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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 3/25/2024 3:46 PM, Richard Schafer
via E-trademarks wrote:<br>
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<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:SA1PR05MB79835E6587557E463387E2A48E362@SA1PR05MB7983.namprd05.prod.outlook.com">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D">The
PTO justifies the large increases in post-reg fees by saying
the percentage of registrations that get maintained is
declining, so they’re jacking the fees on post-reg “to keep
barriers to entry low for new applicants.” Which will, no
doubt, result in even fewer registrations being maintained.
At some point, I wonder if some registrants will simply stop
maintaining registrations and apply for new ones because of
the difference in costs.</span></p>
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</blockquote>
<p>I bet you are right that some registrants, particularly
non-profits and companies with limited funds, will make this
choice. Which is really unfortunate given that they will find
themselves harmed by intervening filings.</p>
<p>This stuff about “keeping barriers to entry low for new
applicants” strikes me as somewhat analogous to the patent side.
On the patent side, the USPTO justifies the very expensive
maintenance fees with the idea that if your invention has turned
out to be valuable, they will charge you the high maintenance fees
so as to subsidize the initial filing fees.</p>
<p>But with patents, the high maintenance fees happen at most only
three times and then you are done. A gouge price for an 8-and-9
is a gift to the USPTO that keeps on giving, perhaps in
perpetuity, for any given trademark.<br>
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