[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 12, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27151-27152]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11417]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; ``Rules for Patent
Maintenance Fees''
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will submit
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the
following proposal for collection of information under the provisions
of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
Agency: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.
Title: Rules for Patent Maintenance Fees.
OMB Control Number: 0651-0016.
Form Number(s):
PTO/SB/45
PTO/SB/47
PTO/SB/66
Type of Request: Regular.
Number of Respondents: 525,309.
Average Hours per Response: The estimated response time for an
average response to a single collection in this information collection
totals 0.039 hours, with response times ranging from 0.0056 hours (20
seconds) to 8 hours, depending on the instrument(s) used.
Burden Hours: 18,123.42.
Cost Burden: $3,801.42.
Needs and Uses: This information collection is necessary so that
patent owners can maintain a utility patent in force and to ensure that
the USPTO can properly credit maintenance fee payments. The USPTO
offers forms to assist the public with providing the information
covered by this collection, including maintenance fee payments,
petitions to accept delayed maintenance fee payments, and fee address
changes.
The public uses the Maintenance Fee Transmittal Form (PTO/SB/45) to
determine and pay the correct amount due for a maintenance fee
transaction. Customers may submit maintenance fees and six-month grace
period surcharges paid before patent expiration electronically over the
Internet using the USPTO's Office of Finance Online Shopping Page
(hereinafter, the ``Electronic Maintenance Fee Form'') provided through
the USPTO Web site. To pay a maintenance fee after patent expiration,
customers must submit the maintenance fee payment and the appropriate
delayed payment surcharge together with a Petition to Accept
Unintentionally Delayed Payment (PTO/SB/66). A petition to accept
delayed payment of a maintenance fee under the unintentional standard
may be filed online. To designate or change a fee address, the customer
must submit a Fee Address Indication Form (PTO/SB/47).
This proposed collection of information results in information
collected, maintained, and used consistent with all applicable OMB and
USPTO Information Quality Guidelines. This includes the basic
information quality standards established in the Paperwork Reduction
Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35) (PRA), in OMB Circular A-130, and in the OMB
information quality guidelines. (See Ref. A, the USPTO Information
Quality Guidelines.)
Frequency: On occasion.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits.
[[Page 27152]]
OMB Desk Officer: Nicholas A. Fraser, email:
[email protected].
Once submitted, the request will be publicly available in
electronic format through reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view
Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
Further information can be obtained by:
Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0016 copy request'' in the subject line of the message.
Mail: Marcie Lovett, Records Management Division Director,
Office of the Chief Information Officer, United States Patent and
Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent on or before June 11, 2015 to Nicholas A.
Fraser, OMB Desk Officer, via email to [email protected],
or by fax to 202-395-5167, marked to the attention of Nicholas A.
Fraser.
Dated: May 4, 2015.
Marcie Lovett,
Records Management Division Director, USPTO, Office of the Chief
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-11417 Filed 5-11-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P
