[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 227 (Tuesday, November 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67927-67929]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25995]


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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; Patents for Humanity Program

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-
0066 (Patents for Humanity Program). 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 January 31, 2022.

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-
0066 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 Ms. Soma Saha, Patent Attorney, Office of Policy 
and International Affairs, United States Patent and Trademark Office, 
P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-9300; 
or by email to [email protected] with ``0651-0066 comment'' 
in the subject line. Additional information about this information 
collection is also available at http://www.reginfo.gov under 
``Information Collection Review.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Since 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 
has conducted the Patents for Humanity Program, an annual award program 
to incentivize the distribution of patented technologies or products 
for the purpose of addressing humanitarian needs. The program is open 
to any patent owners or patent licensees, including inventors who have 
not assigned their ownership rights to others, assignees, and exclusive 
or non-exclusive licenses. USPTO collects information from applicants 
that describe what actions they have taken with their patented 
technology to address the welfare of impoverished populations, or how 
they furthered research by others on technologies for humanitarian 
purposes. There are numerous categories of awards including: Medicine, 
Nutrition, Sanitation, Household Energy, and Living Standards. 
Sometimes the program includes additional categories specific for that 
year, for example COVID-19.
    This information collection covers two application forms for the 
Patents for Humanity Program. The first application covers the 
humanitarian uses of technologies or products, and the second 
application covers humanitarian research. In both, applicants are 
required to describe how their technology or product satisfies the 
program criteria to address humanitarian issues. Additionally, 
applicants must provide non-public contact information in order for 
USPTO to notify them about their award status. Applicants may 
optionally provide contact information for the public to reach them 
with any inquiries. Applications must be submitted via email and will 
be posted on USPTO's website. Qualified judges from outside USPTO will 
review and score the applications. USPTO will then forward the top-
scoring applications to reviewers from participating Federal agencies 
to recommend award recipients.
    Winners are invited to participate in an awards ceremony at USPTO. 
Those applications that are chosen for an award will receive a 
certificate redeemable to accelerate select matters before USPTO. The 
certificates can be redeemed to accelerate one of the following 
matters: An ex parte reexamination proceeding, including one appeal to 
the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) from that proceeding; a patent 
application, including one appeal to the PTAB from that application; or 
an appeal to the PTAB of a claim twice rejected in a patent application 
or reissue application or finally rejected in an ex parte 
reexamination, without accelerating the underlying matter which 
generated the appeal. This information collection also covers the 
information gathered in petitions to extend an acceleration certificate 
redemption beyond 12 months. Finally, winners are now able to transfer 
their certificates to third parties, including by sale, due to the 
January 2021 passage of the Patents for Humanity Program Improvement 
Act.

II. Method of Collection

    Electronically through the http://www.uspto.gov/patentsforhumanity 
website.

[[Page 67928]]

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0651-0066.
    Form Numbers:

 PTO/PFH/001 (Patents for Humanity Competition: Humanitarian 
Use Application)
 PTO/PFH/002 (Patents for Humanity Competition: Research Use 
Application)
 PTO/SB/431 (Patents for Humanity Competiton: Petition to 
Extend Redemption)

    Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Private sector; individuals or households; state, 
local, and tribal governments, and Federal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 115 respondents per year.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 115 responses per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: USPTO estimates that it will take the 
public approximately 30 minutes to 4 hours to complete the items 
associated with this program. These estimated times include gathering 
the necessary information, preparing the application and any 
supplemental materials, and submitting the completed documents to 
USPTO.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 428 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent (Hourly) Cost Burden: $124,976.

                                                     Table 1--Burden Hour/Burden Cost to Respondents
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                             Estimated
                                                  Estimated     Responses per     Estimated    Estimated time     Estimated     Rate \1\      annual
       Item No.                  Item              annual        respondent        annual       for response    burden (hour/   ($/hour)    respondent
                                                 respondents                      responses        (hours)          year)                   cost burden
                                                          (a)             (b)     (a) x (b) =             (d)     (c) x (d) =        (f)     (e) x (f) =
                                                                                          (c)                             (e)                        (g)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.....................  Humanitarian Program               50               1              50               4             200       $292         $58,400
                         Application
                         (Humanitarian Use)
                         (PTO/PFH/001)
                         (Private Sector
                         Respondents).
1.....................  Humanitarian Program               20               1              20               4              80        292          23,360
                         Application
                         (Humanitarian Use)
                         (PTO/PFH/001)
                         (Individuals or
                         Households
                         Respondents).
1.....................  Humanitarian Program               10               1              10               4              40        292          11,680
                         Application
                         (Humanitarian Use)
                         (PTO/PFH/001)
                         (State, Local, and
                         Tribal Governments
                         Respondents).
1.....................  Humanitarian Program                5               1               5               4              20        292           5,840
                         Application
                         (Humanitarian Use)
                         (PTO/PFH/001)
                         (Federal Government
                         Respondents).
2.....................  Humanitarian Program                5               1               5               4              20        292           5,840
                         Application
                         (Humanitarian
                         Research) (PTO/PFH/
                         002) (Private Sector
                         Respondents).
2.....................  Humanitarian Program                5               1               5               4              20        292           5,840
                         Application
                         (Humanitarian
                         Research) (PTO/PFH/
                         002) (Individuals or
                         Households
                         Respondents).
2.....................  Humanitarian Program                5               1               5               4              20        292           5,840
                         Application
                         (Humanitarian
                         Research) (PTO/PFH/
                         002) (State, Local,
                         and Tribal
                         Governments
                         Respondents).
2.....................  Humanitarian Program                5               1               5               4              20        292           5,840
                         Application
                         (Humanitarian
                         Research) (PTO/PFH/
                         002) (Federal
                         Government
                         Respondents).
3.....................  Petition to Extend                  2               1               2               1               2        292             584
                         the Redemption
                         Period of the
                         Humanitarian Awards
                         Certificate (PTO/SB/
                         431) (Private Sector
                         Respondents).
3.....................  Petition to Extend                  2               1               2               1               2        292             584
                         the Redemption
                         Period of the
                         Humanitarian Awards
                         Certificate (PTO/SB/
                         431) (Individuals or
                         Households
                         Respondents).
3.....................  Petition to Extend                  1               1               1               1               1        292             292
                         the Redemption
                         Period of the
                         Humanitarian Awards
                         Certificate (PTO/SB/
                         431) (State, Local,
                         and Tribal
                         Governments
                         Respondents).
3.....................  Petition to Extend                  1               1               1               1               1        292             292
                         the Redemption
                         Period of the
                         Humanitarian Awards
                         Certificate (PTO/SB/
                         431) (Federal
                         Government
                         Respondents).
4.....................  Transfer of Awards                  2               1               2           * 0.5               1        292             292
                         Certificate (Private
                         Sector Respondents).

[[Page 67929]]

 
4.....................  Transfer of Awards                  2               1               2           * 0.5               1        292             292
                         Certificate
                         (Individuals or
                         Households
                         Respondents).
                                              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Total...............             115  ..............             115  ..............             428  .........         124,976
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\1\ The USPTO uses the combined rates for intellectual property attorneys and paralegas which is $292. 2021 (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/news/2021/09/22/the-2021-report-of-the-economic-survey-is-here, pg. F-27. The USPTO uses the average billing rate for intellectual property attorneys in private
  firms which is $435 per hour. 2020 Utilization and Compensation Survey by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA); https://nala.org/paralegal-info/, pg 10. The USPTO uses the average billing rate per hour which is $149.).
* 30 minutes.

    Estimated Total Annual Respondent (Non-hourly) Cost Burden: $0. 
There are no capital startup costs, filing fees, recordkeeping costs, 
maintance costs, or postage costs associated with this information 
collection.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

Request for Comments

    The USPTO is soliciting public comments to:
    (a) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including 
whether the information shall have practical utility;
    (b) Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of 
the 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 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, telephone number, email address, or other personal 
identifying information (PII) in a comment, be aware that the entire 
comment--including PII--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you may ask in your comment to withhold PII 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. 2021-25995 Filed 11-29-21; 8:45 am]
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