[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 129 (Thursday, July 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31379-31381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14385]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
Patent Reexaminations and Supplemental Examinations
ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.
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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: 0651-0064
(Patent Reexaminations and Supplemental Examinations).
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before September 4,
2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0064 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Mail: Marcie Lovett, Director, Records and Information
Governance Division, 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 Raul Tamayo, Senior Legal Advisor, Office of the
Patent Legal Administration, United States Patent and Trademark Office,
P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-7728;
or by email to [email protected] with ``0651-0064 comment'' in the
subject line. Additional information about this collection is also
available at http://www.reginfor.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 and 151 to examine applications and, when appropriate,
allow applications and issue them as patents. Chapter 30 of Title 35
U.S.C. provides that any person at any time may file a request for
reexamination by the USPTO of any claim of a patent on the basis of
prior art patents or printed publications. Once initiated, the
reexamination proceedings under Chapter 30 are substantially ex parte
and do not permit input from third parties. The rules outlining ex
parte reexaminations are found at 37 CFR 1.510-1.570.
35 U.S.C. 257 permits a patent owner to request supplemental
examination of a patent by the USPTO to consider, reconsider, or
correct information believed to be relevant to the patent. The rules
outlining supplemental examination are found at 37 CFR 1.601-1.625.
The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act terminated inter partes
reexamination effective September 16, 2012. However, inter partes
reexamination proceedings based on inter partes reexamination requests
filed before September 16, 2012, continue to be prosecuted. Therefore,
this collection continues to include items related to the prosecution
of inter partes reexamination proceedings. The rules outlining inter
partes reexamination are found at 37 CFR 1.903-1.931.
Thus, the items included in this collection cover: (1) Requests for
ex parte reexamination, (2) requests for supplemental examination, and
(3) information that may be submitted by patent owners and third-party
requesters in relation to the prosecution of an ex parte or inter
partes reexamination proceeding. The transmittal forms are used by a
requester (patent owner or third party) as a checklist to ensure
compliance with the requirements of the statutes and rules for ex parte
reexaminations and supplemental examinations. The public uses this
information collection to request ex parte reexamination and
supplemental examination, to prosecute reexamination proceedings, and
to ensure that the associated documentation is submitted to the USPTO.
II. Method of Collection
By mail, facsimile, hand delivery, or electronically to the USPTO.
[[Page 31380]]
III. Data
OMB Number: 0651-0064.
IC Instruments and Forms: PTO/SB/57 and PTO/SB/59.
Type of Review: Renewal of an existing collection.
Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other
for-profits; and not-for-profit institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,540 responses per year.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take
the public approximately between 18 minutes (0.30 hours) to 55 hours to
gather the necessary information, prepare the appropriate form or other
document, and submit the information to the USPTO.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 32,962.50 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent (Hourly) Cost Burden:
$14,437,575.00 per year. The USPTO expects that the information in this
collection will be prepared by intellectual property attorneys. The
professional hourly rate for intellectual property attorneys in private
firms is $438, as estimated in the 2017 Report on the Economic Survey,
published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the
American Intellectual Property Law Association. Using this hourly rate,
the USPTO estimates that the total respondent cost burden for this
collection is $14,437,575.00.
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Estimated
IC No. Item Estimated time for response (hours) Estimated burden Rate Total cost
respondents hours
............................ (a).................................... (b) (c) (d) (e)
(a) x (b) (c) x (d)
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1........................ Request for Supplemental 0.30 (18 minutes)...................... 75 22.50 $438.00 $9,855.00
Examination Transmittal
Form.
2........................ Request for Supplemental 25..................................... 75 1,875.00 438.00 821,250.00
Examination.
3........................ Request for Ex Parte 0.30 (18 minutes)...................... 200 60.00 438.00 26,280.00
Reexamination Transmittal
Form.
4........................ Request for Ex Parte 55..................................... 200 11,000.00 438.00 4,818,000.00
Reexamination.
5........................ Petition in a Reexamination 23..................................... 200 4,600.00 438.00 2,014,800.00
Proceeding (except for
those specifically
enumerated in 37 CFR
1.550(i) and 1.937(d)).
6........................ Patent Owner's 37 CFR 1.530 8...................................... 85 680.00 438.00 297,840.00
Statement.
7........................ Third Party Requester's 37 8...................................... 25 200.00 438.00 84,600.00
CFR 1.535 Reply.
8........................ Amendment in Ex Parte or 33..................................... 310 10,230.00 438.00 4,480,740.00
Inter Partes Reexamination.
9........................ Third Party Requester's 37 41..................................... 5 205.00 438.00 89,790.00
CFR 1.947 Comments in Inter
Partes Reexamination.
10....................... Response to Final Rejection 17..................................... 200 3,400.00 438.00 1,489,200.00
in Ex Parte Reexamination.
11....................... Patent Owner's 37 CFR 1.951 41..................................... 10 410,00 438.00 179,580.00
Resposne in Inter Partes
Reexamination.
12....................... Third Party Requester's 37 41..................................... 5 205.00 438.00 89,790.00
CFR 1.951 Comments in Inter
Partes Reexamination.
13....................... Petition to Request 0.50 (30 minutes)...................... 150 75.00 438.00 32,520.00
Extension of Time in Ex
Parte or Inter Partes
Reexamination.
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Total................ ............................ ....................................... 1,540 32,962.50 ........... 14,437,575.00
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Estimated Total Annual Respondent (Non-Hourly) Cost Burden:
$2,750,186.50 per year. There are no capital start-up, recordkeeping,
or maintenance costs associated with this collection. However, the
collection does have annual (non-hour) costs in the form of postage
costs and filing fees.
Postage Costs
The USPTO expects that most of the responses in this collection
will be submitted electronically. However, it is estimated that roughly
18 mailed submissions will be submitted for Petitions to Request
Extension of Time. In addition, the documentation for requests for
supplemental examination and requests for ex parte reexamination will
typically be mailed to the USPTO with the appropriate transmittal form,
resulting in 550 unique mailings. The USPTO estimates that the average
postage cost for a mailed submission will be $0.50 for Petitions to
Request Extension of Time and $5.75 for all other mailed submissions.
Therefore, the USPTO estimates that the total postage costs is
approximately $3,171.50 per year.
Filing Fees
There are nine filing fees associated with this collection, which
are broken down by large entity, small entity, and micro entity. These
fees are listed in the table below:
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Estimated
IC No. Item annual Filing fee Total cost
responses
................................... (a) (b) (c)
(a) x (b)
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2.......................... Supplemental Examination Request 55 $4,400.00 $242,000.00
(large entity).
2.......................... Supplemental Examination Request 15 2,200.00 33,000.00
(small entity).
2.......................... Supplemental Examination Request 5 1,100.00 5,500.00
(micro entity).
2.......................... Supplemental Examination 35 12,100.00 423,500.00
Reexamination (large entity).
2.......................... Supplemental Examination 10 6,050.00 60,500.00
Reexamination (small entity).
2.......................... Supplemental Examination 1 3,025.00 3,025.00
Reexamination (micro entity).
2.......................... Supplemental Examination document 10 180.00 1,800.00
size fees, 21-50 documents (large
entity).
2.......................... Supplemental Examination document 5 90.00 450.00
size fees, 21-50 documents (small
entity).
2.......................... Supplemental Examination document 1 45.00 45.00
size fees, 21-50 documents (micro
entity).
2.......................... Supplemental examination document 10 280.00 2,800.00
size fees, each additional 50
documents (large entity).
2.......................... Supplemental examination document 1 140.00 140.00
size fees, each additional 50
documents (small entity).
[[Page 31381]]
2.......................... Supplemental examination document 1 70.00 70.00
size fees, each additional 50
documents (micro entity).
2.......................... Reexamination independent claims in 35 460.00 16,100.00
excess of three and also in excess
of the number of such claims in
the patent under reexamination
(large entity).
2.......................... Reexamination independent claims in 10 230.00 2,300.00
excess of three and also in excess
of the number of such claims in
the patent under reexamination
(small entity).
2.......................... Reexamination independent claims in 5 115.00 575.00
excess of three and also in excess
of the number of such claims in
the patent under reexamination
(micro entity).
2.......................... Reexamination claims in excess of 55 100.00 5,500.00
20 and also in excess of the
number of claims in the patent
under reexamination (large entity).
2.......................... Reexamination claims in excess of 20 50.00 1,000.00
20 and also in excess of the
number of claims in the patent
under reexamination (small entity).
2.......................... Reexamination claims in excess of 5 25.00 125.00
20 and also in excess of the
number of claims in the patent
under reexamination (micro entity).
4.......................... Ex Parte Reexamination (Sec. 42 6,000.00 252,000.00
1.510(a)) Streamlined (large
entity).
4.......................... Ex Parte Reexamination (Sec. 27 3,000.00 81,000.00
1.510(a)) Streamlined (small
entity).
4.......................... Ex Parte Reexamination (Sec. 1 1,500.00 1,500.00
1.510(a)) Streamlined (micro
entity).
4.......................... Ex Parte Reexamination (Sec. 78 12,000.00 936.00
1.510(a)) Non-Streamlined (large
entity).
4.......................... Ex Parte Reexamination (Sec. 51 6,000.00 306,000.00
1.510(a)) Non-Streamlined (small
entity).
4.......................... Ex Parte Reexamination (Sec. 1 3,000.00 3,000.00
1.510(a)) Non-Streamlined (micro
entity).
5.......................... Petitions in a reexamination 180 1,940.00 349,200.00
proceeding, except for those
specifically enumerated in 37 CFR
1.550(i) and 1.937(d) (large
entity).
5.......................... Petitions in a reexamination 20 970.00 19,400.00
proceeding, except for those
specifically enumerated in 37 CFR
1.550(i) and 1.937(d) (small
entity).
5.......................... Petitions in a reexamination 1 485.00 485.00
proceeding, except for those
specifically enumerated in 37 CFR
1.550(i) and 1.937(d) (micro
entity).
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Total.................. ................................... 680 .............. 2,747,015.00
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Therefore, the USPTO estimates that the total annual (non-hour)
cost burden for this collection, in the form of postage costs
($3,171.5) and filing fees ($2,747,015), is $2,750,186.50 per year.
IV. Request for Comment
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,
Director, Records and Information Governance Division, OCTO, United
States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2018-14385 Filed 7-3-18; 8:45 am]
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