[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 72 (Friday, April 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20126-20127]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07851]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Patent and Trademark Office


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Public Search Facility User ID and Badging

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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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 
the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651-
0041 (Public Search Facility User ID and Badging). The purpose of this 
notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of 
the information collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this information 
collection must be received on or before June 15, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
any of the following methods. Do not submit Confidential Business 
Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information:
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0041 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
     Mail: Kimberly Hardy, Office of the Chief Administrative 
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 information 
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 Public Search Facility is located in a publicly 
accessible portion of USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, and 
offers the public access to the collection's paper, microfilm, and 
electronic files and trained staff 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 information collection covers information collected in 
applications required for those members of the public who wish to use 
the electronic search systems at the Public Search Facility to 
establish a USPTO online access account, and to obtain, renew, or 
replace online access accounts. The public may apply for an online 
access account at the Public Search Facility reference desk by 
providing the necessary information and proper identification. The 
access account includes a bar-coded user number and an expiration date. 
Users may renew their account by validating and updating the required 
information and may obtain a replacement for a lost account information 
by providing proper identification. Users who wish to register for the 
voluntary training courses may do so by completing the appropriate 
form.
    This information 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 necessary 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

    Items in this information collection must be submitted in-person; 
including the security badges and account requests. Requests for 
training may be submitted in-person, online, or through the mail.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-0041.
    Form Number(s):

 PTO-2030 (Application for Public User ID)
 PTO-2224 (Security Identification Badges for Public Users)

    Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved 
information collection.

[[Page 20127]]

    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,525 respondents per year.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 5,925 responses per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
the public approximately 5 minutes (0.08 hours) to complete the 
information in this information collection, depending on the form. This 
includes the time to gather the necessary information, prepare the 
appropriate form, and submit the completed item to the USPTO.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 474 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $145,912.

                                         Table 1--Total Hourly Burden for Individuals and Households Respondents
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                                                              Estimated
                                        Estimated annual       annual       Estimated time  for response     Estimated      Rate 1  ($/      Estimated
    Item No.              Item             respondents        responses                (hour)              annual burden       hour)      annual  burden
                                                               (year)                                       (hour/year)
                  ...................  ..................             (a)  (b)..........................     (a) x (b) =             (d)     (c) x (d) =
                                                                                                                     (c)                             (e)
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1...............  Application for      1,050.............           1,050  0.08 (5 minutes).............              84            $400         $33,600
                   Public User ID
                   (Access Account).
2...............  Renew Online Access  Same as 6.........             400  0.08 (5 minutes).............              32             400          12,800
                   Replace.
3...............  Replace Online       75................              75  0.08 (5 minutes).............               6             400           2,400
                   Access Replace.
4...............  User Training        100...............             100  0.08 (5 minutes).............               8             400           3,200
                   Registration.
5...............  Security             1,000.............           1,000  0.08 (5 minutes).............              80             273          21,840
                   Identification
                   Badges for Public
                   Users.
6...............  Renew Security       3,200.............           3,200  0.08 (5 minutes).............             256             273          69,888
                   Identification
                   Badges for Public
                   Users.
7...............  Replace Security     100...............             100  0.08 (5 minutes).............               8             273           2,184
                   Identification
                   Badges.
                                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     Totals..........  5,525.............           5,925  .............................             474  ..............         145,912
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\1\ 2019 Report of the Economic Survey, published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American Intellectual Property Law Association
  (AIPLA); https://www.aipla.org/detail/journal-issue/2019-report-of-the-economic-survey. The USPTO uses the mean rate for attorneys in private firms
  which is $400 per hour. The hourly rate for paraprofessional/paralegals is estimated at $145 from data published in the 2018 Utilization and
  Compensation Survey by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). A combined rate is used for the security badges items.

    Estimated Total Annual Non-hour Respondent Cost Burden: $1,503. The 
total annual (non-hour) respondent cost burden for this information 
collection in the forms of fees and postage costs is estimated to be 
$1,503 per year.
    There are no application or renewal fees for online access accounts 
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 per year in replacement fees.
    Users may incur postage costs when submitting a user training 
registration form to the USPTO by mail; approximately 5 per year. The 
USPTO estimates that the average first-class postage cost for a mailed 
training form will be $0.55 per year for this information collection 
resulting to total postage costs of $3.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

IV. Request for Comments

    The USPTO is soliciting public comments to:
    (a) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (b) Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (d) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    All comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. USPTO will include or summarize each comment in the 
request to OMB to approve this information collection. Before including 
an address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying 
information in a comment, be aware that the entire comment-- including 
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any 
time. While you may ask in your comment to withhold personal 
identifying information from public view, USPTO cannot guarantee that 
it will be able to do so.

Kimberly Hardy,
Information Collections Officer, Office of the Chief Administrative 
Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2021-07851 Filed 4-15-21; 8:45 am]
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