[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 14, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71045-71047]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26960]
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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; International Work Sharing 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-
0079 (International Work Sharing 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 February 14, 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-
0079 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: Request for additional information
should be directed to Michael Arguello, International Worksharing
Planning and Implementation, United States Patent and Trademark Office,
P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-270-7876;
or by email at [email protected] with ``0651-0079 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
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) established a
Work Sharing Pilot Program in
[[Page 71046]]
conjunction with the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the Korean
Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) to study how the exchange of search
results between offices for corresponding counterpart applications
improves patent quality and facilitates the examination of patent
applications in both offices. Under this Work Sharing Pilot Program,
two Collaborative Search Pilot (CSP) programs--USPTO-JPO and USPTO-
KIPO--have been implemented. Through their respective CSP(s), each
office concurrently conducts searches on corresponding counterpart
applications. Each office's search results are exchanged following
these concurrent searches, which provides examiners with a
comprehensive set of art before them at the commencement of
examination.
Work sharing between Intellectual Property (IP) offices is critical
for increasing the efficiency and quality of patent examination
worldwide. The exchange of information and documents between IP offices
also benefits applicants by promoting compact prosecution, reducing
pendency, and supporting patent quality by reducing the likelihood of
inconsistencies in patentability determinations among IP offices when
considering corresponding counterpart applications. The gains in
efficiency and quality are achieved through a collaborative work
sharing approach to the evaluation of patent claims. As a result of
this exchange of search reports, the examiners in both offices may have
a more comprehensive set of references before them when making an
initial patentability determination.
This information collection is necessary so that applicants that
file applications in the USPTO, JPO, and KIPO may participate in the
Work Sharing Pilot Program. The Program enables its participants to
engage in the exchange of IP documents between the said countries to
facilitate efficient worldwide patent examinations. This information
collection is comprised of three items: The Petition for Participation
in the CSP Program Between the JPO and the USPTO; the Petition for
Participation in the CSP Program Between the KIPO and the USPTO; and
the CSP Survey. The Petitions for Participation are used by patent
applicants to request participation in the CSP Program. The CSP Survey
is used to collect feedback on the program's value, monitor usage of
the program, and to measure the benefits the program provides to
participants.
II. Method of Collection
The forms associated with this information collection may be
downloaded from the USPTO website in Portable Document Format (PDF) and
filled out electronically. Requests to participate in the International
Work Sharing Program must be submitted online using EFS-Web, the
USPTO's web-based electronic filing system.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0651-0079.
Forms: (SB = Specimen Book).
PTO/SB/437 (Petition to Make Special Under the Expanded
Collaborative Search Pilot Program).
PTO/SB/438 (Collaborative Search Pilot Program Survey).
Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Affected Public: Private sector; individuals or households.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 300 respondents.
Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 300 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses
in this information collection will take the public approximately
between 5 minutes (0.08 hours) and 3 hours to complete. This includes
the time to gather the necessary information, create the document, and
submit the completed request to the USPTO.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 462 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden: $200,970.
Table 1--Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to Private Sector Respondents
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Estimated Estimated Estimated annual
Item No. Item annual responses per Estimated annual Estimated time for Estimated burden Rate\1\ ($/ respondent cost
respondents respondent responses response (hour) (hour/year) hour) burden
(a) (b) (a) x (b) = (c) (d)................... (c) x (d) = (e) (f) (e) x (f) = (g)
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1........ Petition for 37 1 37 3..................... 111 $435 $48,285
Participation
in the
Collaborative
Search Pilot
(CSP) Program
Between the
Japan Patent
Office (JPO)
and the USPTO.
2........ Petition for 75 1 75 3..................... 225 435 97,875
Participation
in the
Collaborative
Search Pilot
(CSP) Program
Between the
Korean
Intellectual
Property Office
(KPO) and the
USPTO.
3........ CSP Survey...... 112 1 112 0.08.................. 9 435 3,915
(5 minutes)...........
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Totals....... 224 .............. 224 ...................... 345 .......... 150,075
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\1\ 2021 Report of the Economic Survey, published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American Intellectual Property Law Association
(AIPLA); pg. F-27. The USPTO uses the average billing rate for intellectual property attorneys in private firms which is $435 per hour.
[[Page 71047]]
Table 2--Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to Private Sector Respondents
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Estimated Estimated Estimated annual
Item No. Item annual responses per Estimated annual Estimated time for Estimated burden Rate \2\ respondent cost
respondents respondent responses response (hour) (hour/year) ($/hour) burden
(a) (b) (a) x (b) = (c) (d)................... (c) x (d) = (e) (f) (e) x (f) = (g)
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1........ Petition for 13 1 13 3..................... 39 $435 $16,965
Participation
in the
Collaborative
Search Pilot
(CSP) Program
Between the
Japan Patent
Office (JPO)
and the USPTO.
2........ Petition for 25 1 25 3..................... 75 435 32,625
Participation
in the
Collaborative
Search Pilot
(CSP) Program
Between the
Korean
Intellectual
Property Office
(KPO) and the
USPTO.
3........ CSP Survey...... 38 1 38 0.08.................. 3 435 1,305
(5 minutes)...........
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Totals....... 76 .............. 76 ...................... 117 .......... $50,895
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\2\ Ibid.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-hourly Cost Burden: $0. There
are no capital start-up, maintenance costs, recordkeeping costs, filing
fees, or postage costs associated with this information collection.
IV. 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 will 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 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 personally
identifiable 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 Adminstrative
Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2021-26960 Filed 12-13-21; 8:45 am]
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