The USPTO held the Trademark Public Advisory Public Hearing on 23.09.2019 and thereafter published a Trademark Fee Proposal for 2020, indicating therein significant increases.
The USPTO reasons this increase based on the need for support for critical IT projects which are necessary to solve challenges, trademark operations and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Therefore, the TPTO proposes increases and new fees to be established for the following Trademark Processes:
- Applications for Registration Fees
- Post Registration Maintenance Fees
- Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Fees
- Extension of Time to File Appeal Brief (new fee)
- Deletion of Goods and Services Following Audit or Adverse Decision (new fee)
- Petitions and New Fees for Letter of Protest and Request for Reconsideration (new fee)
- Request for Oral Hearing (new fee)
- Filing a motion for summary judgement (new fee)
While some fee increases are -more or less - modest, some increases are of more than 50% in addition to newly created fees. In view of this increase, it has been reported that small business owners and companies with large portfolios would be significantly impacted by this increase.
After having published the proposes changes, the USPTO gave the opportunity for the public to submit comments on the same and they target to implement the proposed fees by August 2020.