[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 101]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-33375]



[[Page 101]]

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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: Required and Optional Search Criteria for Computer 
Implemented Business Method Patent Applications in Class 705.
    Form Numbers: No Forms Associated.
    Agency Approval Number: 0651-00XX.
    Type of Request: New Information Collection.
    Burden: 150 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 100 responses.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: Based on estimates from surveys, the USPTO 
estimates that it will take the public one and a half hours (1.5 hours) 
to gather, prepare, and submit comments recommending a database to the 
USPTO for evaluation.
    Needs and Uses: There are no specific statutes or regulations 
requiring the USPTO to collect the database recommendations solicited 
in the Notice. The USPTO is collecting the information as part of its 
continuing efforts to improve customer service, to improve the quality 
of patent examination, and to decrease the amount of time that it takes 
to examine a patent application and issue it as a patent. The USPTO is 
soliciting comments from the public on various aspects of the database, 
such as the type and amount of information that it contains, the search 
interface, cost, and accessibility so that they can evaluate the 
resources that are currently in use, and evaluate possible new 
resources to add to the existing ones in use. The public will use this 
information collection to recommend databases to the USPTO for 
evaluation and to provide information that the USPTO needs to 
effectively evaluate the items such as database content, database 
identification, accessibility, technical support, continuity, and mode 
of access. In addition to evaluating the databases, the USPTO also uses 
this information to determine whether the database qualifies as a 
mandatory or supplemental search tool.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households, businesses or other 
for-profit, not-for-profit institutions, farms, Federal government, and 
state, local or tribal government.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    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, Data 
Administration Division, Office of Data Management, United States 
Patent and Trademark Office, Crystal Park 3, 3rd Floor, Suite 310, 
Washington, DC 20231, by phone at (703) 308-7400, or via the Internet 
at [email protected].
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent on or before February 1, 2001 to David 
Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room 10236, New Executive Office Building, 
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: December 22, 2000.
Susan K. Brown,
Records Officer, Data Administration Division, Office of Data 
Management.
[FR Doc. 00-33375 Filed 12-29-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P