[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19357-19358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8882]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


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 35).
    Agency: Patent and Trademark Office (PTO).
    Title: Requirements for Patent Applications Containing Nucleotide 
Sequence and/or Amino Acid Sequence Disclosures.
    Form Numbers: N/A.
    Agency Approval Number: 0651-0024.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement, with change, of a previously 
approved collection for which approval has expired.
    Burden: 5,283 hours annually.
    Number of Respondents: 5,601 responses annually.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: Based on PTO time and motion studies, the 
agency estimates that it will take the

[[Page 19358]]

public 80 minutes to create a nucleotide/amino acid sequence listing in 
an application. In the electronic version of the sequence listing, EFS 
BIO, it is estimated that it will take 10 minutes to create and submit 
a sequence listing in an application.
    Needs and Uses: Nucleotide and amino acid sequence disclosure 
information is used by the PTO during the examination process to 
determine the patentability of an application by effectively examining 
the sequences in order to process the data more efficiently. The PTO 
also uses the data after examination to support publication of issued 
patents. In addition, the sequences are used by the PTO during 
participation with the European and Japanese Patent Offices in a 
Trilateral Sequence Exchange project, thereby facilitating the 
international exchange of published sequence data. After patent 
publication, the public and the bar associations can search the 
nucleotide/amino acid sequence listings. Applicants use the sequence 
data when preparing both national and international patent 
applications.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households, business or other for-
profit institutions, not-for-profit institutions, farms, the Federal 
government, and state, local, or tribal governments.
    Frequency: As applied for when patent applicants submit a patent 
application (both national and international applications) containing 
nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosure data within their 
patent applications.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, (202) 395-3897.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Linda Engelmeier, Departmental Forms Clearance 
Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, (202) 482-3272, 
Department of Commerce, Room 5027, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20230 or via e-mail at [email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication to David 
Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room 10202, New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: April 4, 2000.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-8882 Filed 4-10-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P