[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 76 (Thursday, April 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24392-24393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08346]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No. PTO-P-2023-0017]


Patent Public Advisory Committee Public Hearing on the Proposed 
Patent Fee Schedule

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is 
announcing the date, time, and place of a public hearing that will be 
held by the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) on the USPTO's 
proposed setting or adjusting of patent fees pursuant to the USPTO's 
fee setting authority under section 10 of the Leahy-Smith America 
Invents Act (AIA), as amended. The USPTO will make its proposed patent 
fees available--as set forth in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 
of this notice--before the PPAC hearing. The public is invited to 
testify at the hearing and submit written comments regarding proposed 
patent fees.

DATES: A hybrid public hearing will be held on Thursday, May 18, 2023, 
from 1-3 p.m. ET. The USPTO will publish a proposed patent fee schedule 
and related supplementary information for public viewing no later than 
May 4, 2023, on the fee setting and adjusting section of the USPTO 
website, www.uspto.gov/FeeSettingAndAdjusting. Anyone wishing to 
present oral testimony at the hearing must submit a written request for 
an opportunity to do so no later than May 11, 2023. Written comments on 
proposed patent fees will be accepted until May 25, 2023.

ADDRESSES: The hybrid public hearing will be held in person in the 
Clara Barton Auditorium at the USPTO, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, 
Virginia 22314. The hearing will also be available via live feed for 
those wishing to attend remotely. Information on remote attendance will 
be posted on the PPAC section of the USPTO website, www.uspto.gov/ppac, 
before the hearing.

Requests To Present Oral Testimony

    The public is invited to testify at the hearing and submit written 
comments regarding proposed patent fees. Anyone wishing to present oral 
testimony at the hearing must submit a request in writing no later than 
May 11, 2023. Requests to testify should indicate:
    A. The name of the person wishing to testify;
    B. The person's contact information (telephone number and email 
address);
    C. The organization(s) the person represents, if any;
    D. An indication of the amount of time needed for the testimony; 
and
    E. An indication of whether testimony will be provided in person or 
remotely.
    Speaking slots are limited, and the USPTO may be unable to honor 
all requests. Requests to testify must be submitted by email to 
Jennifer Lo at [email protected]. If more requests to provide oral 
testimony are received than time allows, requestors will be invited to 
submit written comments. Time slots will be at least five minutes each. 
Speakers providing testimony at the hearing should submit a written 
copy of their testimony for inclusion in the record of the proceedings 
no later than May 25, 2023.
    An agenda for witness testimony will be sent to testifying 
requesters and posted on the fee setting and adjusting section of the 
USPTO website, www.uspto.gov/FeeSettingAndAdjusting. If time allows, 
the PPAC may permit unscheduled testimony.
    The hearing will be physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Individuals requiring accommodation, such as sign 
language interpretation or other ancillary aids, should communicate 
their needs to the individuals listed under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this notice at least seven (7) business days prior 
to the hearing.

Written Comments

    Written comments on proposed patent fees must be submitted through 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. To submit 
comments via the portal, commenters should enter docket number PTO-P-
2023-0017 on the homepage and select the Search button. The site will 
provide search results listing all documents associated with this 
docket. Commenters can find a reference to this notice and select the 
Comment icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach their 
comments. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Adobe 
portable document format (PDF) or Microsoft Word format. Information 
that you do not want to make public, such as an address or phone 
number, should not be included in the comments to protect your privacy.
    Visit the Federal eRulemaking Portal for additional instructions on 
providing comments via the portal. If electronic submission of comments 
is not possible, please contact the USPTO using the contact information 
below at the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice for 
special instructions.

Recordings

    A recording of the public hearing will be posted on the fee setting 
and adjusting section of the USPTO website, www.uspto.gov/FeeSettingAndAdjusting, shortly after the hearing.

Transcripts

    A transcript of the hearing will be available on the fee setting 
and adjusting section of the USPTO website, www.uspto.gov/FeeSettingAndAdjusting, shortly after the hearing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brendan Hourigan, Director, Office of 
Planning and Budget, at 571-272-8966, or at [email protected]; 
or Dianne Buie, Director, Forecasting and Analysis Division, at 571-
272-6301, or at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USPTO is authorized under section 10 of 
the AIA to set or adjust by rule all patent and trademark fees 
established, authorized, or charged under title 35 of the United States 
Code and the Trademark Act of 1946, respectively. This authority was 
extended through September 15, 2026, by the Study of Underrepresented 
Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Success Act of

[[Page 24393]]

2018 (Pub. L. 115-273). Patent and trademark fees set or adjusted by 
rule under section 10 of the AIA may only recover the aggregate 
estimated costs to the USPTO for processing, activities, services, and 
materials relating to patents and trademarks, respectively, including 
administrative costs of the office with respect to each. Congress set 
forth the process for the USPTO to follow in setting or adjusting 
patent and trademark fees by rule under section 10 of the AIA, 
including additional procedural steps in the rulemaking proceeding for 
issuance of regulations under this section. Congress requires the 
relevant advisory committee to hold a public hearing regarding proposed 
fees after receiving the proposal from the USPTO. Congress, likewise, 
requires the relevant advisory committee to prepare a written report on 
proposed fees and the USPTO to consider the relevant advisory 
committee's report before finally setting or adjusting fees.
    The USPTO is planning to exercise its fee setting authority to set 
or adjust patent fees. The USPTO will publish a proposed patent fee 
schedule and related supplementary information for public viewing no 
later than May 4, 2023, on the fee setting and adjusting section of the 
USPTO website, www.uspto.gov/FeeSettingAndAdjusting. The PPAC will hold 
a public hearing regarding the proposed patent fee schedule on the date 
indicated in this notice. The USPTO will assist the PPAC in holding the 
hearing by providing resources to organize the hearing and notifying 
the public. Following the PPAC public hearing and considering all 
comments, advice, and recommendations, the USPTO, if it continues with 
the fee setting process, will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
in the Federal Register, setting forth its proposed patent fees.

Katherine K. Vidal,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2023-08346 Filed 4-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P