[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14766-14767]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5988]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Patents for Humanity Program (Formerly Humanitarian Program)
ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.
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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 take this
opportunity to comment on this revision of a currently approved
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 14, 2012.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0066 Patents for Humanity Program comment'' in the subject line of the
message.
Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the
Chief Information Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office,
P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
should be directed to: Edward Elliott, Expert Advisor, Office of Policy
and External Affairs, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O.
Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-9300; or
by email to [email protected].
Additional information about this collection is also available at
http://www.reginfo.gov under ``Information Collection Review.''
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
I. Abstract
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is conducting
a voluntary pilot program to incentivize the distribution of patented
technologies or products to address humanitarian needs. This pilot
program is open to any patent owners or patent licensees, including
inventors who have not assigned their ownership rights to others,
assignees, and exclusive or non-exclusive licensees. The USPTO plans to
collect information from applicants that describe what actions they
have taken with their patented technology to address humanitarian needs
among an impoverished population, or how they have furthered research
by others on technologies for humanitarian purposes. Applications will
be considered in four categories: Medical Technology, Food and
Nutrition, Clean Technology, and Information Technology. It is expected
that inventions from any field of technology will be eligible for the
program, as long as they are applied to one of the four categories.
This pilot program is a follow-up to the responses received from
the agency's ``Request for Comments on Incentivizing Humanitarian
Technologies and Licensing Through the Intellectual Property System''
published September 20, 2010. On February 8, 2012, the USPTO published
a notice in the Federal Register announcing the pilot program and
outlining the procedures for participation in it. The USPTO plans to
review the results from this pilot program to determine whether it
should be extended.
In order to participate in this program, applicants must submit an
application describing how their actions satisfy the competition
criteria to address humanitarian issues. These applications may be up
to five pages long and can be supplemented with additional supporting
materials. The USPTO has developed two application forms that
applicants can use to apply for participation in the Patents for
Humanity Pilot Program--one application covers the humanitarian uses of
technologies or products and the other application covers humanitarian
research. There is also a form where applicants provide their contact
information which the USPTO uses to notify applicants that they have
been selected for an award. The applications must be submitted
electronically through the http://patentsforhumanity.challenge.gov Web
site. Submitted applications will be available on the public Web site
after being screened for inappropriate material.
The applications will be reviewed by independent judges. A
selection committee composed of representatives from other federal
agencies and laboratories will make recommendations for the awards
based on the judges'reviews. Those applicants who are selected for an
award will receive a certificate redeemable to accelerate select
matters before the USPTO and public recognition for their efforts,
including an awards ceremony at the USPTO. The certificates can be
redeemed to accelerate one of the following matters: An ex parte
reexamination proceeding, including one appeal to the Board of Patent
Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) from that proceeding; a patent
application, including one appeal to the BPAI from that application; or
an appeal to the BPAI of a claim twice rejected in a patent application
or reissue application or finally rejected in an ex parte
reexamination, without accelerating the underlying matter which
generated the appeal. The certificates cannot be transferred to other
parties.
The USPTO obtained an emergency clearance from OMB for this
collection, which was approved on January 25, 2012. This approval
expires on July 31, 2012l.
II. Method of Collection
Electronically through the http://patentsforhumanity.challenge.gov
Web site.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0651-0066.
Form Number(s): N/A.
Type of Review: Revision of an existing collection.
Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profits, non-profit
institutions, and individuals.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,010 responses per year, with an
estimated 33% (333) submitted by small entities.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take
the public approximately four hours to complete the humanitarian
program application and one hour to complete the petition to extend the
redemption period, depending on the nature of the information. These
estimated times include gathering the necessary information, preparing
the application
[[Page 14767]]
and any supplemental supporting materials, and submitting the completed
request to the USPTO.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 4,010 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $709,400. The USPTO
estimates that both attorneys and paralegals will complete the
information in this collection. Using the professional hourly rate of
$340 for attorneys in private firms and a paraprofessional hourly rate
of $122 for the paralegals, the USPTO estimates $709,400 per year for
the respondent cost burden for this collection.
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Estimated time Estimated Estimated
Item for response annual annual burden
(hours) responses hours
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Humanitarian Program Application................................ .............. 1,000 ..............
Attorney........................................... 1 .............. 1,000
Paralegal.......................................... 3 .............. 3,000
Petition to Extend the Redemption Period of the Humanitarian 1 10 10
Awards Certificate.............................................
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Totals...................................................... .............. 1,010 4,010
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Estimated Total Annual Non-hour Respondent Cost Burden: $0. This
collection has no annual (non-hour) postage, operation or maintenance,
or fee 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 8, 2012.
Susan K. Fawcett,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-5988 Filed 3-12-12; 8:45 am]
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