[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 235 (Thursday, December 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63378-63379]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-30212]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Public User ID Badging

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as part 
of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, 
invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this 
opportunity to comment on the continuing 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 February 4, 
2002.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Susan K. Brown, Records 
Officer, Office of Data Management, Data Administration Division, 
USPTO, Suite 310, 2231 Crystal Drive, Washington, DC 20231; by 
telephone at (703) 308-7400; or by electronic mail at 
[email protected]. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Catherine Hollan, Manager, Public Search 
Facilities, USPTO, Room 2C04, 2021 South Clark Place, Arlington, VA 
22202; by telephone at (703) 306-2608; or by electronic mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is required 
by 35 U.S.C. 41(i)(1) to maintain a Public Search Facility to provide 
patent and trademark collections for the public to search and retrieve 
information. The Public Search Facilities are maintained for public use 
with paper and automated search files and trained staff to assist 
searchers. The Public Search Facilities are available to everyone.
    In order to maintain and control the patent and trademark 
collections so that the information is available to the public, the 
USPTO issues Public User ID badges to users who wish to use the Public 
Search Facilities. For many years, the USPTO issued paper User IDs, but 
the USPTO now uses an electronic badging database for the issuance of 
plastic ID badges.
    The plastic ID badge shows a color photograph of the user, a bar-
coded user number, and an expiration date. The badging system allows 
the USPTO to electronically store the information, which can be updated 
periodically. The ID system is designed to enable the USPTO to (a) 
identify users of patent and trademark documents, (b) confine user 
access to public areas, (c) locate and control access to patent and 
trademark documents, and (d) identify users of USPTO services.
    The Public User ID badge enables the USPTO to accurately track use 
of the documents and to identify anyone misusing the search facilities. 
The USPTO uses the ID badges to identify, counsel, and sanction users 
who destroy, misfile, or remove documents from its collections, or who 
mishandle its equipment. The Public User ID also grants the public 
limited access to the non-public parts of the USPTO, such as the 
Examiner areas. To access these areas, users are required to wear a 
visible USPTO employee ID, a contractor ID, or a Public User ID. (The 
Public User ID badges enable the USPTO to immediately confirm a user's 
identity via an on-the-spot comparison with the color photograph on the 
badge.)
    For its ID system, the USPTO collects the following mandatory 
identifying information: name and mailing address (as verified on a 
picture ID such as a driver's license), signature, and a digital 
photograph of the user that is taken by USPTO staff. Optional 
information includes telephone number and USPTO Attorney Registration 
Number, if any.

II. Method of Collection

    The application for the Public User ID is completed on site and 
handed to a staff member to enter into the system and issue the badge.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-0041.
    Form Number(s): PTO-2030.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other 
for-profits; not-for-profit institutions; farms; the Federal 
Government; and state, local or tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 9,084 responses per year.
    Estimated Time Per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
the public approximately five minutes (.08 hours) to gather the 
necessary information, prepare the form, and submit the completed 
application for a Public User ID or to renew the Public User ID Badge, 
and approximately ten minutes (.17 hours) to supply any optional 
information to the staff, have the photograph taken, and be issued the 
Public User ID Badge.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 1,054 hours per 
year.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $109,616 per year. 
The USPTO estimates that of those users requesting Public User IDs, 
approximately 1/3 of the users will be attorneys and 2/3 will be 
paraprofessionals. Using the professional hourly rate of $252 per hour 
for associate attorneys in private firms and the paraprofessional 
hourly rate of $30 per hour, the average hourly rate for all 
respondents to this collection will be $104 per hour.

[[Page 63379]]



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                                                      Estimated time for
                        Item                               response        Estimated annual    Estimated annual
                                                           (minutes)           responses         burden hours
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Application for Public User ID......................                   5               3,642                 291
Issue Public User ID Badge..........................                  10               3,642                 619
Renew Public User ID Badge..........................                   5               1,800                 144
                                                     -----------------------------------------------------------
      Total.........................................  ..................               9,084               1,054
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    Estimated Total Annual Nonhour Respondent Cost Burden: $0. (There 
are no capital start-up or maintenance costs or filing fees associated 
with this information collection.)

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 shall 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: November 26, 2001.
Susan K. Brown,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of Data Management, Data Administration 
Division.
[FR Doc. 01-30212 Filed 12-5-01; 8:45 am]
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