[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 196 (Friday, October 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61175-61176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25828]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Patent and Trademark Office


International Work Sharing

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 comment on the 
extension of a continuing information 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 December 8, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0079 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
     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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Amber Ostrup, Program Manager, United States 
Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; 
by telephone at 571-272-7984; or by email

[[Page 61176]]

at [email protected] with ``0651-0079 comment'' 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) established a 
Work Sharing Pilot Program in conjunction with the Japan Patent Office 
(JPO) and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) to study how 
the exchange of search results between offices for corresponding 
counterpart applications improves patent quality and facilitates the 
examination of patent applications in both offices. Under this Work 
Sharing Pilot Program, two Collaborative Search Pilot (CSP) programs--
USPTO-JPO and USPTO-KIPO--have been implemented. Through their 
respective CSP(s), each office concurrently conducts searches on 
corresponding counterpart applications. Each office's search results 
are exchanged following these concurrent searches, which provides 
examiners with a comprehensive set of art before them at commencement 
of examination.
    Work sharing between Intellectual Property (IP) offices is critical 
for increasing the efficiency and quality of patent examination 
worldwide. The exchange of information and documents between IP offices 
also benefits applicants by promoting compact prosecution, reducing 
pendency, and supporting patent quality by reducing the likelihood of 
inconsistencies in patentability determinations among IP offices when 
considering corresponding counterpart applications. The gains in 
efficiency and quality are achieved through a collaborative work 
sharing approach to the evaluation of patent claims. As a result of 
this exchange of search reports, the examiners in both offices may have 
a more comprehensive set of references before them when making an 
initial patentability determination.

II. Method of Collection

    The forms associated with this collection may be downloaded from 
the USPTO Web site in Portable Document Format (PDF) and filled out 
electronically. Requests to participate in the International Work 
Sharing Program must be submitted online using EFS-Web, the USPTO's 
web-based electronic filing system.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-0079.
    IC Instruments: The individual instruments in this collection, as 
well as their associated forms, are listed in the table below.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently previously existing 
Information Collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other 
for-profits; and not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 900 responses per year. The USPTO 
estimates that 100 percent of the annual responses for this collection 
will be submitted electronically via EFS-Web, which customers may 
access through the USPTO Web site.
    Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
the public approximately between 5 minutes (.083 hours) and 3 hours to 
complete the information in this collection, including the time to 
gather the necessary information, prepare the forms or documents, and 
submit the completed request to the USPTO.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 1,533.33 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent (Hourly) Cost Burden: 
$628,530.00. The USPTO expects that an attorney will complete the 
instruments associated with this information collection. The 
professional hourly rate for an attorney is $410. Using this hourly 
rate applied to the total annual hour burden estimation of 1,533.33 
hours, the USPTO estimates $628,530.00 per year for the total hourly 
costs associated with respondents.
    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.

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                                                Estimated time     Estimated
         IC No.               Information        for responses      annual      Estimated annual   Rate  ($/hr)
                         collection instrument     (minutes)       responses      burden hours
                                                           (a)             (b)    (a) x (b)/60 =             (d)
                                                                                             (c)
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1......................  Petition for                      180             250               750         $410.00
                          Participation in the
                          Collaborative Search
                          Pilot (CSP) Program
                          Between the Japan
                          Patent Office (JPO)
                          and the USPTO (PTO/
                          SB/437JP).
2......................  Petition for                      180             250               750          410.00
                          Participation in the
                          Collaborative Search
                          Pilot (CSP) Program
                          Between the Korean
                          Intellectual
                          Property Office
                          (KIPO) and the USPTO
                          (PTO/SB/437KR).
3......................  CSP Survey (PTO/SB/                 5             400             33.33          410.00
                          CSP Survey 1).
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    Total..............  .....................  ..............  ..............               900        1,533.33
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    Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) Respondent Cost Burden: $0. There 
are no estimated filing fees or postage costs for this collection.

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: October 2, 2015.
Marcie Lovett,
Records Management Division Director, USPTO, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-25828 Filed 10-8-15; 8:45 am]
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