Request for Comments on OECD's Working Party on Countering Illicit Trade (WP-CIT) Draft Voluntary Guidelines for Countering Illicit Trade in Counterfeit Goods on Online Marketplaces

United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

Notice of public roundtable and request for comments.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is working across government and with the private sector to address counterfeiting. As part of this effort, the USPTO seeks feedback from interested parties on their observations and experiences in combatting the trafficking of counterfeit products through online marketplaces. The discussion will focus on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (“OECD”) recent work on Draft Voluntary Guidelines for Countering Illicit Trade in Counterfeit Goods on Online Marketplaces (the “ Guidelines ”). The USPTO will host a roundtable on the topics listed in this notice on Thursday, June 5, 2025, which will be held at the OECD Washington Center in person and virtually.

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Comments: Comments must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, June 27, 2025. The Guidelines will be available to review upon request per the instructions at https://www.uspto.gov/​about-us/​events/​roundtable-oecd-e-commerce-guidelines.

Public Roundtable Event: The public roundtable event will be held at the OECD Washington Center in person and virtually on Thursday, June 5, 2025 beginning at 9 a.m. Interested parties wishing to attend the public roundtable event in person must register by May 29, 2025. Registration for remote attendance will be available through June 5, 2025. Registration for both in-person and virtual options, along with the agenda, is available at https://www.uspto.gov/​about-us/​events/​roundtable-oecd-e-commerce-guidelines. Parties interested in speaking at the event may submit their requests with the instructions provided on the registration page at https://www.uspto.gov/​about-us/​events/​roundtable-oecd-e-commerce-guidelines. Please note that requests to speak will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the limited number of time slots available for speakers, the USPTO may not be able to accommodate all requests.

(1) Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov (at the homepage, enter “PTO-C-2025-0016” in the “Search” ' box, select the “Comment” icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments). The materials in the docket will not be edited to remove identifying or contact information, and the USPTO cautions against including any information in an electronic submission that the submitter does not want publicly disclosed. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted only in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or Adobe PDF formats. Comments containing references to studies, research, and other empirical data that are not widely published should include copies of the referenced materials. Please do not submit additional materials. If you want to submit a comment with confidential business information that you do not wish to be made public, please submit the comment as a written/paper submission in the manner detailed below.

(2) Written/Paper Submissions: Send all written/paper submissions to: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Mail Stop OPIA, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22314. Submission packaging should clearly indicate that materials are responsive to Docket No. PTO-C-2025-0016, Office of Policy and International Affairs, Comment Request; Call for Feedback on OECD's Working Party on Countering Illicit Trade (WP-CIT) Draft Voluntary Guidelines for Countering Illicit Trade in Counterfeit Goods on Online Marketplaces.

Submissions of Confidential Business Information: Any submissions containing confidential business information must be delivered in a sealed envelope marked “confidential treatment requested” to the address listed above. Submitters should provide an index listing the document(s) or information they would like the USPTO to withhold. The index should include information such as numbers used to identify the relevant document(s) or information, document title(s) and description(s), and relevant page numbers and/or section numbers within a document. Submitters should provide a statement explaining their grounds for objecting to the disclosure of the information to the public. The USPTO also requests that submitters of confidential business information include a non-confidential version (either redacted or summarized) of those confidential submissions that will be available for public viewing and posted on www.regulations.gov. In the event that the submitter cannot provide a non-confidential version of its submission, the USPTO requests that the submitter post a notice in the docket stating that it has provided the USPTO with confidential business information. Should a submitter fail to docket a non-confidential version of its submission or post a notice that confidential business information has been provided, the USPTO will note the receipt of the submission on the docket with the submitter's organization or name (to the degree permitted by law) and the date of submission.