[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 204 (Friday, October 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 65557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-27239]


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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


Data Collection Available for Public Comments and Recommendations

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Small Business Administration's intentions to 
request approval on a new and/or currently approved information 
collection.

DATES: Submit comments on or before December 20, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send all comments regarding whether this information 
collection is necessary for the proper performance of the function of 
the agency, whether the burden estimates are accurate, and if there are 
ways to minimize the estimated burden and enhance the quality of the 
collection, to Julia Kurnik, Director of Research and Policy, National 
Women's Business Council, Small Business Administration, 409 3rd 
Street, Suite 210, Washington, DC 20416.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia Kurnik, mail to: Director of 
Research and Policy, National Women's Business Council 202-205-6826, 
[email protected], Curtis B. Rich, Management Analyst, 202-205-
7030, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Women's Business Council (NWBC) 
is a bi-partisan federal advisory council created to serve as an 
independent source of advice and counsel to the President, Congress and 
the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance 
to women business owners. The NWBC proposes to conduct a focus group 
study to probe in-depth issues relating to the gender gap in the grant 
of U.S. Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights for the time period 1976-
2010. One of NWBC's current priorities is to examine in-depth the 
relationship between intellectual property and women-owned businesses. 
Very little has been studied in this area, so the NWBC has crafted a 
study that is both quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative study 
will use USPTO data on patents and trademarks to determine the number 
of women entrepreneurs applying for and receiving patents, trademarks 
and copyrights. The quantitative study will also analyze the 
differences in the number of women applying for and receiving patents, 
trademarks and copyrights as compared to men, and will analyze sub-
groups of women as well. The qualitative study will probe in-depth the 
questions raised by the quantitative study as well as those raised by 
NWBC. Six focus groups will be conducted, two with women participants 
who have received U.S. patents, trademarks or copyrights, two with 
women participants who applied for U.S. patents, trademarks or 
copyrights but did not receive a grant, and two with women participants 
who have not applied for IP protection.
    Title: Focus Groups: Intellectual Property and Women Entrepreneurs.
    Description of Respondents: Women who have received U.S. patents, 
trademarks or copyrights; women who applied for U.S. patents, 
trademarks or copyrights but did not receive a grant; and women who 
have not applied for IP protection.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Annual Responses: 72.
    Annual Burden: 144.

Jacqueline White,
Chief, Administrative Information Branch.
[FR Doc. 2011-27239 Filed 10-20-11; 8:45 am]
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