[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 117 (Monday, June 17, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51312-51313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13217]



[[Page 51312]]

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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; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback 
on Agency Service Delivery

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-
0080 (Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on 
Agency Service Delivery). 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 August 16, 2024.

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-
0080 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
     Mail: Justin Isaac, 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 Justin Isaac, Office of the Chief Adminsitrative 
Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, 
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-7392; or by email at 
[email protected] with ``0651-0080 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

    Executive Order 12862 (Setting Customer Service Standards) directs 
Federal agencies to provide services to the public that matches or 
exceeds the best services available in the private sector.\1\ In order 
to work continuously to ensure that its programs are effective and meet 
its customers' needs, the United States Patent and Trademark Office 
(USPTO) uses this generic clearance to collect qualitative feedback on 
its service delivery. Qualitative feedback refers to information that 
provides useful insights on perceptions and opinions, but is not in the 
form of statistical surveys which yield quantitative results that can 
be generalized to the population of study.
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    \1\ https://www.archives.gov/files/federal-register/executive-orders/pdf/12862.pdf.
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    The USPTO collects, analyzes, and interprets the information 
gathered to identify strengths and weaknesses of current services. 
Based on feedback received, the USPTO will identify operational changes 
needed to improve programs and services. The solicitation of such 
feedback will target areas such as: timeliness, appropriateness, 
accuracy of information, courtesy, efficiency of service delivery, and 
resolution of issues with service delivery.
    Collecting this feedback provides the USPTO with information on 
customer satisfaction. This feedback provides for ongoing, 
collaborative, and actionable communication between the USPTO and its 
customers and stakeholders. Additionally, it allows the USPTO to gather 
feedback in an efficient and timely manner. The information collected 
from external customers and stakeholders ensures that users have an 
opportunity to convey their experience with USPTO programs. This 
information collection also provides insights into customer or 
stakeholder perceptions, experiences, and expectations, which allows 
the USPTO to focus its attention on areas where communication, 
training, or changes in operations may be necessary.
    This information collection covers a variety of methods used by 
USPTO to obtain qualitative feedback from the public. The estimated 
number of annual responses and burden hours being requested are based 
on the number of information collections the USPTO expects to conduct 
over the period of this clearance. Each specific request for clearance 
under this generic information collection includes estimates for the 
following information: respondent types, number of respondents, number 
of responses, time per response, burden hours, and associated costs.

II. Method of Collection

    The methods of collection include, but are not limited to, in-
person surveys, telephone interviews, questionnaires, mail and email 
surveys, web-based products, focus groups, and comment cards. Depending 
upon the particular collection, these items may be completed 
electronically, in person, by phone, or by mailing items to the USPTO.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0651-0080.
    Forms: None.
    Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals and households.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 150,000 respondents.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 150,000 responses.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses 
in this information collection will take the public approximately 10 
minutes (0.17 hours) to complete. This includes the time to gather the 
necessary information, create the document, and submit the completed 
item to the USPTO.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 25,500 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden: $6,429,060.
    With each individual survey instrument/evaluation form submitted to 
OMB, specific burden estimates will be provided. These estimates will 
include the total number of respondents, frequency of collection, 
average minutes/hours per response, and total burden hours.
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    \2\ In this information collection the USPTO uses an average of 
the rates for intellectual property (IP) attorneys and pro se 
applicants. The wage rate for IP attorneys is taken from the Report 
of the Economic Survey, published by the Committee on Economics of 
Legal Practice of the American Intellectual Property Law Association 
(AIPLA); pg. F-41. The USPTO uses the average billing rate for 
intellectual property work in all firms which is $447 per hour 
(https://www.aipla.org/home/news-publications/economic-survey). The 
wage rate for pro se applicants is taken from the mean hourly wage 
($57.24) for physical scientists according to the data from the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage 
Statistics (occupational code 19-2099); https://www.bls.gov/oes/
current/
oes192099.htm#:~:text=19%2D2099%20Physical%20Scientists%2C%20All%20Ot
her.

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                                                      Table 1--Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to Individual and Household Respondents
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                                                                                                                                Estimated
                                                                              Estimated       Responses    Estimated annual     time for     Estimated burden   Rate \2\ ($/   Estimated annual
               Item No.                               Item                      annual           per           responses        response        (hour/year)         hour)       respondent cost
                                                                              respondent     respondent                          (hours)                                            burden
                                                                                      (a)           (b)     (a) x (b) = (c)           (d)     (c) x (d) = (e)           (f)     (e) x (f) = (g)
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1....................................  Respondents.......................         150,000             1             150,000          0.17              25,500       $252.12          $6,429,060
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    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. The 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, the 
USPTO cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.

Justin Isaac,
Information Collections Officer, Office of the Chief Administrative 
Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2024-13217 Filed 6-14-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P