[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]
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