[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 54 (Friday, March 20, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14910-14911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-06459]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States Patent and Trademark Office


Post Patent Provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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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 comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, 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 19, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0067 Post Patent Provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act'' 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.
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Raul Tamayo, Senior Legal Advisor, Office of 
Patent Legal Administration, United States Patent and Trademark Office 
(USPTO), P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-
272-7728; or by email at [email protected] with ``Paperwork'' in 
the subject line. 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 required 
by 35 U.S.C. 131 et seq. to examine an application for patent and, when 
appropriate, issue a patent. The provisions of 35 U.S.C. 301 and 37 CFR 
1.501 govern the ability of a person to submit into the file of an 
issued patent (i) prior art consisting of patents or printed 
publications which that person believes to have a bearing on the 
patentability of any claim of a patent and (ii) written statements of a 
patent owner filed in a proceeding before a Federal court or the USPTO 
in which the patent owner took a position on the scope of any claim of 
the patent.
    The information in this collection can be submitted electronically 
through EFS-Web, the USPTO's web-based electronic filing system, as 
well as on paper. The USPTO therefore accounts for both electronic and 
paper submissions in this collection.

[[Page 14911]]

II. Method of Collection

    Electronically if applicants submit the information using the TEAS 
forms. By mail or hand delivery if applicants choose to submit the 
information in paper form.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-0067.
    IC Instruments: The individual instruments in this collection, as 
well as their associated forms, are listed in the table below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Information
            IC No.                 collection             Form(s)
                                   instrument
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1............................  Information          PTO/SB/42.
                                Disclosure
                                Citation in a
                                Patent (paper and
                                electronic).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other 
for-profits; and not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Responses: The USPTO estimates that it will receive a 
total of 240 responses to this information collection annually, of 
which 60 will be filed by small entities. The USPTO estimates that 230 
of the 240 responses will be filed electronically.
    Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
the public 10 hours to complete the collection of information. This 
includes time to gather the necessary information, create the document, 
and submit the completed request to the USPTO. The USPTO calculates 
that, on balance, it takes the same amount of time to gather the 
necessary information, create the document, and submit it to the USPTO, 
whether the applicant submits the information in paper form or 
electronically.
    The time per response, estimated annual responses, and estimated 
annual hour burden associated with each instrument in this information 
collection is shown in the table below.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 2,400 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost Burden (Hourly): $933,600. The USPTO 
expects that attorneys will complete the instruments associated with 
this information collection. The professional hourly rate for attorneys 
is $389. Using this hourly rate, the USPTO estimates $933,600 per year 
for the total hourly costs associated with respondents.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Estimated time
             No.                Information collection      for response     Estimated annual   Estimated annual
                                      instrument             (minutes)          responses         burden hours
                                                                       (a)                (b)    (a) x (b) = (c)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1............................  Electronic Information                  600                230              2,300
                                Disclosure Citation in
                                a Patent.
2............................  Information Disclosure                  600                 10                100
                                Citation in a Patent.
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
    Total....................  ........................  .................                240              2,400
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Cost Burden (Non-Hourly): $57.50. There are 
postage costs associated with information disclosure citations in a 
patent. Customers may incur postage costs when submitting the 
information in this collection to the USPTO by mail through the United 
States Postal Service. The USPTO estimates that the average postage 
cost for a mailed one-pound submission will be $5.75 and approximately 
10 submissions will be submitted to the USPTO requiring postage. The 
estimated postage cost for this collection will be $57.50.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Information collection                                           Total non-hour
             No.                      instrument           Responses (yr)    Postage fee ($)    cost burden (yr)
                                                                       (a)                (b)    (a) x (b) = (c)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1............................  Information Disclosure                   10              $5.75             $57.50
                                Citation in a Patent.
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
    Total....................  ........................                 10  .................              57.50
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Therefore, the USPTO estimates that the total annual (non-hour) 
cost burden for this collection, in the form of postage is $57.50 per 
year.

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, 
including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (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, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized or 
included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: March 13, 2015.
Marcie Lovett,
Records Management Division Director, USPTO, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-06459 Filed 3-19-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-16-P