[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 160 (Thursday, August 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50186-50187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20881]


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PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 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: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
    Title: Patent Cooperation Treaty.
    Form Number(s): PTO/SB/2101/134/144, PTO 1382, PCT/Model of Power 
of Attorney, PCT/Model of General Power of Attorney, PCT/IPEA/401, PCT/
IB/328.
    Agency Approval Number: 0651-0021.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 595,060 hours annually.
    Number of Respondents: 439,554 responses per year.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: Based on estimates and knowledge of this 
information collection, the USPTO estimates the burden hours required 
by the public to gather, prepare and submit the required information to 
be the following amounts of time: 1 hour for the Request and Fee 
Calculation (PCT/RO/101), demands (PCT/IPEA/401 Annex and Notes), and 
amendments; 3 hours for descriptions/claims/drawings/abstracts; 0.25 
hours for transmittal letters to the RO/US (PRO/1382), PCT/Model of 
Power of Attorney, PCT/Model of General Power of Attorney, extensions 
of time, priority documents, indications/deposited microorganisms, 
notices/confirmation/precautionary designations, notices effecting 
later elections (PCT/IB/328), and for fee authorizations; 2 hours for 
responses to invitations to correct defects; 0.5 hours for requests for 
rectification of obvious errors; and 4 hours for petitions. In 
addition, the USPTO estimates that it will take the following amount of 
time for the public to provide the information for these information 
requirements overlooked in previous submissions: 0.25 hours for 
requests to the IB to transmit copies of an international application; 
withdrawals of international applications, designations of the state, 
demands, election, and priority claims; and requests/authorizations to 
access international applications; and 2 hours for translations. The 
time estimates for the forms include the amount of time the USPTO 
estimates it will take an applicant to read and understand the 
instructions, gather the necessary information, complete the forms, 
prepare the necessary attachments, and submit the forms to the USPTO.
    Needs and Uses: This information collection is required by the 
provisions of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The PCT is 
administered by the International Bureau (IB) of the World Intellectual 
Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland. The general 
purpose of the PCT is to simplify the filing of international 
applications for the same invention in each of 108 designated 
countries. The USPTO would not be able to fulfill its obligations as a 
PCT Receiving Office (RO), an International Searching Authority (ISA), 
or as an International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA), if this 
information was not collected. The applicant must supply the 
information in order to apply for patent protection under the PCT. The 
USPTO uses the information to process, search and examine the 
application and to process any other communique

[[Page 50187]]

concerning the application, as required by the PCT. The IB uses the 
information to administer international applications as required by the 
PCT. This information collection does have associated forms; however, 
not all of the information required by the collection is collected from 
the public by using forms.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other 
for-profit; not-for-profit institutions; farms; the Federal Government; 
and state, local or tribal government.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    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 Thao P. Nguyen, Acting Records Officer, Office of 
Data Management, Data Administration Division, (703) 308-7397, USPTO, 
Suite 310, 2231 Crystal Drive, Washington, DC 20231.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent on or before September 18, 2000 to David 
Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room 10202, New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20503.

    Dated: August 11, 2000.
Thao P. Nguyen,
Acting Records Officer, USPTO, Office of Data Management, Data 
Administration Division.
 [FR Doc. 00-20881 Filed 8-16-00; 8:45am]
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