[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.]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P