[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13103-13104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3561]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Event Planning

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 
this new 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 May 15, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:

     E-mail: [email protected]. Include ``0651-00xx Event 
Planning 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, Architecture, Engineering and Technical Services, 
Data Architecture and Services 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 Elizabeth Shaw, Office of External Affairs, 
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), P.O. Box 1451, 
Alexandria, VA 22313-1451; by telephone at 571-272-9300; or by e-mail 
at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is 
responsible under 35 U.S.C. 2(A)(2) for the dissemination of patent and 
trademark information to the public. This information can include 
planning for long-term goals, outreach to

[[Page 13104]]

independent inventors, assistance to small businesses, prevention of 
unlawful intellectual property practices, international trends, and 
cooperation between Intellectual Property entities, in addition to 
other types of information. The USPTO sponsors conferences, fairs, 
speaking engagements, and training seminars such as those offered under 
the Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program, as well as other 
events, to disseminate this information. In order to plan for these 
events, the USPTO must collect information from the attendees.
    The USPTO plans to use an online registration screen available 
through the http://www.uspto.gov Web site for all of the event 
registrations. However, the USPTO believes that some of the PTDL 
registrations may still be submitted in paper. Online registration will 
standardize data collection for USPTO-sponsored events and provide for 
more efficient event planning. Attendees may complete forms for event 
registration online and e-mail them to the USPTO, or they may print, 
complete in ink, and mail the registrations to the USPTO. The USPTO has 
no plans to disseminate this information electronically or otherwise.

II. Method of Collection

    Registrations for events other than the PTDLs can only be submitted 
using the online registration option. Registration for various PTDL 
events can be submitted electronically. The registrations can also be 
submitted by mail or by hand delivery if applicants choose to submit 
the information in paper form.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-00xx.
    Form Number(s): No Form Numbers.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Affected Public: Primarily business or other for-profit 
organizations, but also individuals or households; not-for-profit 
institutions; farms, Federal Government; and state, local or tribal 
Government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,100 responses per year.
    Estimated Time Per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
the public approximately 5 minutes (0.08 hours) to complete this 
information, whether it is mailed to the USPTO or submitted 
electronically. This includes the time to gather the necessary 
information, complete the request, and submit it to the USPTO.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 328 hours per year.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $43,296. It is 
estimated that the respondent audience will be \1/3\ attorneys, \1/3\ 
paraprofessionals and members of the Patent and Trademark Depository 
Library Program, and \1/3\ independent inventors, students, or other 
members of the public. Using a combination of the professional hourly 
rates of $286 for associate attorneys in private firms, $81 for 
paraprofessionals and members of the Patent and Trademark Depository 
Library Program, and $30 for independent inventors, students, and other 
members of the public, the USPTO is using an hourly rate of $132 to 
calculate the respondent costs. The USPTO estimates that the respondent 
cost burden for this collection will be $43,296 per year.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Estimated      Estimated
                      Item                           Estimated time for  response       annual     annual burden
                                                                                      responses        hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Event Registrations (electronic)................  5 minutes........................        4,000             320
PTDL Registrations (paper)......................  5 minutes........................           10               1
PTDL Registrations (electronic).................  5 minutes........................           90               7
 
    Total.......................................  .................................        4,100             328
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Non-hour Respondent Cost Burden: $4. This 
collection does not have any capital start-up, maintenance, operation, 
or recordkeeping costs or filing fees associated with it. Customers can 
register for PTDL events electronically or they can print out the 
request, complete it, and mail it to the USPTO through the United 
States Postal Service. The USPTO estimates that 10 PTDL registrations 
will be submitted via first class mail. First class postage is 39 
cents. Therefore, the USPTO estimates a total annual (non-hour) cost 
burden of $4 due to mailing costs.

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: March 6, 2006.
Susan K. Brown,
Records Officer, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer, Architecture, Engineering and Technical Services, 
Data Architecture and Services Division.
[FR Doc. E6-3561 Filed 3-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P