[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 90 (Monday, May 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25885-25886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-10526]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Patent Customer Transactional Survey

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 proposed and/or continuing information 
collections, 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 July 9, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to 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; by e-mail at [email protected]; or by 
facsimile at 703-308-7407.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to the attention of Martin Rater, Statistician, 
Office of Corporate Planning, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. 
Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone 703-305-4220; by 
facsimile at 703-305-8138; or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    For over the past 10 years, the USPTO has used surveys to obtain 
customer feedback regarding the products, services, and related service 
standards of the USPTO. The USPTO uses the results from these surveys 
to measure how well the agency is meeting established customer service 
standards, to identify any disjoints between customer expectations and 
USPTO performance, and to develop customer satisfaction improvement 
strategies. Typically, these surveys ask customers to express their 
satisfaction with the USPTO's products and services based upon their 
interactions with the agency as a whole over a 12 month period.
    To obtain further data concerning customer satisfaction with the 
USPTO's customer services, service standards, and the agency's 
performance, the USPTO has drafted the proposed Patent Customer 
Transactional Survey. This proposed survey allows the USPTO to further 
explore customer satisfaction with the legal positions of the 
examiners, the search functions of the various Automated Information 
Systems, and problem resolution at the USPTO. From past surveys, the 
USPTO has noted that these areas are key drivers of overall customer 
satisfaction. Additionally, the USPTO has found that approximately 70% 
of its customers prosecute more than 15 patent applications per year. 
With this volume of applications per customer, it is not practical for 
the USPTO to survey customers about anything beyond general 
satisfaction with a particular product or service. The Patent Customer 
Transactional Survey will allow the USPTO to gather more detailed 
information about these key drivers of customer satisfaction. This in 
turn enables the USPTO to develop efficient and cost-effective customer 
satisfaction improvement strategies.
    The Patent Customer Transactional Survey is a mail survey, although 
respondents also have the option to complete the survey electronically. 
A survey packet, containing a one-page questionnaire (with a cover 
letter prepared by the Commissioner of Patents printed on the reverse 
side),and a postage-paid, pre-addressed return envelope will be mailed 
to respondents with the patent allowance. Instructions for completing 
the survey electronically will also be included. The survey packets 
will be mailed to randomly selected customers who were granted a patent 
from one of the eight technology centers during a six week period to 
commence with the start of the survey enumeration period.

[[Page 25886]]

    The USPTO does not plan to pre-notify respondents about this survey 
or follow-up with those respondents who do not respond to this survey. 
This is a voluntary survey and all responses will remain confidential. 
The data that is collected will not be linked to the respondent and 
contact information that is used for sampling purposes will be 
maintained in a separate file from the quantitative data. Respondents 
are not required to provide any identifying information such as their 
name, address, or Social Security Number. In order to access and 
complete the online survey, respondents will need to use the username, 
password, and activation code provided by the USPTO.
    These surveys do not have USPTO form numbers associated with them 
and once they are approved, they will carry the OMB Control Number and 
the expiration date.

II. Method of Collection

    By mail or electronically over the Internet when respondents elect 
the online option to complete the survey.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-00XX.
    Form Number(s): N/A.
    Type of Review: New information collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for 
profit; not-for-profit institutions; Federal government; and State, 
local or tribal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,400 total responses per year. Of 
this total, the USPTO estimates that 1,680 surveys will be mailed and 
that 720 surveys will be completed using the online option.
    Estimated Time Per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
approximately five minutes (0.08 hours) to complete both the paper and 
online versions of this survey.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 192 hours per year.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $54,912. The USPTO 
believes that the patent attorneys of record will complete these 
surveys since they are being mailed to respondents with the patent 
allowance. Using a typical professional hourly rate of $286 for 
associate attorneys in private firms, the USPTO estimates that the 
salary costs for the respondents completing these surveys will be 
$54,912 per year.

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                                                                     Estimated       Estimated       Estimated
                              Item                                   time for         annual      annual  burden
                                                                     response        responses         hours
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Patent Customer Transactional Survey............................       5 minutes           1,680             134
Electronic Patent Customer Transactional Survey.................       5 minutes             720              58
                                                                 -----------------
    Totals......................................................  ..............           2,400             192
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    Estimated Total Annual Non-Hour Respondent Cost Burden: $0. There 
are no capital start-up, maintenance, or recordkeeping costs or filing 
fees associated with this information collection. The USPTO covers the 
costs of all survey materials and provides postage-paid, pre-addressed 
return envelopes for the completed mail surveys. Therefore, there are 
no postage costs 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 will also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: May 4, 2004.
Susan K. Brown,
Records Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Office of 
the Chief Information Officer, Office of Data Architecture and 
Services, Data Administration Division.
[FR Doc. 04-10526 Filed 5-7-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P