[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 17, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2528-2529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-380]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Customer Input: United States Patent and Trademark Office 
Customer Surveys

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 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 March 20, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected]. Include ``0651-0038 
comment'' in the subject line of the message.
     Fax: 571-273-0112, marked to the attention of Susan Brown.
     Mail: Susan K. Brown, Records Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer, Office of Data Architecture and Services, Data 
Administration Division, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 
1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
     Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Martin Rater, Management Analyst, Office of the 
Commissioner for Patents, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 
1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-5966; or by e-
mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This is a generic clearance for an undefined number of voluntary 
surveys that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) may 
conduct over the next 3 years. The USPTO uses telephone surveys, 
questionnaires, and customer surveys to collect feedback from their 
customers.
    With the exception of the telephone surveys, the surveys are mailed 
to the USPTO's customers. The USPTO provides the option for customers 
to respond to the questionnaires and surveys electronically. Although 
the USPTO is moving to an electronic environment and would prefer to 
administer the questionnaires and customer surveys wholly via the web 
to coincide with other e-government initiatives, the USPTO's customers 
have requested that the surveys be made available in paper format as 
well since many of them only find the time to complete the surveys 
during their commutes, on planes, etc., where they do not have Internet 
access. Consequently, the surveys are primarily answered in the paper 
format.
    Customers either access the survey in question through the USPTO's 
Web site or through the Web sites of the USPTO's survey contractors. 
Instructions for using the online surveys are provided in the cover 
letter that accompanies the survey. The cover letter also contains the 
username and password required to enter the survey site and the access 
code to activate the survey. The electronic version of the survey 
mirrors the paper version.
    The USPTO also conducts customer surveys of the entire agency. 
These surveys were previously covered under this generic clearance. 
However, since the 21st Century Strategic Plan changed the timing of 
these surveys from annually to biannually, these surveys will now be 
covered under a separate and distinct information collection. The face-
to-face interviews, comment cards, and focus groups used previously 
have also been deleted from the collection.
    The surveys in this collection are designed to obtain customer 
feedback regarding products, services, and related service standards of 
the USPTO. At this time, the USPTO is unable to state precisely which 
survey vehicles will be used during the renewal period. As the USPTO's 
survey needs are determined, the USPTO will submit the specific survey 
instrument for approval.

II. Method of Collection

    These surveys will either be conducted by telephone, mailed to the 
USPTO in a pre-addressed, self-stamped envelope, or completed 
electronically. A random sample is used to collect the data. 
Statistical methods will be followed.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-0038.
    Form Number(s): The USPTO will have surveys and questionnaires in 
both paper and electronic formats.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-
profit; not-for-profit institutions; farms; the Federal Government; and 
State, local, or tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,900 responses per year.
    Estimated Time Per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
the public approximately 15 minutes to complete the telephone surveys 
and 5 minutes to complete the questionnaires and customer surveys, 
whether they are mailed to the USPTO or submitted electronically. This 
includes the time to gather the necessary information, complete the 
surveys, and submit them to the USPTO.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 220 hours per year.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $51,700. The USPTO 
believes that both professionals and para-professionals will complete 
these surveys, at a rate of 75% of the current professional rate of 
$286 per hour and 25% of the para-professional rate of $81 per hour. 
Using a combination of these rates, the USPTO is using an hourly rate 
of $235 to calculate the respondent costs. The USPTO estimates that the 
respondent cost burden for this collection will be $51,700 per year.

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                                                                                     Estimated       Estimated
                     Item                         Estimated time for  response        annual      annual  burden
                                                                                     responses         hours
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Telephone Surveys............................  5 minutes........................             400             100
Questionnaires and Customer Surveys..........  5 minutes........................             750              60
Electronic Questionnaires and Customer         5 minutes........................             750              60
 Surveys.
                                              ------------------------------------
    Total....................................  .................................           1,900             220
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[[Page 2529]]

    Note: The burden figures shown in the table above are estimates 
based on the surveys that the USPTO may conduct during the next 
three years. At this time, the USPTO cannot predict which or how 
many surveys will be conducted. Depending on the number of surveys 
that the USPTO actually conducts, it is possible that the burden 
hours could decrease or even increase from the totals shown in the 
table.


    Estimated Total Annual Non-hour Respondent Cost Burden: $0. (There 
are no capital start-up or maintenance costs associated with this 
information collection.) Although the USPTO conducts mail surveys, 
self-addressed and stamped envelopes are provided with them. 
Respondents incur no postage costs resulting from these surveys.

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: January 10, 2006.
Susan K. Brown,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office 
of Data Architecture and Services, Data Administration Division.
[FR Doc. E6-380 Filed 1-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P