[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 97 (Wednesday, May 21, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21757-21759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-09145]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Patent Review and Derivation Proceedings
AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comments.
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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-
0069 (Patent Review and Derivation Proceedings). The purpose of this
notice is to allow 60 days for public comments preceding submission of
the information collection to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB).
DATES: To ensure consideration, you must submit comments regarding this
information collection on or before July 21, 2025.
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-
0069 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: Requests for additional information
should be directed to Michael P. Tierney, Vice Chief Administrative
Patent Judge, at: Patent Trial and Appeal Board, United States Patent
and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; 571-
272-4676; or [email protected] with ``0651-0069 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
The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, which was enacted into law on
September 16, 2011, changed the procedures of the Patent Trial and
Appeal Board (``PTAB'' or ``Board,'' formerly the Board of Patent
Appeals and Interferences). These changes included the introduction of
inter partes review, post-grant review, derivation proceedings, and the
transitional program for covered business method patents. Under these
administrative trial proceedings, third parties may file a petition
with the PTAB challenging the validity of issued patents, with each
proceeding having different requirements regarding timing restrictions,
grounds for challenging validity, and who may request review.
Inter partes review is a trial proceeding conducted at the Board to
[[Page 21758]]
review the patentability of one or more claims in a patent but only on
a ground that could be raised under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103, and only on
the basis of prior art consisting of patents or printed publications.
Post-grant review is a trial proceeding conducted at the Board to
review the patentability of one or more claims in a patent on any
ground that could be raised under section 282(b)(2) or (3). A
derivation proceeding is a trial proceeding conducted at the Board to
determine whether: (1) an inventor named in an earlier application
derived the claimed invention from an inventor named in the
petitioner's application, and (2) the earlier application claiming such
invention was filed without authorization. The transitional program for
covered business method patents is a trial proceeding conducted at the
Board to review the patentability of one or more claims in a covered
business method patent. The covered business method program expired on
September 16, 2020, and the Board no longer accepts new petitions
related to this program, but continues to accept papers in previously-
instituted proceedings.
The USPTO's projections are based on data from the past year. The
USPTO recognizes that the numbers may fluctuate given interim changes
to the institution process. The USPTO has adjusted the estimated burden
hours and the number of estimated filings based on recent changes to
these proceedings.
This collection covers information submitted by the public to
petition the Board to initiate an inter partes review, post-grant
review, derivation proceeding, and the transitional program for covered
business method patents, as well as any responses to such petitions,
and the filing of any motions, replies, oppositions, and other actions,
after a review/proceeding has been instituted.
II. Method of Collection
Applicants must submit the information electronically using Patent
Trial and Appeal Case Tracking System filing system. Parties may seek
authorization to submit a filing by means other than electronic filing
pursuant to 42 CFR 42.6(b)(2).
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0651-0069.
Forms: None.
Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Affected Public: Private sector.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Frequency: On occasion.
Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 7,897 respondents.
Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 11,947 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses
in this information collection will take the public approximately 18
minutes (0.3 hours) to 170 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: 590,630 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden: $264,011,610.
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\1\ 2023 Report of the Economic Survey, published by the
Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American
Intellectual Property Law Association; pg. F-41. The USPTO uses the
average billing rate for intellectual property work in all firms
which is $447 per hour (https://www.aipla.org/home/news-publications/economic-survey).
Table 1--Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to Private Sector Respondents
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Estimated
Estimated Responses Estimated Estimated time for Estimated Rate \1\ ($/ annual
Item No. Item annual per annual response (hours) burden (hour/ hour) respondent
respondents respondent responses year) cost burden
(a) (b) (a) x (b) = (d)................... (c) x (d) = (f) (e) x (f) =
(c) (e) (g)
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1............... Petition for Inter 1,300 1 1,300 120................... 156,000 $447 $69,732,000
Partes Review.
2............... Petition for Post-Grant 50 1 50 170................... 8,500 447 3,799,500
Review or Covered
Business Method Patent
Review.
3............... Petition for Derivation 10 1 10 170................... 1,700 447 759,900
4............... Patent Owner 975 1 975 90.................... 87,750 447 39,224,250
Preliminary Response
to Petition for
Initial Inter Partes
Review.
5............... Patent Owner 50 1 50 90.................... 4,500 447 2,011,500
Preliminary Response
to Petition for
Initial Post-Grant
Review or Covered
Business Method Patent
Review.
6............... Request for Rehearing.. 50 1 50 80.................... 4,000 447 1,788,000
7............... Request for Director 150 1 150 80.................... 12,000 447 5,364,000
Review.
8............... Response to a Request 150 1 150 40.................... 6,000 447 2,682,000
for Director Review.
9............... Other Motions, Replies, 2,600 2.5 6,500 40.................... 260,000 447 116,220,000
Surreplies, and
Oppositions in Inter
Partes Review.
10.............. Other Motions, Replies, 100 2.5 250 40.................... 10,000 447 4,470,000
Surreplies, and
Oppositions in Post-
Grant Review or
Covered Business
Method Review.
11.............. Other Motions, Replies, 10 1 10 40.................... 400 447 178,800
Surreplies, and
Oppositions in
Derivation Proceedings.
12.............. Pro Hac Vice Motion.... 450 1 450 0.5 (30 minutes)...... 225 447 100,575
13.............. Notice of intent to 500 1 500 0.3 (18 minutes)...... 150 447 67,050
designate
provisionally
recognized PTAB
attorney as counsel.
14.............. Request for Oral 400 1 400 2..................... 800 447 357,600
Hearing.
15.............. Request to Treat a 375 1 375 2..................... 750 447 335,250
Settlement as Business
Confidential.
16.............. Settlement............. 375 1 375 100................... 37,500 447 16,762,500
17.............. Arbitration Agreement 1 1 1 4..................... 4 447 1,788
and Award.
[[Page 21759]]
18.............. Request to Make a 1 1 1 1..................... 1 447 447
Settlement Agreement
Available.
19.............. Notice of Judicial 350 1 350 1..................... 350 447 156,450
Review of a Board
Decision (e.g., Notice
of Appeal Under 35
U.S.C. 142).
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Totals.............. 7,897 ........... 11,947 ...................... 590,630 ........... 264,011,610
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Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-hourly Cost Burden:
$76,099,956. There are no capital start-up costs, maintenance costs,
recordkeeping costs, or postage costs associated with this information
collection. However, the USPTO estimates that the total annual non-hour
cost burden for this information collection, in the form of filing
fees, is $76,099,956.
Filing Fees
The filing fees for this information collection are listed in the
table below.
Table 2--Filing Fees
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Estimated Estimated non-
Item No. Fee Item annual Filing fee hourly cost
code(s) responses ($) burden
(a) (b) (a) x (b) =
(c)
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1.......................... 1406 Inter Partes Review Request Fee-- 1,300 $23,750 $30,875,000
Up to 20 Claims.
1414 Inter Partes Review Post- 1,300 28,125 36,562,500
Institution Fee--Up to 20 Claims.
1407 Inter Partes Review Request of 3,700 470 1,739,000
Each Claim in Excess of 20.
1415 Inter Partes Post-Institution 3,700 940 3,478,000
Request of Each Claim in Excess
of 20.
2.......................... 1408 Post-Grant or Covered Business 50 25,000 1,250,000
Method Review Request Fee--Up to
20 Claims.
1416 Post-Grant or Covered Business 50 34,375 1,718,750
Method Review Post-Institution
Fee--Up to 20 Claims.
1409 Post-Grant or Covered Business 150 595 89,250
Method Review Request of Each
Claim in Excess of 20.
1417 Post-Grant or Covered Business 150 1,315 197,250
Method Review Post-Institution
Request of Each Claim in Excess
of 20.
3.......................... 1412 Petition for a Derivation 2 452 904
Proceeding.
7.......................... 1419 Request for Director Review...... 150 452 67,800
1420
1421
12......................... 1418 Pro Hac Vice Admission Fee....... 450 269 121,050
16......................... 1411 Request to Make a Settlement 1 452 452
Agreement Available and Other
Requests Filed in a Patent Trial
Proceeding.
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Totals........................ 11,003 .......... 76,099,956
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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. 2025-09145 Filed 5-20-25; 8:45 am]
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