Agency Information Collection Activities: Regulations Relating to Recordation and Enforcement of Trademarks and Copyrights

AGENCY:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION:

60-Day notice and request for comments; extension of an existing collection of information.

SUMMARY:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Regulations Relating to Recordation and Enforcement of Trademarks and Copyrights (Part 133 of the CBP Regulations). CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with no change to the burden hours or to the information collected. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

DATES:

Written comments should be received on or before April 11, 2016 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments may be mailed to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Attn: Tracey Denning, Regulations and Rulings, Office of International Trade, 90 K Street NE., 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20229-1177.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information should be directed to Tracey Denning, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Regulations and Rulings, Office of International Trade, 90 K Street NE., 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20229-1177, at 202-325-0265.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

CBP invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13). The comments should address: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden including the use of automated collection techniques or the use of other forms of information technology; and (e) the annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers from the collection of information (total capital/startup costs and operations and maintenance costs). The comments that are submitted will be summarized and included in the CBP request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. In this document, CBP is soliciting comments concerning the following information collection:

Title: Regulations Relating to Recordation and Enforcement of Trademark and Copyrights (Part 133 of the CBP Regulations)

OMB Number: 1651-0123.

Abstract: Title 19 of the United States Code section 1526(e) prohibits the importation of articles that bear a counterfeit mark of a trademark that is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and recorded with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1124, the importation of articles that copy or simulate the trade name of a manufacturer or trader, or copy or simulate a trademark registered with the USPTO and recorded with CBP is prohibited. Likewise, under 17 U.S.C. 602 and 17 U.S.C. 603, the importation of articles that constitute an infringement of copyright in protected copyrighted works is prohibited. Both 15 U.S.C. 1124 and 17 U.S.C. 602, authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe by regulation for the recordation of trademarks, trade names and copyrights with CBP. Additional rulemaking authority in this regard is conferred by CBP's general rulemaking authority as found in 19 U.S.C. 1624.

CBP officers enforce these intellectual property rights at the border. The information that respondents must submit in order to seek the assistance of CBP to protect against infringing imports is specified for trademarks under 19 CFR 133.2 and 133.3, and the information to be submitted for copyrights is specified under 19 CFR 133.32 and 133.33. Trademark, trade name, and copyright owners seeking border enforcement of their intellectual property rights provide information through the recordation process in order to assist CBP officers in identifying violating articles at the border. Respondents may submit this information through the IPR e-Recordation Web site at https://iprr.cbp.gov/.

Current Actions: CBP proposes to extend the expiration date of this information collection with no change to the burden hours or to the information collected.

Type of Review: Extension (without change).

Affected Public: Businesses and Individuals.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,000.

Estimated Time per Respondent: 2 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 4,000.