[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 8033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2550]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will submit 
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), 
Department of Commerce.
    Title: Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Pilot Program.
    Form Number(s): PTO/SB/10, PTO/SB/20.
    Agency Approval Number: 0651-0058.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 1,575 hours annually.
    Number of Respondents: 800 responses per year.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take the 
public approximately 1.5 hours to gather the necessary information, 
prepare the form, and submit the completed Request for Participation in 
the New Route Pilot Program.
    Needs and Uses: A work-sharing pilot program called the ``New 
Route'' is being established between the United States Patent and 
Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Japan Patent Office (JPO). Under the 
New Route, a filing in one member office of this arrangement would be 
deemed a filing in all member offices. The first office and applicant 
would be given a 30-month processing time frame in which to make 
available a first office action and any necessary translations to the 
second office(s), and the second office(s) would exploit the search and 
examination results of the first office in conducting their own 
examination. The information collection includes one proposed form, 
Request for Participation in the New Route Pilot Program Between the 
JPO and the USPTO (PTO/SB/10), which may be used by applicants to 
request participation in the pilot program and to ensure that they meet 
the program requirements. This form will be added to this collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other 
for-profits; and not-for-profit institutions.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, (202) 395-3897.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by any of the following methods:
    E-mail: [email protected]. Include ``0651-0058 copy request'' 
in the subject line of the message.
    Fax: 571-273-0112, marked to the attention of Susan Fawcett.
    Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer, Customer Information Services Group, Public 
Information Services Division, United States 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 March 13, 2008 to David Rostker, 
OMB Desk Officer, Room 10202, New Executive Office Building, 725 17th 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: February 5, 2008.
Susan K. Fawcett,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Customer Information Services Group, Public Information Services 
Division.
 [FR Doc. E8-2550 Filed 2-11-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P