Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Revisions to Trademark Rules of Practice

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 22, 2012)]
 [Rules and Regulations][Pages 30197-30208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
 [FR Doc No: 2012-12178] =======================================================
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Patent and Trademark Office
37 CFR Parts 2 and 7 [Docket No. PTO-T-2010-0073] RIN 0651-AC49

Changes in Requirements for Specimens and for Affidavits or Declarations of Continued Use or Excusable Nonuse in Trademark Cases

 AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.
 ACTION: Final rule.

To see the complete text of this final rule, access:http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-05-22/html/2012-12178.htm
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 SUMMARY: In order to help assess and ensure the accuracy of the trademark register, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (``USPTO'') is revising the Trademark Rules of Practice and the Rules of Practice for Filings Pursuant to the Madrid Protocol to allow the USPTO to: Upon request, require any additional specimens, information, exhibits, and affidavits or declarations deemed reasonably necessary to examine a post registration affidavit or declaration of continued use or excusable nonuse in trademark cases, and for a two-year period, conduct a pilot program for the USPTO to assess the accuracy and integrity of the register; and upon request, require more than one specimen in connection with a use-based trademark application, an allegation of use, or an amendment to a registered mark. These revisions aim to ensure the ability to rely on the trademark register as an accurate reflection of marks that are actually in use in the United States for the goods/services identified in the registration, and thereby reduce costs and burdens on the public.

 DATES: This rule is effective on June 21, 2012.

 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Cynthia C. Lynch, Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Trademark Examination Policy, by telephone at (571) 272-8742.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

CPI Adjustment of Patent Fees for Fiscal Year 2013

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 93 (Monday, May 14, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules][Pages 28331-28336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office[www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-11649] ========================================================== ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
37 CFR Parts 1 and 41 [PTO-C-2011-0007] RIN 0651-AC55

CPI Adjustment of Patent Fees for Fiscal Year 2013
AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

To see the complete text of this proposed rule including the proposed fees, access http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-05-14/html/2012-11649.htm
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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) is proposing to adjust certain patent fee amounts for fiscal year 2013 to reflect fluctuations in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The patent statute provides for the annual CPI adjustment of patent fees set by statute to recover the higher costs associated with doing business as reflected by the CPI.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before June 13, 2012. No public hearing will be held.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by RIN number RIN 0651-AC55, by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Email: Gilda.Lee@uspto.gov. Include RIN number RIN 0651-AC55 in the subject line of the message.
Fax: (571) 273-8698, marked to the attention of Gilda Lee.
Mail: Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450, marked to the attention of Gilda Lee.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and Regulatory Information Number (RIN) for this proposed rulemaking.
The comments will be available for public inspection at the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, currently located in Madison West, Tenth Floor, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia. Comments also will be available for viewing via the Office's Internet Web site (http://www.uspto.gov). Because comments will be made available for public inspection, information that the submitter does not desire to make public, such as an address or phone number, should not be included in the comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gilda Lee by email at Gilda.Lee@uspto.gov, by telephone at (571) 272-8698, or by fax at (571) 273-8698.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Patent Examiner Recruitment

For fiscal year 2012 the USPTO is planning to hire 1500 new examiners preferably with a bachelor's or advanced degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or mechanical engineering. Applicants should also have effective oral and written communication skills and be able to succeed in a production-oriented environment.

Interviews will be conducted during the Patent Examiner Recruitment Open House held on Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19 at USPTO Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. To schedule an interview register at http://www.usptocareers.gov/jobfair/ by Tuesday, May 15, 2012.

For those unable to attend the open house, an online application is available through the USPTO's Careers website: www.USPTOcareers.gov.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Patent and Trademark Public Advisory Committee Nominations

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 87 (Friday, May 4, 2012)]
[Notices] [Pages 26518-26519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
 [FR Doc No: 2012-10737]
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 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office [Docket No. PTO-C-2012-0023]
 Public Advisory Committees
 AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.
 ACTION: Notice and request for nominations. -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 SUMMARY: On November 29, 1999, the President signed into law the Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act (the ``Act''), Public Law 106-113, which, among other things, established two Public Advisory Committees to review the policies, goals, performance, budget and user fees of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) with respect to patents, in the case of the Patent Public Advisory Committee, and with respect to trademarks, in the case of the Trademark Public Advisory Committee, and to advise the Director on these matters (now codified at 35 U.S.C. 5). The USPTO is requesting nominations for three (3) members to the Patent Public Advisory Committee, and two (2) members to the Trademark Public Advisory Committee, for terms of three years that begin on expiration of the predecessors' terms. DATES: Nominations must be postmarked or electronically transmitted on or before June 11, 2012. ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to submit nominations should send the nominee's resum[eacute] to John W. Cabeca, Senior Advisor, Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, Post Office Box 1450, Alexandria, Virginia, 22313-1450; by electronic mail to: PPACnominations@uspto.gov for the Patent Public Advisory Committee or TPACnominations@uspto.gov for the Trademark Patent Public Advisory Committee; by facsimile transmission marked to the Senior Advisor's attention at (571) 273-0464; or by mail marked to the Senior Advisor's attention and addressed to the Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, Post Office Box 1450, Alexandria, Virginia, 22313-1450.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John W. Cabeca, Senior Advisor, Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, by facsimile transmission marked to his attention at (571) 273-0464, or by mail marked to his attention and addressed to the Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, Post Office Box 1450, Alexandria, Virginia, 22313-1450.

To see details contained in the supplementary section of the complete text of this notice, access http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-05-04/html/2012-10737.htm

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Launch of Manufacturing.Data.Gov

According to an April 30, 2012 news release, Manufacturing.Data.Gov is now available as a "one-stop Web portal" for anyone interested in sharing ideas and "transforming emerging technologies into commercial success stories." The site will serve "as a public resource of high-value datasets, tools, and applications that can help entrepreneurs steer the entire product development chain for a project, from invention, engineering design and prototyping, to validation and testing, manufacturing, and sales."