0651-0050 Cws 2020

JUSTIFICATION FOR NONMATERIAL/NONSUBSTANTIVE CHANGE

United States Patent and Trademark Office

Response to Office Action and Voluntary Amendment Form

OMB Control Number 0651-0050

2020

Background

This collection of information is required by the Trademark Act (Act), 15 U.S.C. § 1051 et seq., which provides for the Federal registration of trademarks, service marks, collective trademark and service marks, collective membership marks, and certification marks. Individuals and businesses that use such marks, or intend to use such marks, in interstate commerce may file an application to register their marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This collection generally contains information that is not submitted with the initial trademark application but is associated with, or required for, the USPTO review of applications for registration.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is submitting this request for collection 0651-0050 (Response to Office Action and Voluntary Amendment Forms) in conjunction with rulemaking RIN 0651-0AD15 (Changes to the Trademark Rules of Practice to Mandate Electronic Filing.

As a result of this action, the USPTO expects that there will be a decrease of 461 hours and $14,814 in the annual (non-hourly) cost burden.

Changed Details

IC Item	Current Respondent Numbers	Changes in Respondent Numbers	Proposed Respondent	Current Burden Hours	Changes in Burden Hours	Proposed Burden Hours
Response to Office Action (TEAS)	410,722	4,923	415,645	238,219	2,855	241,074
Response to Office Action (Paper)	9,847	-4,923	4,924	6,597	-3,299	3,299
Voluntary Amendment Not in Response to USPTO Office Action/Letter (TEAS)	16,117	81	16,198	5,319	26	5,345
Voluntary Amendment Not in Response to USPTO Office Action/Letter (Paper)	163	-81	82	82	-41	41
Post-Approval/Publication/Post-Notice of Allowance (NOA) Amendment (TEAS)	4,541	5	4,546	1,907	2	1909
Post-Approval/Publication/Post-Notice of Allowance (NOA) Amendment (Paper)	11	-5	6	6	-3	3
Petition to Amend Basis Post-Publication (TEAS Global)	800	16	816	264	5	269
Petition to Amend Basis Post-Publication (Paper)	33	-16	17	14	-7	7
Response to Suspension Inquiry or Letter of Suspension (TEAS)	12,499	6	12,505	2,000	1	2001
Response to Suspension Inquiry or Letter of Suspension (Paper)	13	-6	7	3	-1	2
Totals for collection	472,313	0	472,313	266,187	-461	265,726

IC Item	Current Cost	Changes in Cost	Proposed Cost
Response to Office Action (Paper)	$26,325	-3298	$13,164
Voluntary Amendment Not in Response to USPTO Office Action/Letter (Paper)	80	-40	40
Post-Approval/Publication/Post-Notice of Allowance (NOA) Amendment (Paper)	5	-2	3
Petition to Amend Basis Post-Publication (TEAS Global)	8000	1700	81700
Petition to Amend Basis Post-Publication (Paper)	6616	-3208	3408
Response to Suspension Inquiry or Letter of Suspension (Paper)	6	-3	3
Total	113,058	-14,814	98,244

Summary of Changes

The postage costs will be removed from this collection, resulting in a decrease of 461 hours from the hourly burden and $14,814 to the annual (non-hourly) cost burden.

Changes in Burden

Burden Type	Currently Approved	Proposed Changes	New Estimate
Annual Respondent	472,313	0	472,313
Annual hour burden	266,187	-461	265,726
Annual (non-hourly) cost burden	$113,058	-$14,814	$98,244

0651-0050’s revised total burden is as follows:

• 265,726 burden hours

• $98,244 in annual (non-hourly) cost burden