[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 174 (Tuesday, September 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53144-53145]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-22884]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has

[[Page 53145]]

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: Rules for Patent Maintenance Fees.
    Form Number(s): PTO/SB/45/47/65/66.
    Agency Approval Number: 0651-0016.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 30,735 hours annually.
    Number of Respondents: 348,140 responses per year.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take the 
public approximately 5 minutes (0.08 hours) to 8 hours to gather the 
necessary information, prepare the form or petition, and submit the 
completed request. The USPTO estimates that it will take the public 
approximately 20 seconds (0.006 hours) to submit the Electronic 
Maintenance Fee Form.
    Needs and Uses: In order to keep utility patents in force, 
patentees must pay maintenance fees at 3\1/2\, 7\1/2\, and 11\1/2\ 
years after the date of grant. The public uses this collection to 
submit a patent maintenance fee payment, to file a petition to accept 
an unavoidably or unintentionally delayed maintenance fee payment, to 
file a petition to request acceptance of a maintenance fee payment that 
was submitted prior to patent expiration but refused by the USPTO, and 
to designate or change an address to be used for fee-related 
correspondence with the USPTO. The USPTO uses the information collected 
from the public to process and record maintenance fee payments, to 
consider petitions regarding delayed maintenance fee payments or 
payments that were refused by the USPTO, and to send fee-related 
correspondence to the correct address. The USPTO is submitting this 
collection in support of a proposed rulemaking, ``Changes to Support 
Implementation of the USPTO 21st Century Strategic Plan'' (RIN 0651-
AB64), which would support the use of electronic signatures on 
documents and increase the filing fees for two petitions under this 
collection. The Petition for Reconsideration of Decision on Petition 
Refusing to Accept Delayed Payment of Maintenance Fee in an Expired 
Patent (37 CFR 1.378(e)) is being added to this collection, but no 
forms are provided for this petition.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households, businesses or other 
for-profits, not-for-profit institutions, and the Federal Government.
    Frequency: On occasion and 3 times at 4-year intervals following 
the grant of the patent.
    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 the 
Chief Information Officer, Office of Data Architecture and Services, 
Data Administration Division, 703-308-7400, U.S. Patent and Trademark 
Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313, Attn: CPK 3 Suite 310; or 
by e-mail at [email protected].
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent on or before October 9, 2003, to David 
Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room 10202, New Executive Office Building, 
725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: September 2, 2003.
Susan K. Brown,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office 
of Data Architecture and Services, Data Administration Division.
[FR Doc. 03-22884 Filed 9-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P