[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 19 (Monday, January 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4036-4037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01610]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Public Search Facility User ID and Badging

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on a 
proposed extension of an existing information collection: 0651-0041 
(Public Search Facility User ID and Badging).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before March 30, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0041 comment in the subject line of the message.
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
     Mail: Marcie Lovett, Records and Information Governance 
Division Director, Office of the Chief Technology 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 Terry Howard, Manager, Public Search Facility, 
United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, 
VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-3258; or by email to 
[email protected]. 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. 41(i)(1) to maintain a Public Search Facility to make 
publically accessible USPTO patent and trademark collections for search 
and retrieval. The facility is located in a publicly accessible portion 
of USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, and offers access to the 
collection's paper and electronic files.Trained staff are available to 
assist users with searches. The USPTO also offers training courses to 
assist users with the advanced electronic search systems available at 
the facility.
    This collection covers information that individuals submit in 
application to establish a USPTO online access account. This 
application allows users to obtain, renew, or replace online access 
account cards which provide access to the electronic search system at 
the Public Search Facility. The public may apply for an online access 
account only at the Public Search Facility reference desk by providing 
the completed application (including contact information) and proper 
identification. The access account cards include a bar-coded user 
number and an expiration date. Users may renew their account card in 
person by validating and updating the required information and may 
obtain a replacement for a lost account card by providing proper 
identification. Users who wish to register for the voluntary training 
courses by do so by completing the appropriate form.
    This collection also covers information in applications to 
establish, renew, or replace security identification badges issued, 
under the authority provided in 41 CFR part 102-81, to members of the 
public who wish to access the Public Search Facility. Users may apply 
for a security badge in person at the USPTO Security Office by 
providing the completed application (including applicant and contact 
information) and presenting a valid form of identification with 
photograph. The security badges include a color photograph of the user 
and must be worn at all times while at the USPTO facilities.

II. Methods of Collection

    The applications for online access accounts and security 
identification badges are completed on site and handed to a USPTO staff 
member for issuance. User training registration forms may be mailed, 
faxed, emailed, or hand delivered to the USPTO.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-0041.
    IC Instruments and Forms: PTO-2030 and PTO-2224.
    Type of Review: Extension of a Previously Existing Information 
Collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other 
for-profits; and not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 6,250 responses per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
the public approximately 5 minutes (0.08 hours) to 10 minutes (0.17 
hours) to complete the information in this collection, depending on the 
application. This includes the time to gather the necessary 
information, prepare the appropriate form, and submit the completed 
request to the USPTO.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 500 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $145,750. The USPTO 
expects that both attorneys and paraprofessionals will complete the 
submissions. The USPTO estimates that one third of the applicants will 
be attorneys and the remaining two thirds will be paraprofessionals. 
The professional hourly rate for attorneys is $438 and the professional 
hourly rate for paraprofessionals is $145. The attorney rates is 
established by estimates in the 2017 Report on the Economic Survey, 
published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the 
American Intellectual Property Law Association. The paraprofessional 
rate is established by estimates in the 2016 National Utilization and 
Compensation Survey, published by the National Association of Legal 
Assistance (NALA). The estimated combined rate is $291.50. Using this 
hourly rate, the USTPO estimates that the total respondent cost burden 
for this collection is $145,750. per year.

[[Page 4037]]



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                            Annual cost
            IC #                       Item                Time for response (hours)         Responses     Burden hours        Rate           burden
                             ........................  (a)..............................             (b)     (c) = (a) x             (d)     (e) = (c) x
                                                                                                                     (b)                             (d)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1..........................  Application for Public    0.08 (5 minutes).................           1,250             100         $291.50      $29,150.00
                              User ID (Access Card).
2..........................  Renew Online Access Card  0.08 (5 minutes).................             500              40          291.50       11,600.00
3..........................  Replace Online Access     0.08 (5 minutes).................              50               4          291.50        1,166.00
                              Card.
4..........................  User Training             0.08 (5 minutes).................             150              12          291.50        3,498.00
                              Registration Forms.
5..........................  Security Identification   0.08 (5 minutes).................           1,000              80          291.50       23,320.00
                              Badges for Public Users.
6..........................  Renew Security            0.08 (5 minutes).................           3,200             256          291.50       74,624.00
                              Identification Badges
                              for Public Users.
7..........................  Replace Security          0.08 (5 minutes).................             100               8          291.50        2,332.00
                              Identification Badges.
                                                      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals.................  ........................  .................................           6,250             500  ..............      145,750.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Non-hour Respondent Cost Burden: $1,501.96. 
This collection has annual (non-hour) costs in the form of fees and 
postage costs.
    There are no application or renewal fees for online access cards or 
security identification badges. However, there is a $15 fee for issuing 
a replacement security identification badge. The USPTO estimates that 
it will reissue approximately 100 security badges annually that have 
been lost, stolen, or need to be replaced, for a total of $1,500.00 per 
year in replacement fees.
    Users may incur postage costs when submitting a user training 
registration form to the USPTO by mail. The USPTO expects that 
approximately 4 training forms received per year will be submitted by 
mail. The USPTO estimates that the average first-class postage cost for 
a mailed training form will be $0.49 for a total postage cost of $1.96 
per year for this collection.
    The total annual (non-hour) respondent cost burden for this 
collection in the forms of fees and postage costs is estimated to be 
$1,501.96 per year.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized or 
included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.
    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;
    (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, e.g., the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

Marcie Lovett,
Records and Information Governance Division Director, OCTO United 
States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2018-01610 Filed 1-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-16-P