U.S. Trademark Office Reduces Filing Fees

On December 16, 2014, the U.S. Trademark Office issued final rules reducing certain filing fees, effective January 17, 2015, as follows:

1. New “TEAS Reduced Fee” application will feature a $50 fee reduction per class (from $325 to $275) for both (1) an application filed electronically using the regular TEAS application form and (2) a TEAS request to transform an extension of protection under the Madrid Protocol into a U.S. application, provided the applicant authorizes email communication and agrees to file all responses and other documents electronically during the prosecution of the application.
2. "TEAS Plus" application fees will be reduced $50 per class (from $275 to $225) for applications in which (as now) the applicant uses language from the U.S. Trademark Office’s “Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual.”
3. TEAS renewal application fees will be reduced $100 per class (from $400 to $300).

The Office states that the reduced filing fees are possible “due to efficiencies that have allowed the Office to create an operating reserve and that the revised fee structure maintains a reserve sufficient to manage operations and address long-term investments.” The reduction also has the benefit of encouraging more filings, which can help businesses large and small protect their intellectual property and thereby help stimulate economic growth. The Office declined to adopt lower fees for small or new businesses, though left open the door that it will consider the issue in the future.