[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 12, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27151-27152]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11417]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Patent and Trademark Office


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; ``Rules for Patent 
Maintenance Fees''

    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, Commerce.
    Title: Rules for Patent Maintenance Fees.
    OMB Control Number: 0651-0016.
    Form Number(s):

 PTO/SB/45
 PTO/SB/47
 PTO/SB/66

    Type of Request: Regular.
    Number of Respondents: 525,309.
    Average Hours per Response: The estimated response time for an 
average response to a single collection in this information collection 
totals 0.039 hours, with response times ranging from 0.0056 hours (20 
seconds) to 8 hours, depending on the instrument(s) used.
    Burden Hours: 18,123.42.
    Cost Burden: $3,801.42.
    Needs and Uses: This information collection is necessary so that 
patent owners can maintain a utility patent in force and to ensure that 
the USPTO can properly credit maintenance fee payments. The USPTO 
offers forms to assist the public with providing the information 
covered by this collection, including maintenance fee payments, 
petitions to accept delayed maintenance fee payments, and fee address 
changes.
    The public uses the Maintenance Fee Transmittal Form (PTO/SB/45) to 
determine and pay the correct amount due for a maintenance fee 
transaction. Customers may submit maintenance fees and six-month grace 
period surcharges paid before patent expiration electronically over the 
Internet using the USPTO's Office of Finance Online Shopping Page 
(hereinafter, the ``Electronic Maintenance Fee Form'') provided through 
the USPTO Web site. To pay a maintenance fee after patent expiration, 
customers must submit the maintenance fee payment and the appropriate 
delayed payment surcharge together with a Petition to Accept 
Unintentionally Delayed Payment (PTO/SB/66). A petition to accept 
delayed payment of a maintenance fee under the unintentional standard 
may be filed online. To designate or change a fee address, the customer 
must submit a Fee Address Indication Form (PTO/SB/47).
    This proposed collection of information results in information 
collected, maintained, and used consistent with all applicable OMB and 
USPTO Information Quality Guidelines. This includes the basic 
information quality standards established in the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35) (PRA), in OMB Circular A-130, and in the OMB 
information quality guidelines. (See Ref. A, the USPTO Information 
Quality Guidelines.)
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits.

[[Page 27152]]

    OMB Desk Officer: Nicholas A. Fraser, email: 
[email protected].
    Once submitted, the request will be publicly available in 
electronic format through reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view 
Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
    Further information can be obtained by:
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0016 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 June 11, 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: May 4, 2015.
Marcie Lovett,
Records Management Division Director, USPTO, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-11417 Filed 5-11-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-16-P