[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 149 (Thursday, August 1, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 40199]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19600]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
The Department of Commerce (DOC) has submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for
collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork
Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 13).
Agency: Patent and Trademark Office (PTO).
Title: Patent Processing (Updating).
Agency Approval Number: 0651-0031.
Form Numbers: PTO/SB/08A/08B/09/10/11/12/21/22/23/24/25/26/31/32/
42/43/61/61PCT/62/63/64/64PCT/67/68/69/91/92/93/97.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Burden: 647,720 hours.
Number of Respondents: 364,000.
Average Hours Per Response:
.1 hour for PTO/SB/22/32/92/93/97
.2 hour for PTO/SB/21/24/25/26/43/62/63/31/67/68/69/91
.3 hour for PTO/SB/09/10/11/12
.5 hour for PTO/SB/23
1 hour for PTO/SB/61/61PCT/64/64PCT
2 hours for PTO/SB/08A/08B/42
Needs and Uses: The purpose of this information collection is to
permit the PTO to determine whether a patent application during
processing meets the criteria set forth in the patent statutes and
regulations. The usage of the PTO forms, while not required, will
ensure compliance with requirements and facilitate the automatic
processing and digital image and/or optical character recognition
scanning of application materials.
The information provided on the Information Disclosure forms (PTO/
SB/08A/08B/42) will assist applicants in complying with the duty to
disclose requirements of the patent statutes and regulations, and will
further assist the PTO in examination of the application, and in
maintaining pertinent information related to a patented file. The
information provided on the Small Entity Status forms (PTO/SB/09/10/11/
12) assist applicants, including independent inventors, small business
concerns and non-profit organizations, to provide accurate and
appropriate information to the Office in order to establish small
entity status and thereby reduce their statutory fees as set forth in
35 U.S.C. 41 by 50 percent. The information provided on the Transmittal
Form (PTO/SB/21) alerts the Patent and Trademark Office of the nature
of the communication from the applicant relating to patent processing.
The information on the Disclaimer forms (PTO/SB25/26/43/62/63) assists
patentees in disclaiming any complete claim of a patent or the terminal
part of the statutory term of a patent. The information provided on the
Extension of Time forms (PTO/SB/22/23/32) assist applicants in deciding
the length of extension of time requested in order to respond to Office
communications having statutory periods for response. The information
provided on the Petition To Revive forms (PTO/SB/61/61PCT/64/64PCT)
outline what an applicant must do to revive a patent application which
has become abandoned, either unintentionally or unavoidably. These
forms spotlight the different criteria for the two scenarios, including
the need for a fee, the required information for a proper response and
whether small entity status is appropriate. The information on the
Express Abandonment form (PTO/SB24) assists applicants in requesting
abandonment of an application while at the same time reminding
applicant of a continuing application which has been filed. The
information provided on the Notice of Appeal form (PTO/SB/31) assists
applicants for patents or owners of patents under reexamination in
appealing the decision of the primary examiner. The information
provided on the Power to Inspect/Copy form (PTO/SB/67) assists
applicants, counsel of record or the assignee to designate all third
parties who are entitled to inspect/copy the application and the
information on Request for Access of Abandoned Application form (PTO/
SB/68) assists the public in supplying the appropriate information
necessary to obtain the abandoned application file. The information on
the Certificate of Mailing forms (PTO/SB/92/93) assist applicant in
receiving, as the response date, the date on which response papers are
deposited with the U.S. Postal Service or sent by facsimile
transmission directly to the PTO. The information on the Petition
Routing Slip (PTO/SB/69) assists in efficiently routing and
expeditiously processing petition papers which have been filed at the
PTO, and the information provided on the Deposit Accout Order Form
(PTO/SB/91) assists the PTO in processing orders for articles and/or
services.
Affected Public: Individuals or households, Business or other for-
profit institutions, Not-for-profit institutions, Farms, State, Local
or Tribal Government, and Federal Government.
Frequency: When filing response during the prosecution of a patent
application.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
OMB Desk Officer: Maya A. Bernstein, (202) 395-4816.
Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained
by calling or writing Linda Engelmeier, Acting DOC Forms Clearance
Officer, (202) 482-3272, Department of Commerce, Room 5312, 14th and
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice
to Maya Bernstein, OMB Desk Officer, Room 10236, New Executive Office
Building, Washington, DC 20503.
Dated: June 25, 1996.
Linda Engelmeier,
Acting Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and
Organization.
[FR Doc. 96-19600 filed 7-31-96; 8:45 a.m.]
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