[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 76 (Thursday, April 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21305-21306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08326]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States Patent and Trademark Office


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Generic 
Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service 
Delivery

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-
0080 (Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on 
Agency Service Delivery). 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 21, 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-
0080 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 Kimberly Hardy, Office of the Chief 
Administrative Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. 
Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-270-0968; or 
by email to informationcollection @uspto.gov with ``0651-0080 comment'' 
in the subject line. Additional information about this information 
collection can be found at http://www.reginfo.gov under ``Information 
Collection Review.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

[[Page 21306]]

I. Abstract

    Executive Order 12862 (http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/pdf/12862.pdf) directs Federal agencies to provide 
services to the public that matches or exceeds the best services 
available in the private sector. In order to work continuously to 
ensure that its programs are effective and meet its customers' needs, 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office (hereafter ``USPTO'' or 
``the Agency'') proposes the following generic clearance to collect 
qualitative feedback on its service delivery. Qualitative feedback 
refers to information that provides useful insights on perceptions and 
opinions, but is not in the form of statistical surveys which yield 
quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of 
study.
    The Agency will collect, analyze, and interpret information 
gathered to identify strengths and weaknesses of current services. 
Based on feedback received, the Agency will identify operational 
changes needed to improve programs and services. The solicitation of 
feedback will target areas such as: Timeliness, appropriateness, 
accuracy of information, courtesy, efficiency of service delivery, and 
resolution of issues with service delivery.
    Collecting feedback will allow for the Agency to have a pulse on 
customer satisfaction. This feedback will provide for ongoing, 
collaborative, and actionable communication between the Agency and its 
customers and stakeholders and allow it to gather feedback in an 
efficient and timely manner. The information collected from Agency 
customers and stakeholders will help ensure users have an opportunity 
to convey their experience with USPTO programs. This information 
collection will also provide insights into customer or stakeholder 
perceptions, experiences, and expectations, which will allow the Agency 
to focus its attention on areas where communication, training, or 
changes in operations may be necessary.
    This information collection covers a variety of methods used by 
USPTO to obtain qualitative feedback from the public. The estimated 
number of annual responses and burden hours being requested are based 
on the number of information collections we expect to conduct over the 
period of this clearance. Each specific request for clearance under 
this generic information collection will detail estimates for the 
following information: Respondent types, number of respondents, number 
of responses, time per response, burden hours, and associated costs.

II. Method of Collection

    The methods of collection include, but are not limited to, in-
person surveys, telephone interviews, questionnaires, mail and email 
survey, web-based products, focus groups, and comment cards.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-0080.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Private Sector; Individuals or Households; State, 
Local or Tribal governments; Federal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 90,000 respondents.
    Estimated Time per Response: Varied, dependent upon the data 
collection method used. The average response time will be 10 minutes 
per response.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 15,000 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent (Hourly) Cost Burden: $2,989,650.
    The estimated annual respondent costs are based on the number of 
estimated hours for the information collections we expect to conduct 
over the requested period of this clearance. The total hourly cost 
burden ($199.31) is determined by using a combined rate of attorney, 
paralegal, and pro se wages. The USPTO uses the mean rate for attorneys 
in private firms, estimated at $400 per hour, from data published in 
the 2019 Report of the Economic Survey from the American Intellectual 
Property Law Association (AIPLA).\1\ The hourly rate for paralegals is 
estimated at $145 from data published in the 2018 Utilization and 
Compensation Survey by the National Association of Legal Assistants 
(NALA).\2\ The pro se wage rate uses the mean hourly wage ($52.93) for 
physical scientists according to the data from the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics' Occupational Employment Statistics program (occupational 
code 19-2099) \3\.
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    \1\ https://www.aipla.org/detail/journal-issue/2019-report-of-the-economic-survey.
    \2\ https://www.nala.org/paralegals/research-and-survey-findings.
    \3\ https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes192099.htm.
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    Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) Respondent Cost Burden: $0. There 
are no capital start-up, maintenance, postage, recordkeeping costs, or 
any other fees associated with this information collection.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

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. 2021-08326 Filed 4-21-21; 8:45 am]
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