[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77591-77592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31505]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States 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: Secrecy, License to Export.
    Form Number(s): N/A.
    Agency Approval Number: 0651-0034.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 1,298 hours annually.
    Number of Respondents: 1,862 responses per year. Of this total, the 
USPTO expects that approximately 6 per year for petition for rescission 
of secrecy order, 3 per year for permit to disclose or modification of 
secrecy order, 1 per year for general and group permits, 1,625 per year 
for petition for foreign filing license without a corresponding 
application on file, 128 per year for petition for foreign filing with 
a corresponding U.S. application on file, and 99 per year for a 
petition for retroactive license will be filed.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: It is estimated to take an average of 3.0 
hours for permit for rescission of secrecy order; 2.0 hours for permit 
to disclose or modification of secrecy order; 1.0 hours for general and 
group permits; 0.5 hours each for foreign filing license: petition for 
foreign filing license without a corresponding United States 
application, and petition for license with a corresponding United 
States patent; and 4.0 hours for a petition for retroactive license for 
the public to gather, prepare and submit the various petitions.
    Needs and Uses: In the interest of national security, patent laws 
and rules place certain limitations on the disclosure of information 
contained in patents and patent applications and on the filing of 
applications for patents in foreign countries. When an invention is 
determined to be detrimental to national security, the Commissioner of 
Patents must issue a secrecy order and withhold the grant of a patent 
for such period as the national interest requires. The USPTO collects 
information to determine whether the patent laws and rules have been 
complied with, and to grant or revoke licenses to file abroad when 
appropriate. This collection of information is required by 35 U.S.C. 
181-188 and administered through 37 CFR Ch. 1, Part 5, 5.1-5.3. There 
are no forms associated with this collection of information.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business 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 Susan K. Brown, Records Officer, Office of Data 
Management, Data Administration Division, (703) 308-7400, USPTO, Suite 
310, 2231 Crystal Drive, Washington, DC 20231, or by e-mail at 
[email protected].
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent on or before January 11, 2001 to David 
Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room 10202, New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, DC 20503.


[[Page 77592]]


    Dated: December 1, 2000.
Susan K. Brown,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of Data Management, Data Administration 
Division.
[FR Doc. 00-31505 Filed 12-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P