[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 129 (Thursday, July 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38387-38388]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10526]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of amendment of Privacy Act system of records.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 
1974, as amended, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 
is amending the system of records currently listed under ``COMMERCE/
PAT-TM-10 Patent Deposit Accounts System.'' This action is being taken 
to update the Privacy Act notice and to include user profiles for 
electronic funds transfers (EFT). The system of records will also be 
renamed ``COMMERCE/PAT-TM-10 Deposit Accounts and Electronic Funds 
Transfer Profiles.'' We invite the public to comment on the amendments 
noted in this publication.

DATES: Written comments must be received no later than August 7, 2006. 
The amendments will become effective as proposed on August 7, 2006, 
unless the USPTO receives comments that would result in a contrary 
determination.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (571) 273-6500, marked to the attention of Tamara 
McClure.
     Mail: Tamara McClure, Office of Finance, United States 
Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
    All comments received will be available for public inspection at 
the USPTO Public Search Facility, Madison East Building--1st Floor, 600 
Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Office of Finance, United 
States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 
22313-1450, (571) 272-6400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Patent and Trademark 
Office (USPTO) is giving notice of an amendment to a system of records 
that is subject to the Privacy Act of 1974. This system of records 
maintains information on deposit accounts that may be used by customers 
to pay fees for processing and services related to patents, trademarks, 
and information products. The USPTO is revising this system of records 
to include user profiles for electronic funds transfers (EFT), which 
provide customers with another method for paying patent and trademark 
fees. The Privacy Act notice is also being updated with current address 
information for the system location and system manager. The categories 
of individuals covered by the system, categories of records in the 
system, routine uses of records maintained in the system, and other 
system descriptions are being updated to include information regarding 
EFT user profiles and to reflect current practice. The authority for 
maintenance of the system and rule references for the notification 
procedure and contesting record procedures are being updated to 
correspond to the current statutes and rules for those items as related 
to the USPTO.
    Due to the addition of information concerning EFT user profiles, 
the name of the system of records in this Privacy Act notice is being 
changed to ``COMMERCE/PAT-TM-10 Deposit Accounts and Electronic Funds 
Transfer Profiles.'' The amended system of records notice is published 
in its entirety below.
COMMERCE/PAT-TM-10

System name:
    Deposit Accounts and Electronic Funds Transfer Profiles.

Security classification:
    Unclassified.

System location:
    Office of Finance, Receipts Accounting Division, United States

[[Page 38388]]

Patent and Trademark Office, 2051 Jamieson Avenue, Suite 300, 
Alexandria, VA 22314; Office of the Chief Information Officer, United 
States Patent and Trademark Office, Madison West Building, 600 Dulany 
Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Categories of individuals covered by the system:
    Registered patent attorneys and agents and other members of the 
public who maintain deposit accounts or make electronic funds transfer 
(EFT) payments to pay the cost of products and services rendered by the 
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Categories of records in the system:
    For deposit accounts: Name, address, telephone number, fax number, 
contact e-mail address, taxpayer ID number, Agency Location Code (ALC), 
deposit account number, type of account, authorized users list, access 
code, and financial transactions with the USPTO. For EFT: Bank account 
holder's name, address, bank name, bank routing number, bank account 
number and type of account, contact phone number, and contact e-mail 
address.

Authority for maintenance of the system:
    35 U.S.C. 2 and 41 and 15 U.S.C. 1113.

Purpose(s):
    The USPTO collects customer financial information for fee 
processing. Under 35 U.S.C. 41 and 15 U.S.C. 1113, as implemented in 37 
CFR 1.16-1.28, 2.6-2.7, and 2.206-2.209, the USPTO charges fees for 
processing and other services related to patents, trademarks, and 
information products. This system of records contains the information 
necessary to allow customers to establish deposit accounts at the 
USPTO, maintain existing accounts, or charge the appropriate fee amount 
to the appropriate deposit account. This system of records also allows 
customers to establish and maintain a user profile in order to make fee 
payments from their bank accounts by EFT.

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and the purposes of such uses:
    See Prefatory Statement of General Routine Uses Nos. 1-5, 9-10 and 
13, as found at 46 FR 63501-63502 (December 31, 1981). The financial 
information is used to establish and maintain deposit accounts and EFT 
user profiles for USPTO customers and to validate and process fee 
sales. Account information may also be disclosed to financial 
institutions for verification and processing of transactions. For EFT 
payments, the contact phone number and e-mail address are used in order 
to communicate with the customer in case there are any problems with 
the EFT information or the EFT fee sale. After a sale is completed, the 
information is stored as a historical transaction along with the 
identifying mark of the sale item. This historical information is used 
to verify that a customer has paid the appropriate fees for their goods 
or services.

Disclosure to consumer reporting agencies:
    Not applicable.

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, 
and disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
    Microfilm and magnetic storage media.

Retrievability:
    Deposit account records may be retrieved by: Deposit account 
number, holder name, and access code. EFT records may be retrieved by: 
Bank routing number and bank account number. The files are searchable 
in a database available only to authorized staff.

Safeguards:
    Buildings employ security guards. Records are maintained in areas 
accessible only to authorized personnel who are properly screened, 
cleared, and trained. Where information is retrievable by terminal, all 
appropriate system safeguards (hardware and software) are utilized. 
Financial information is collected using appropriate encryption 
technology and records are stored on a secure server. Access to 
electronic records is limited to key personnel and is restricted to the 
specific functions required by their duties. System operators and 
administrators are trained to keep financial information secure.

Retention and disposal:
    Records retention and disposal is in accordance with the series 
record schedules.

System manager(s) and address:
    Director, Office of Finance, United States Patent and Trademark 
Office, 2051 Jamieson Avenue, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Notification procedure:
    Information may be obtained from the Privacy Officer, Office of 
General Law, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, 
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450. Requesters should provide name, account 
information, and record sought, pursuant to the inquiry provisions 
appearing in 37 CFR Part 102 Subpart B.

Record access procedures:
    Requests from individuals should be addressed to the same address 
as stated in the notification section above.

Contesting record procedures:
    The rules for access, contesting contents, and appealing initial 
determinations by the individual concerned appear in 37 CFR Part 102 
Subpart B. Requests from individuals should be addressed to the same 
address as stated in the notification section above.

Record source categories:
    Subject individuals and those authorized by the individual to 
furnish information.

Exemptions claimed for the system:
    None.

    Dated: June 29, 2006.
Susan K. Brown,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Architecture, Engineering and Technical Services, Data Architecture and 
Services Division.
 [FR Doc. E6-10526 Filed 7-5-06; 8:45 am]
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