美国专利商标局提议大幅提高费用，引起商标律师的警惕

商标律师讨论美国专利商标局提议的费用上涨。他们强调需要让客户随时了解这些变化，以避免过高的申请成本。通过了解费用上涨的影响，律师可以指导客户优化其申请策略并最大限度地减少与商标申请相关的费用。

USPTO Proposes Substantial Fee Increases: Trademark Attorneys Sound Alarm

美国专利商标局提议大幅提高费用：商标律师拉响警报

by Rani Mehta

通过拉尼·梅塔

April 05, 2024

2024 年 4 月 5 日

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has unveiled a comprehensive proposal to enact significant fee increases across its services, sparking widespread concern within the legal community, particularly among trademark counsel. The proposed changes, if implemented, will have far-reaching implications for businesses of all sizes, from multinational corporations to individual entrepreneurs seeking to protect their intellectual property.

美国专利商标局 (USPTO) 公布了一项全面提案，大幅提高其服务费用，引发了法律界、尤其是商标律师的广泛关注。拟议的变革如果实施，将对各种规模的企业产生深远的影响，从跨国公司到寻求保护知识产权的个人企业家。

The proposed fee hikes are substantial, ranging from modest increases for certain services to dramatic surges for others. For instance, the cost of filing a trademark application is poised to increase by 20%, from $300 to $360. Similarly, the fee for filing a Madrid Protocol application, which enables applicants to seek trademark protection in multiple countries, is set to leap from $600 to $700. The most significant increase, however, is reserved for post-registration services, with the fee for filing a renewal application expected to skyrocket by a staggering 40%, from $125 to $175.

拟议的费用上涨幅度很大，从某些服务的小幅上涨到其他服务的大幅上涨。例如，提交商标申请的费用预计将增加 20%，从 300 美元增至 360 美元。同样，提交《马德里议定书》申请的费用将从 600 美元跃升至 700 美元，该申请使申请人能够在多个国家寻求商标保护。然而，增幅最大的是注册后服务，提交续展申请的费用预计将飙升 40%，从 125 美元增至 175 美元。

Trademark attorneys are deeply concerned about the impact these fee increases will have on their clients. Many expressed fears that the hikes will disproportionately burden small businesses and individual inventors who already face financial constraints in securing trademark protection. "These increases are going to hit small businesses the hardest," said Emily Parker, a trademark attorney at a boutique firm in Washington, D.C. "It's going to make it even more difficult for them to compete in the marketplace."

商标律师非常担心这些费用增加将对他们的客户产生的影响。许多人担心，涨价会给小企业和个人发明家带来不成比例的负担，因为他们在获得商标保护方面已经面临财务困难。华盛顿特区一家精品律师事务所的商标律师艾米丽·帕克 (Emily Parker) 表示：“这些上涨将对小企业造成最严重的打击。这将使他们在市场上竞争变得更加困难。”

In addition to the financial burden, trademark counsel anticipate that the fee hikes will create logistical challenges for their firms. "We're going to have to adjust our fee structures to account for the increases," said John Roberts, a trademark attorney at a mid-sized law firm in New York City. "This will inevitably lead to increased costs for our clients, which is something we want to avoid."

除了财务负担之外，商标律师预计费用上涨还将给他们的公司带来后勤方面的挑战。纽约市一家中型律师事务所的商标律师约翰·罗伯茨 (John Roberts) 表示：“我们将不得不调整我们的收费结构，以适应费用的增长。” “这将不可避免地导致我们客户的成本增加，这是我们想要避免的。”

The USPTO justifies the fee increases as necessary to maintain the quality of its services and keep up with the rising costs of operations. The agency points to the growing number of trademark applications it receives each year, emphasizing the need for additional resources to effectively process and examine these applications. However, trademark attorneys argue that the agency has failed to demonstrate a compelling need for such a substantial increase.

美国专利商标局认为，为了维持其服务质量并跟上不断上涨的运营成本，增加费用是必要的。该机构指出，每年收到的商标申请数量不断增加，并强调需要额外的资源来有效处理和审查这些申请。然而，商标律师辩称，该机构未能证明如此大幅增加的迫切需要。

"The USPTO has not provided adequate justification for these fee hikes," said Sarah Jones, a trademark attorney at a large law firm in San Francisco. "We believe that the agency can find ways to modernize its operations without resorting to such drastic measures."

“美国专利商标局没有为这些费用上涨提供充分的理由，”旧金山一家大型律师事务所的商标律师莎拉琼斯说。 “我们相信，该机构能够找到实现业务现代化的方法，而无需采取如此严厉的措施。”

In the wake of the proposed fee increases, trademark attorneys say they will make every effort to keep their clients informed about the potential impact on their applications. Many firms are already advising clients to file their trademark applications sooner rather than later to avoid paying the higher fees.

在拟议的费用增加之后，商标律师表示，他们将尽一切努力让客户了解对其申请的潜在影响。许多公司已经建议客户尽早提交商标申请，以避免支付更高的费用。

"We're going to do our best to minimize the impact of these fee increases on our clients," said Emily Parker. "We'll be providing them with ample notice so that they can make informed decisions about their trademark strategies."

“我们将尽最大努力尽量减少费用上涨对我们客户的影响，”艾米丽·帕克说。 “我们将向他们提供充分的通知，以便他们能够就其商标策略做出明智的决定。”

The USPTO's proposed fee increases are a significant development that is likely to have far-reaching implications for the trademark community. Trademark attorneys will continue to monitor the situation and advocate for their clients' interests as the fee hike proposal progresses through the regulatory process.

美国专利商标局提议的费用上涨是一项重大进展，可能会对商标界产生深远的影响。随着费用上涨提案在监管程序中取得进展，商标律师将继续关注事态发展并维护客户的利益。