[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 62 (Thursday, March 31, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18769-18771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06765]
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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; Invention Promoters/Promotion Firms Complaints
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-
0044 (Invention Promoters/Promotion Firms Complaints). 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 May 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-
0044 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 Toni Krasnic, Office of Patents Stakeholder
Experience, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450,
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-7182; or by email at
[email protected] with ``0651-0044 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
Pursuant to the Inventors' Rights Act of 1999, 35 U.S.C. 297, and
implementing regulations at 37 CFR part 4, the United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO) is required to provide a forum for the
publication of complaints concerning invention promoters and responses
from the invention promoters. Upon receipt of a complaint, the USPTO
will forward it to the inventor promoter for a response. The USPTO does
not investigate these complaints or participate in any legal
proceedings against invention promoters or promotion firms. Under the
Act, USPTO is responsible for making complaints and responses available
to the public on the USPTO's website.
A complaint submitted to the USPTO must be clearly marked, or
otherwise identified, as a complaint. The complaint must include: (1)
The name and address of the complaint; (2) the name and address of the
invention promoter; (3) the name of the customer; (4) the invention
promotion services offered or performed by the invention promoter; (5)
the name of the mass media in which the invention promoter advertised
providing such services; (6) and example of the relationship between
the customer and the invention promoter; and (7) a signature of the
complainant. Identifying information is necessary so that the USPTO can
both forward the complaint to the invention promoter or promotion firm
as well as notify the complainant that the complaint has been
forwarded.
[[Page 18770]]
Complainants should understand that the complaints will be forwarded to
the invention promoter for response and that the complaint and response
will be made available to the public as required by the Inventors'
Rights Act. If the USPTO does not receive a response from the invention
promoter, the complaint will be published without a response. The USPTO
does not accept, under this program, complaints that request
confidentiality.
This information collection contains one form, Complaint Regarding
Invention Promoter (PTO/2048), which is used by the public to submit a
complaint under this program. This form is available for download from
the USPTO website. Use of this form is voluntary, and the complainant
may submit his or her complaint without the form via any of the
approved methods of collection as long as the complainant includes the
necessary information and the submission is clearly marked as a
complaint filed under the Inventors' Rights Act. There is no associated
form for submitting responses to a complaint.
II. Method of Collection
The items in this information collection may be submitted by mail
to Mail Stop 24, Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, P.O.
Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450, or electronically via email at
[email protected] with ``Scam prevention complaint--
submission'' in the subject line.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0651-0044.
Form:
PTO/2048 (Complaint Regarding Invention Promoter).
Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Affected Public: Private sector; individuals or households.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 22 respondents.
Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 22 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses
in this information collection will take the public approximately 15
minutes (0.25 hours) to 30 minutes (.5 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: 8 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden: $517.
Table 1--Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to Individuals or Households Respondents
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Estimated
Estimated Responses Estimated Estimated time for Estimated Rate \1\ ($/ annual
Item No. Item annual per annual response (hours) burden hour) respondent
respondents respondent responses (hour/year) cost burden
(a) (b) (a) x (b) = (d)................. (c) x (d) = (f) (e) x (f) =
(c) (e) (g)
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1........................ Complaint Regarding 12 1 12 .25 (15 min)........ 3 $52.93 $159
Invention Promoter
(PTO/2048).
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Totals............... ................... 12 ............ 12 .................... 3 ............ 159
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Table 2--Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to Private Sector Respondents
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Estimated
Estimated Responses Estimated Estimated time for Estimated Rate \2\ ($/ annual
Item No. Item annual per annual response (hours) burden hour) respondent
respondents respondent responses (hour/year) cost burden
(a) (b) (a) x (b) = (d)................. (c) x (d) = (f) (e) x (f) =
(c) (e) (g)
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2........................ Response to the 10 1 10 .5 (30 min)......... 5 $71.59 $358
Complaint.
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Totals............... ................... 10 ............ 10 .................... 5 ............ 358
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Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-Hourly Cost Burden: $51.
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\1\ The USPTO 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; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes192099.htm).
\2\ The USPTO uses the mean hourly wage (71.59) for Lawyers
according to the data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics'
Occupational Employment Statistics program (occupational code 23-
1011; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes231011.htm).
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There are no capital start-up, maintenance costs, recordkeeping
costs, or filing fees associated with this information collection.
However, USPTO estimates that the total annual (non-hour) cost burden
for this information collection, in the form of postage costs, is $50.
Postage Costs
Although the USPTO prefers that the items in this information
collection be submitted electronically, responses may be submitted by
mail through the United States Postal Service (USPS). The USPTO
estimates that 6 complaints will be received by first-class mail. The
USPTO estimates that the average postage cost of first-class mail will
be $0.58, resulting in a total of $4 for mailed complaints. The USPTO
also estimates that it will receive 5 responses to complaints using
overnight mail services. The USPTO estimates that the average postage
cost for a mailed submission, using a Priority Mail 2-day flat rate
legal envelope, will be $9.25, resulting in a total of $46 for
overnight mail service. Therefore, the USPTO estimates the total
mailing costs for this information collection at $50.
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
[[Page 18771]]
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 (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. 2022-06765 Filed 3-30-22; 8:45 am]
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