[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 62 (Thursday, March 30, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16895-16896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7809]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Invention Promoters/Promotion Firms Complaints

ACTION: Proposed Collection; comment request.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (DOC), as part of its continuing 
effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to comment on the continuing and 
proposed information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 30, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier, 
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 
5027, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230 or via the 
Internet at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to the attention of Richard J. Apley, Director, 
Office of Independent Inventor Programs, Crystal Park 2, Suite 906, 
Washington, DC 20231. In addition, written comments may be sent via e-
mail to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Inventors' Rights Act of 1999 requires the Patent and Trademark 
Office (PTO) to publish complaints filed by independent inventors 
against invention promoters/promotion firms and publish any replies to 
such complaints. The Inventors' Rights Act requires the PTO to publish 
these complaints and replies, but it does not require the PTO to 
enforce the Act, to investigate the complaints, or to participate in 
any legal proceedings against the invention promoters/promotion firms. 
The PTO will accept complaints filed against invention promoters/
promotion firms and forward those complaints to the invention 
promoters/promotion firms for response. Both the complaints and the 
responses will be published so that they will be publicly available as 
required by the Act. The primary purpose of this collection is to make 
complaints and responses publicly available; the PTO will not accept 
complaints submitted under this system if the complainant requests 
confidentiality. The PTO has developed a form for the purpose of 
lodging a complaint against a promotion invention firm; however, use of 
the form is not mandatory as long as the complaint is clearly marked as 
a complaint filed under the Inventors' Rights Act or the PTO's rules 
implementing this Act.

II. Method of Collection

    By mail, facsimile, or hand carry when an individual is required to 
participate in the information collection.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-0044.
    Agency Form Number(s): PTO/SB/XX.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

[[Page 16896]]

    Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other 
for-profit organizations; not-for-profit institutions; farms; Federal 
Government; and State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100 responses for a complaint 
regarding invention promoters/promotion firms and 100 responses for 
responding to the complaint per year.
    Estimated Time Per Response: It is estimated to take approximately 
15 minutes to submit a complaint and 15 minutes for the invention 
promoters/promotion firms to respond to a complaint.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 50 hours per year.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost Burden: $0 (no capital start-up or 
maintenance expenditures are required). Using the professional hourly 
rate of $30.00 for paralegals (or professionals equal to paralegals) to 
prepare the complaint and the average hourly rate of $101.00 to prepare 
the response to the complaint, the PTO estimates $3,275.00 per year for 
salary costs associated with respondents.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    Estimated    Estimated
                                     time for      annual     Estimated
               Item                  response      burden       annual
                                    (minutes)      hours      responses
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Complaint Regarding Invention               15           25          100
 Promoter........................
Responses to the Complaints......           15           25          100
                                  ==============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, e.g., the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized or 
included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: March 24, 2000.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-7809 Filed 3-29-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P