On May 9, 2014, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to reduce the per-class filing fees for many new trademark applications and most renewals of registration [http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-05-09/html/2014-10730.htm].
Under the NPRM, the fee for a new application filed using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) application form will be reduced $50, from the current fee of $325 to $275 per class, if the applicant authorizes e-mail communication with the USPTO and agrees to file documents electronically during the prosecution of the application. The fee for a new application filed via the existing TEAS Plus option will be reduced $50, from the current fee of $275 to $225 per class. The fee for an application for renewal of a registration submitted via TEAS will be reduced $100, from $400 per class to $300 per class. The filing fees for trademark applications and renewals filed on paper will remain unchanged.
The public comment period for the USPTO’s NPRM closes on June 23, 2014.