[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 119 (Thursday, June 21, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 34229]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-12005]


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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 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: Practitioner Records Maintenance, Disclosure, and Discipline 
Before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
    Form Number(s): None.
    Agency Approval Number: 0651-0017.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 10,402 hours annually.
    Number of Respondents: 532 responses per year.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: The USPTO estimates that practitioners 
spend 26 hours per year keeping and maintaining records concerning 
their client's cases. The USPTO estimates that practitioners seeking 
reinstatement to practice before the agency will spend 60 hours per 
year keeping and maintaining records showing their compliance with the 
suspension or exclusion orders. It is estimated that it takes 2 hours 
to report a complaint/violation. These estimates include the time to 
maintain the records, and to gather the necessary information and 
prepare the complaint/violation and submit it to the USPTO.
    Needs and Uses: This information is required by 35 U.S.C. 
2(b)(2)(D) and 32, and administered by the USPTO through the USPTO Code 
of Professional Responsibility (37 CFR 10.20 to 10.112) and the 
Investigations and Disciplinary Proceedings rules (37 CFR 10.130 to 
10.170). This information is used by the Director of the Office of 
Enrollment and Discipline (OED) to investigate and, where appropriate, 
prosecute for violations of the USPTO Code of Professional 
Responsibility. Registered practitioners are mandated to maintain 
proper documentation so that they can fully cooperate with an 
investigation in the event of a report of an alleged violation. 
Additionally, practitioners who have been excluded or suspended from 
practice before the USPTO must keep and maintain records of their steps 
to comply with the suspension or exclusion order. These records serve 
as the practitioner's proof of compliance with the order. No forms are 
associated with this information collection.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, (202) 395-3897.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by any of the following:
    E-mail: [email protected]. Include ``0651-0017 copy request'' 
in the subject line of the message.
    Fax: 571-273-0112, marked to the attention of Susan K. Fawcett.
    Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer, Customer Information Services Group, Public 
Information Services Division, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. 
Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent on or before July 23, 2007 to David Rostker, 
OMB Desk Officer, Room 10202, New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: June 15, 2007.
Susan K. Fawcett,
Records Officer, USPTO, Customer Information Services Group, Public 
Information Services Division.
[FR Doc. E7-12005 Filed 6-20-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P