TPAC Meeting

TRADEMARK PUBLIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE AGENDA

USPTO Headquarters
Paris Conference Room
Madison East 2nd Floor
600 Dulany Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

Public Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, October 21, 2008

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Lunch break from 11:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.

 

Introduction by Committee Chair – 9:00 a.m.

Welcome by USPTO Leadership – about 9:10 a.m.

Budget matters – about 9:25 a.m.

  • Report from CFO (maximum 45 minutes, including question time)
    For both this report and the next one, TPAC would like an explanation of the reason for any division of costs between trademark and patent operations that exceeds the percentage share of Trademark’s portion of the total fee revenues.
  • Report on the review of OCIO finances (maximum 45 minutes, including question time)
  • Report from OCIO on the planned overhaul of the USPTO’s computer systems, to include the following (maximum 45 minutes, including question time):
    • What is the anticipated cost and time line?
    • How will the cost be financed out of patent and trademark fees? And what will be the patent/trademark split of the cost?
    • Does this needed overhaul present an opportunity to separate (build separate) computing systems for the trademark and patent operations and, thus, largely separate the CIO function into patent and trademark sides?

[anticipated lunch break; could come later if morning session is shorter than allotted]

Issues for TPAC to Evaluate – about 12:50 p.m.

  • Madrid Protocol: How should it be changed?
  • Fee setting: Should the USPTO lower the post-registration section 9 fee?
  • Should the USPTO accept a geographical indications registration of another country as the equivalent of a trademark registration?
  • Proposed rules:
    • Should there be imposed a fee for a certificate of mailing?
    • Should an accelerated examination option be added?
    • Priority filing: As more new applications register in less than six months, what are the USPTO’s obligations under the Paris Convention?

Report on Recent Changes/Events:

  • Consistency mailbox
  • Rule packages
  • Legislation

Questions from TPAC (if any) on other issues, such as PTO performance statistics

Public comments section (if any)

After this public meeting, TPAC anticipates moving directly into executive session.