AIPLA Testifies on Proposed Trademark Fees

AIPLA President Sheldon H. Klein, on September 23, 2019, testified during the USPTO’s Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC) public hearing on proposed trademark fee adjustments. He stated AIPLA’s support for an assessment of fees that, in the aggregate, enables 100% recovery of the USPTO’s costs, and the Association’s support for a reasonable operating reserve fund. Mr. Klein expressed concern with the magnitude of the proposed increase in a number of the existing fees, and the imposition of new fees, as many of the proposed fee changes are so significant that they could result in a decrease in the number of brand owners who can afford to obtain and retain the protections provided by federal trademark registration. He sought clarifications from the Office on the need for a fee increase in general, as well as more detailed justifications for each proposed fee increase.