PTO Reopens Comment Period Re Proposed TTAB Rule Changes

In a Notice published in the Federal Register on March 27th, the PTO announced that it has reopened the comment period for the proposed TTAB Rule changes. The comment period will now run until May 4, 2006 (an additional 45 days from the original March 20th closing date). The PTO has, however, declined to schedule a public hearing.

"A number of comments made in response to [the January 17, 2006] notice suggested that an extension of the comment period would be helpful; and some of these recommended a public hearing. In addition, the Trademark Public Advisory Committee has recommended to the USPTO an extension and a hearing. The USPTO has decided to reopen the comment period (announcement of an extension not being possible before the scheduled close of the comment period on March 20, 2006). The USPTO has also decided, however, that written comments are preferred over oral comments and therefore will not schedule a public hearing."

The proposed Rule changes may be found here. Various comments already submitted may be dowloaded from previous TTABlog postings, or from the TTAB-Rules blog.
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