[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 19 (Thursday, January 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 4906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01684]


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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: Ombudsman Survey.
    Agency Approval Number: 0651--New.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 91.67 hours annually.
    Number of Respondents: 1,100 responses per year.
    Average Hours per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
the public approximately 5 minutes (0.083 hours) to prepare the 
appropriate form or documents and submit to the USPTO.
    Needs and Uses: The objectives of the Patents Ombudsman Program 
are: (1) To facilitate complaint-handling for pro se applicants and 
applicant's representatives whose applications have stalled in the 
examination process; (2) to track complaints to ensure each is handled 
within ten business days; (3) to provide feedback and early warning 
alerts to USPTO management regarding training needs based on complaint 
trends; and (4) to build a database of frequently asked questions 
accessible to the public that give commonly seen problems and effective 
resolutions. The USPTO Ombudsman survey is a key component of the 
process evaluation, providing a program monitoring system and 
identifying potential opportunities for Ombudsman Program enhancement. 
This survey is being conducted by the USPTO's Ombudsman Program and 
will be developed, administered, and summarized by USPTO personnel.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    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--
New copy request'' in the subject line of the message.
     Mail: Marcie Lovett, Records Management Division Director, 
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 March 2, 2015 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: January 23, 2015.
Marcie Lovett,
Records Management Division Director, USPTO, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-01684 Filed 1-28-15; 8:45 am]
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