[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 31, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53458-53459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18841]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; NIST Invention Disclosure and Inventor Information Collection

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before October 31, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
mail to Maureen O'Reilly, Management Analyst, NIST, by email to 
[email protected]. Please reference OMB Control Number 0693-0085 in 
the subject line of your comments. Do not submit Confidential Business 
Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Jeffrey DiVietro, Deputy Director, Technology Partnerships Office, 
NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, MS 2200, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2200 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The NIST DN-45 Invention Disclosure Form is used to collect 
information pertaining to inventions created by Federal employees or by 
non-Federally employed individuals who have created an invention using 
NIST laboratory facilities as NIST Associates. The collection of this 
information is required to protect the United States rights to 
inventions created using Federal resources. The information collected 
on the form allows the Government to determine: (1) if an invention has 
been created; (2) the status of any statutory bar that pertains to the 
potential invention or that may pertain to the invention in the future. 
The information collected may allow the Government to begin a patent 
application process.
    The Inventor Information Sheet is used to collect from individuals 
who have been named as potential inventors on a NIST Invention 
Disclosure Form. The collection of this information is used for 
multiple purposes:
    (1) Some of the information may be required to file a patent 
application, if NIST seeks to protect a federally owned invention, 
pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 207.

[[Page 53459]]

    (2) The form, in part, is a statement made by the respondent 
declaring whether the respondent considers herself/himself to be an 
inventor.
    (3) Some of the information is needed for NIST to determine 
potential assignees with which NIST would potentially negotiate 
consolidation of rights and other patent related matters.
    (4) Some of the information helps NIST determine under which 
statutory authority NIST may consolidate rights in an invention with 
other potential assignees.
    (5) Country citizenship information is required to determine 
whether a Scientific and Technology agreement or treaty with the 
respondent's country may impact the U.S. Government's rights to the 
invention.
    The information is collected by the Technology Partnerships Office 
and shared with the Office of Chief Counsel at NIST. The information 
may also be shared with non-Governmental entities that may have 
ownership rights to the potential invention. The Government collects 
this information to execute the policy and objective of the Congress 
expressed at 35 U.S.C. 200. 35 U.S.C. 207 authorizes Federal agencies 
to apply for, obtain, and maintain patents or other forms of protection 
on inventions in which the Federal Government owns a right, title, or 
interest. 35 U.S.C. 207 also authorizes each Federal agency to 
undertake all other suitable and necessary steps to protect and 
administer rights to federally owned inventions on behalf of the 
Federal government. The information collected through the NIST DN-45 is 
necessary for NIST to execute the authority granted at 35 U.S.C. 207.

II. Method of Collection

    Information is collected by completing the NIST DN-45 form. The 
form can be completed either by entering information into a Microsoft 
Word template, or by entering information via an online portal.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0693-0085.
    Form Number(s): NIST DN-45.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, Extension of a current 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Invention Disclosure Form--10 per 
year.
    Inventor Information Form--100 per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: Invention Disclosure Form: 3 hours.
    Inventor Information Form: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Invention Disclosure Form: 30 
hours. Inventor Information Form: 50 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $500.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2022-18841 Filed 8-30-22; 8:45 am]
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