2020年6月19日，美國專利商標局（USPTO）發布了擬設置或增加某些商標費用的通知。此次進行費用調整的目的是讓商標局有足夠的總收入來覆蓋商標和商標審判與上訴委員會（TTAB）未來幾年的運營總成本（基于當前預測），并使商標局能夠繼續在實現戰略目標方面取得進展。

USPTO設定費用的目標是為促進對美國知識產權體系的有效管理提供足夠的財政資源。USPTO制定的的商標費用提案與戰略計劃目標和政策目標相一致，這些提案一旦生效將產生足夠的總收入，可以滿足未來商標和上訴委員會(TTAB)包括相關的管理費用等戰略性運營需求。

1. 更好地將費用與成本相結合

2. 保護商標注冊的完整性

3. 提高美國專利商標局流程的效率

4. 確保財務穩定以促進有效的商標運營

1. 申請

2. 第8和71條規定的宣誓

3. 給局長的請愿書

4. 商標審理與上訴委員會的異議、上訴和審判程序

1. 提交第二次或隨后的延期請求，以提出上訴摘要

2. 口審

3. 抗議信

4. 審查意見發出之日起3個月以上要求復議

5. 根據第8或71條提交宣誓后，刪除商品、服務和/或分類

- 根據《馬德里議定書》根據第66（a）條提交申請的申請人將用瑞士法郎支付相當于500美元的費用。

 

- 費用上調的目的在于鼓勵商標注冊人在提交使用宣誓或續展之前，選擇合適的、實際已經投入使用的商品和服務項目進行維護注冊。

- 在提交使用宣誓之前，請求修改商品、服務或類別將不收取任何費用。

 

此處增加了一個提交抗議信的新費用，以明確處理此類請求的費用并解決一些輕率的申請。

1. 此次上調的費用是為了激勵申請人對審查意見進行更及時的答復。

2. 如在審查意見下發后三個月內提交復議申請，無費用產生。

 

擬議的費用表不會對較小的實體造成不當或不成比例的負擔，因為其對所有費用支付者都一視同仁，并且所有申請人都可選擇以較低費用提交較完整申請。

 

商標申請人和所有人可以期待USPTO在多個方面取得進展，如：優化商標申請審查、發布高質量商標、提高業務效率、改善客戶體驗、增強商標評審委員會的運作、優化信息技術質量和效率以改善業務運作，以及確保財務可持續性以促進有效運營等。

 

USPTO預計，擬議的商標費用變更最早可在2020年10月生效。如有意見，公眾必須在2020年8月3日或之前通過電子郵件方式提交意見建議至TMFRNotices@uspto.gov。

On June 19, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) issued a notice of proposed rule making to set or increase certain trademark fees. The proposed fee adjustments are needed to provide the Office with a sufficient amount of aggregate revenue to recover the aggregate cost of Trademark and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) operations in future years (based on current projections) and to allow the Office to continue progress towards achieving strategic goals.

 

The goal of fee setting at the USPTO is to provide sufficient financial resources to facilitate the effective administration of the United States intellectual property (IP) system.The USPTO has developed trademark fee proposals aligned with Strategic Plan goals and policy objectives that would generate sufficient aggregate revenue to meet future strategic trademark and TTAB operational requirements including associated administrative costs.

 

1. Better aligning fees with costs

2. Protecting the integrity of the trademark register

3. Improving the efficiency of USPTO processes

4. Ensuring financial stability to facilitate effective trademark operations  

1. Application filing

2. Affidavits under section 8 and71

3. Petitions to the Director

4. TTAB opposition, appeal and trial proceedings

1. Filing a second or subsequent request for an extension of time to file an appeal brief

2. Oral hearing

3. Letter of Protest

4. Request for reconsideration more than 3 months after an office action

5. Deleting goods, services, and/or classes after filing an affidavit under section 8 or 71 

- Applicants filing an application under 66(a) through the Madrid Protocol will pay the equivalent of $500 in Swiss francs.

- New fees will be added to encourage registrants to maintain an accurate registration of goods and services in use prior to the filing of an affidavit or renewal.

- No fee will be charged to amend the goods, services or classes if the request is made prior to filing the section 8 or 71 affidavit.  

New fees will be added to file a letter of protest to recognize that there are costs associated with the processing of the request and to address frivolous filings. 

New fees will be added to file a letter of protest to recognize that there are costs associated with the processing of the request and to address frivolous filings. 

1. New fees will be added to encourage more timely resolution of office actions.

2. No fees will charged if the request is filed within three month of the office action.

The proposed fee schedule does not impose undue or disproportionate burdens on smaller entities as it treats all fee payers the same and there are lower cost filing options available to all who chose to send a more complete application.

Trademark applicants and owners can expect progress towards optimizing trademark application pendency, issuing high quality trademarks, fostering business effectiveness and improved customer experience, enhancing the operations of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, optimizing the quality and efficiency of information technology to improve business operations, and ensuring financial sustainability to facilitate effective operations.

The USPTO anticipates that the earliest any proposed trademark fee changes could take effect is October 2020. Written comments must be received on or before August 3, 2020. Comments be submitted electronically via email to TMFRNotices@uspto.gov.