Under Section 71)
PTO-1683 (Combined Declaration of Use/Excusable Nonuse and
Incontestability Under Sections 71 and 15)
PTO-2131 (Application for International Registration)
PTO-2132 (Application for Subsequent Designation)
PTO-2133 (Response to Notice of Irregularity)
PTO-2314 (Replacement Request)
PTO-2315 (Transformation Request)
PTO-2316 (Petition to Director to Review Denial of
Certification of International Application)
PTO-2317 (Petition to the Director for an International
Application/Registration)
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.
Frequency: On occasion.
Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 91,024 respondents.
Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 91,024 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses
in this information collection will take the public between 45 minutes
(0.75 hours) and 75 minutes (1.25 hours) to complete. This includes the
time to gather the necessary information, create the forms or
documents, and submit the completed item to the USPTO.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 96,109 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden: $42,960,723.
Table 1--Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to Private Sector Respondents
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Estimated
Estimated Responses Estimated Estimated time for Estimated Rate \1\ annual
Item No. Item annual per annual response (hours) burden (hour/ ($/ respondent
respondents respondent responses year) hour) cost burden
(a) (b) (a) x (b) = (d)....................... (c) x (d) = (f) (e) x (f) =
(c) (e) (g)
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1............... Application for 15,167 1 15,167 0.75 (45 minutes)......... 11,375 $447 $5,084,625
International
Registration.
2............... Request for Extension 51,001 1 51,001 1.25 (75 minutes)......... 63,751 447 28,496,697
of Protection of
International
Registration to the
United States (WIPO).
[[Page 11725]]
3............... Response to Notice of 4,554 1 4,554 0.75 (45 minutes)......... 3,416 447 1,526,952
Irregularity.
4............... Replacement Request.... 7 1 7 0.83 (50 minutes)......... 6 447 2,682
5............... Transformation Request. 48 1 48 0.75 (45 minutes)......... 36 447 16,092
6............... Petition to Director to 77 1 77 1.25 (75 minutes)......... 96 447 42,912
Review Denial of
Certification of
International
Application.
7............... Application for 1,651 1 1,651 1.25 (75 minutes)......... 2,064 447 922,608
Subsequent Designation.
8............... Declaration of 13,564 1 13,564 0.83 (50 minutes)......... 11,258 447 5,032,326
Continued Use/
Excusable Nonuse of
Mark in Commerce Under
Section 71.
9............... Combined Declaration of 4,887 1 4,887 0.83 (50 minutes)......... 4,056 447 1,813,032
Continued Use/
Excusable Nonuse and
Incontestability Under
Sections 71 and 15.
10.............. Petition to the 68 1 68 0.75 (45 minutes)......... 51 447 22,797
Director for an
International
Application/
Registration.
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Total............... 91,024 .......... 91,024 .......................... 96,109 ........ 42,960,723
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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;
pg. F-41. The USPTO uses the average billing rate for intellectual property work in all firms, which is $447 per hour (www.aipla.org/home/news-publications/economic-survey).
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-hourly Cost Burden:
$41,700,722. There are no capital start-up costs, 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 $41,700,722.
Filing Fees
There are fees associated with processing international
applications and related requests under the Madrid Protocol, as set
forth in 37 CFR 2.6 and 37 CFR 7.6. Most of those fees are charged per
class of goods or services. Therefore, the total fees can vary
depending on the number of classes.
Table 2--Filing Fees
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Estimated
Item No. Fee Item annual Filing fee Non-hourly
code(s) responses ($) cost burden
(a) (b) (a) x (b) =
(c)
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1.......................... 7901 Application for International 12,988 $100 $1,298,800
Registration (for certifying an
international application based
on a single basic application or
registration, per international
class) (electronic).
1.......................... 6901 Application for International 1 200 200
Registration (for certifying an
international application based
on a single basic application or
registration, per international
class) (paper).
1.......................... 7902 Application for International 2,178 150 326,700
Registration (for certifying an
international application based
on more than one basic
application or registration, per
international class)
(electronic).
1.......................... 6902 Application for International 1 250 250
Registration (for certifying an
international application based
on more than one basic
application or registration, per
international class) (paper).
1.......................... 7903 Transmittal fee for request to 16 100 1,600
record an assignment or
restriction to the international
registration (electronic).
1.......................... 6903 Transmittal fee for request to 1 200 200
record an assignment or
restriction to the international
registration (paper).
1.......................... 7932 Renewal fee filed at WIPO........ 5,665 325 1,841,125
2.......................... 7931 Request for Extension of 51,001 600 30,600,600
Protection of International
Registration to the United
States (WIPO).
3.......................... 7907 Transmitting a Subsequent 1,650 100 165,000
Designation under Section 7.21
(electronic).
3.......................... 6907 Transmitting a Subsequent 1 200 200
Designation under Section 7.21
(paper).
4.......................... 7904 Notice of Replacement under 6 100 600
Section 7.28 (per international
class) (electronic).
4.......................... 6904 Notice of Replacement under 1 200 200
Section 7.28 (per international
class) (paper).
5.......................... 7009 Transformation Request (per 47 350 16,450
international class)
(electronic).
5.......................... 6001 Transformation Request (per 1 850 850
international class) (paper).
6.......................... 7005 Petition to Director to Review 76 400 30,400
Denial of Certification of
International Application
(electronic).
6.......................... 6005 Petition to Director to Review 1 500 500
Denial of Certification of
International Application
(paper).
8.......................... 7905 Declaration of Continued Use/ 12,330 325 4,007,250
Excusable Nonuse of Mark in
Commerce Under Section 71 (filed
during the statutory period, per
international class)
(electronic).
[[Page 11726]]
8.......................... 6905 Declaration of Continued Use/ 1 425 425
Excusable Nonuse of Mark in
Commerce Under Section 71 (filed
during the statutory period, per
international class) (paper).
8.......................... 7905 Declaration of Continued Use/ 1,232 425 523,600
7906 Excusable Nonuse of Mark in
Commerce Under Section 71 (filed
during the grace period, per
international class)
(electronic).
8.......................... 6905 Declaration of Continued Use/ 1 625 625
6906 Excusable Nonuse of Mark in
Commerce Under Section 71 (filed
during the grace period, per
international class) (paper).
8.......................... 7908 Section 71 deficiency fee 16 100 1,600
(electronic).
8.......................... 6908 Section 71 deficiency fee (paper) 1 200 200
9.......................... 7905 Combined Declaration of Continued 4,442 575 2,554,150
7208 Use/Excusable Nonuse and
Incontestability Under Sections
71 and 15 (filed during the
statutory period, per
international class)
(electronic).
9.......................... 6905 Combined Declaration of Continued 1 775 775
6208 Use/Excusable Nonuse and
Incontestability Under Sections
71 and 15 (filed during the
statutory period, per
international class) (paper).
9.......................... 7905 Combined Declaration of Continued 442 675 298,350
7906 Use/Excusable Nonuse and
7208 Incontestability Under Sections
71 and 15 (filed during the
grace period, per international
class) (electronic).
9.......................... 6905 Combined Declaration of Continued 1 975 975
6906 Use/Excusable Nonuse and
6208 Incontestability Under Sections
71 and 15 (filed during the
grace period, per international
class) (paper).
10......................... 7005 Petition to the Director for an 67 400 26,800
International Application/
Registration (electronic).
10......................... 6005 Petition to the Director for an 1 500 500
International Application/
Registration (paper).
10......................... 7954 Request to Record an Assignment 15 100 1,500
or Restriction, or Release of a
Restriction, under Sections 7.23
and 7.24 (electronic).
10......................... n/a Request to Record an Assignment 1 200 200
or Restriction, or Release of a
Restriction, under Sections 7.23
and 7.24 (paper).
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Total......................... 92,185 .......... 41,700,625
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Postage Costs
Although the USPTO requires that the items in this information
collection be submitted electronically, in limited circumstances,
responses may be submitted by mail through the United States Postal
Service. The USPTO estimates that 0.01% of the 91,024 items will be
submitted in the mail resulting in nine mailed items. The USPTO
estimates that the average postage cost for a mailed submission, using
a Priority Mail legal flat-rate envelope, will be $10.75. Therefore,
the USPTO estimates the total mailing costs for this information
collection at $97.
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. 2025-03830 Filed 3-10-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P