The information described in this new
collection is used by the agency to process letters of protest and
requests to make special and by the public to submit such
information to the agency. The agency is initiating a new method of
electronic submission that will standardize the information for
these two items. These requirements can be found at 37 CFR 2.146. A
letter of protest is an informal procedure whereby third parties
who object to the registration of a mark in a pending application
may submit evidence relevant to the registrability of the mark to
the attention of the USPTO. A request to make special may be
submitted where an applicant's prior registration for the same mark
on the same goods and/or services was cancelled due to the
inadvertent failure to file a post registration maintenance
document.
The USPTO is enhancing the
electronic submission options in its TEAS filing system, to include
a new Global Format option. This standardization of collection
action will increase the burden as it will mean the incorporation
of items that were not previously calculated as part of the burden.
The agency is proposing to include the letter of protest and the
request to make special in the inventory at this time because of
the initiation of the new, standardized optional method of
electronic submission of these items.
$22,632
No
No
Uncollected
Uncollected
No
Uncollected
Janis Long 571 272-9573
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.