USPTO Proposes Trademark Fees Adjustment
Written June 19, 2020
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in a notice of proposed rulemaking has proposed to adjust certain trademark fees to “recover the prospective aggregate costs of future strategic and operational” trademark and TTAB goals. Fees are proposed to be increased for all application filing types, with proposed per-class fee increases ranging from $25 for a TEAS Plus application to $150 for a paper application.
According to the notice, the proposed fees will further USPTO strategic objectives by: better aligning fees with costs, protecting the integrity of the trademark register, improving the efficiency of agency processes, and ensuring financial sustainability to facilitate effective trademark operations.
The notice mentions that fee collections have been lower than anticipated, in part due to lower than expected application filings as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, and that the Office anticipates that the earliest any proposed trademark fee changes could take effect is October 2020. Read the notice for more information.