[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 40127]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-15953]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States 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).
    Title: Legal Processes.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Agency Approval Number: 0651-0046.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 88 hours annually.
    Number of Respondents: 299 responses per year.
    Avg. Hours per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take the 
public approximately 5 minutes (0.08 hours) to 6 hours to gather the 
necessary information, prepare the appropriate documents, and submit 
the information in this collection to the USPTO.
    Needs and Uses: This collection covers information requirements 
related to civil actions and claims involving current or former 
employees of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The 
rules for these legal processes may be found under 37 CFR Part 104, 
which outlines procedures for service of process, demands for employee 
testimony and production of documents in legal proceedings, reports of 
unauthorized testimony, employee indemnification, and filing claims 
against the USPTO under the Federal Tort Claims Act (28 U.S.C. 2672). 
The public uses this collection to serve a summons or complaint on the 
USPTO, demand employee testimony or documents related to a legal 
proceeding, or file a claim against the USPTO under the Federal Tort 
Claims Act. Respondents may petition the USPTO to waive or suspend the 
rules for legal processes in extraordinary situations. This collection 
is also necessary so that current and former USPTO employees may 
properly forward service and demands to the Office of General Counsel, 
report unauthorized testimony, and request indemnification. No forms 
are provided by the USPTO for submitting the information in this 
collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other 
for-profits; not-for-profit institutions; and the Federal Government.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    OMB Desk Officer: Nicholas A. Fraser, email: [email protected].
    Once submitted, the request will be publicly available in 
electronic format through the Information Collection Review page at 
www.reginfo.gov.
    Paper copies can be obtained by:
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0046 copy request'' 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.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent on or before August 2, 2013 to Nicholas A. 
Fraser, OMB Desk Officer, via email to [email protected], or by fax to 202-395-5167, marked to the attention 
of Nicholas A. Fraser.

    Dated: June 28, 2013.
Susan K. Fawcett,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-15953 Filed 7-2-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P