[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 176 (Monday, September 12, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62739-62740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-21790]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Docket 2016-0053; Sequence 16; OMB Control No. 9000-0095]


Submission for OMB Review; Commerce Patent Regulations

AGENCY: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration 
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of request for comments regarding the extension of a 
previously existing OMB clearance.

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

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the 
Regulatory Secretariat Division will be submitting to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an 
extension of a previously approved information collection requirement 
concerning Department of Commerce patent regulations. A notice was 
published in the Federal Register at 81 FR 24103 on April 25, 2016. No 
comments were received.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 12, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments regarding this burden estimate or any other 
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for 
reducing this burden to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs 
of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for GSA, Room 10236, NEOB, Washington, 
DC 20503. Additionally submit a copy to GSA by any of the following 
methods:
     Regulations.gov: http://www.regulations.gov. Submit 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by searching the OMB 
control number. Select the link ``Submit a Comment'' that corresponds 
with ``Information Collection 9000-0095, Commerce Patent Regulations''. 
Follow the instructions provided at the ``Submit a Comment'' screen. 
Please include your name, company name (if any), and ``Information 
Collection 9000-0095, Commerce Patent Regulations'' on your attached 
document.
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1800 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20405. 
ATTN: Ms. Flowers/IC 9000-0095, Commerce Patent Regulations.
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Information 
Collection 9000-0095, Commerce Patent Regulations, in all 
correspondence related to this collection. Comments received generally 
will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including 
any personal and/or business confidential information provided. To 
confirm receipt of your comment(s), please check www.regulations.gov, 
approximately two to three days after submission to verify posting 
(except allow 30 days for posting of comments submitted by mail).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Zenaida Delgado, Procurement 
Analyst, Office of Governmentwide Acquisition Policy, GSA, 202-969-7207 
or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

    FAR subpart 27.3, Patents Rights under Government Contracts, 
implements the Department of Commerce regulation (37 CFR 401) based on 
chapter 18 of title 35 U.S.C., Presidential Memorandum on Government 
Patent Policy to the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, dated 
February 18, 1983, and Executive Order 12591, Facilitating Access to 
Science and Technology, dated April 10, 1987. Under the subpart, a 
contracting officer may insert clauses 52.227-11, Patent Rights-
Ownership by the Contractor, or 52.227-13, Patent Rights-Ownership by 
the Government, in solicitations and contracts pertaining to inventions 
made in the performance of experimental, developmental, or research 
work.
    In accordance with the clauses, a Government contractor must report 
all subject inventions to the contracting officer, submit a disclosure 
of the invention, and identify any publication, or sale, or public use 
of the invention (52.227-11(c), 52.227-13(e)(1)). The contracting 
officer may modify 52.227-11(e) or otherwise supplement the clause to 
require contractors to submit periodic or interim and final reports 
listing subject inventions (27.303(b)(2)(i) and (ii)). In order to 
ensure that subject inventions are reported, the contractor is required 
to establish and maintain effective procedures for identifying and 
disclosing subject inventions (52.227-11, Alternate IV; 52.227-
13(e)(1)). In addition, the contractor must require his employees, by 
written agreements, to disclose subject inventions (52.227-11(e)(2); 
52.227-13(e)(4)). The contractor also has an obligation to utilize the 
subject invention, and agree to report, upon request, the utilization 
or efforts to utilize the subject invention (27.302(e); 52.227-11(f)).

B. Annual Reporting Burden

    Respondents: 3759.
    Responses per Respondent: 3.8.
    Total Responses: 14,338.
    Hours per Response: 4.0.
    Total Burden Hours: 57,352.

C. Public Comments

    Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; 
whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of 
information is accurate, and based on

[[Page 62740]]

valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in 
which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

OBTAINING COPIES OF PROPOSALS: Requesters may obtain a copy of the 
information collection documents from the General Services 
Administration (GSA), Regulatory Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1800 F 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20405, telephone 202-501-4755. Please cite 
OMB Control No. 9000-0095, Commerce Patent Regulations, in all 
correspondence.

    Dated: September 6, 2016.
Lorin S. Curit,
Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division, Office of Governmentwide 
Acquisition Policy, Office of Acquisition Policy, Office of 
Governmentwide Policy.
[FR Doc. 2016-21790 Filed 9-9-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-EP-P