[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 196 (Friday, October 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61175-61176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25828]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
International Work Sharing
ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.
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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as part
of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden,
invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the
extension of a continuing information collection, as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)).
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before December 8,
2015.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by any of the following
methods:
Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0079 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
should be directed to Amber Ostrup, Program Manager, United States
Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450;
by telephone at 571-272-7984; or by email
[[Page 61176]]
at [email protected] with ``0651-0079 comment'' in the subject
line. Additional information about this collection is also available at
http://www.reginfo.gov under ``Information Collection Review.''
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) established a
Work Sharing Pilot Program in conjunction with the Japan Patent Office
(JPO) and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) to study how
the exchange of search results between offices for corresponding
counterpart applications improves patent quality and facilitates the
examination of patent applications in both offices. Under this Work
Sharing Pilot Program, two Collaborative Search Pilot (CSP) programs--
USPTO-JPO and USPTO-KIPO--have been implemented. Through their
respective CSP(s), each office concurrently conducts searches on
corresponding counterpart applications. Each office's search results
are exchanged following these concurrent searches, which provides
examiners with a comprehensive set of art before them at commencement
of examination.
Work sharing between Intellectual Property (IP) offices is critical
for increasing the efficiency and quality of patent examination
worldwide. The exchange of information and documents between IP offices
also benefits applicants by promoting compact prosecution, reducing
pendency, and supporting patent quality by reducing the likelihood of
inconsistencies in patentability determinations among IP offices when
considering corresponding counterpart applications. The gains in
efficiency and quality are achieved through a collaborative work
sharing approach to the evaluation of patent claims. As a result of
this exchange of search reports, the examiners in both offices may have
a more comprehensive set of references before them when making an
initial patentability determination.
II. Method of Collection
The forms associated with this collection may be downloaded from
the USPTO Web site in Portable Document Format (PDF) and filled out
electronically. Requests to participate in the International Work
Sharing Program must be submitted online using EFS-Web, the USPTO's
web-based electronic filing system.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0651-0079.
IC Instruments: The individual instruments in this collection, as
well as their associated forms, are listed in the table below.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently previously existing
Information Collection.
Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other
for-profits; and not-for-profit institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 900 responses per year. The USPTO
estimates that 100 percent of the annual responses for this collection
will be submitted electronically via EFS-Web, which customers may
access through the USPTO Web site.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take
the public approximately between 5 minutes (.083 hours) and 3 hours to
complete the information in this collection, including the time to
gather the necessary information, prepare the forms or documents, and
submit the completed request to the USPTO.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 1,533.33 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent (Hourly) Cost Burden:
$628,530.00. The USPTO expects that an attorney will complete the
instruments associated with this information collection. The
professional hourly rate for an attorney is $410. Using this hourly
rate applied to the total annual hour burden estimation of 1,533.33
hours, the USPTO estimates $628,530.00 per year for the total hourly
costs associated with respondents.
The time per response, estimated annual responses, and estimated
annual hour burden associated with each instrument in this information
collection is shown in the table below.
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Estimated time Estimated
IC No. Information for responses annual Estimated annual Rate ($/hr)
collection instrument (minutes) responses burden hours
(a) (b) (a) x (b)/60 = (d)
(c)
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1...................... Petition for 180 250 750 $410.00
Participation in the
Collaborative Search
Pilot (CSP) Program
Between the Japan
Patent Office (JPO)
and the USPTO (PTO/
SB/437JP).
2...................... Petition for 180 250 750 410.00
Participation in the
Collaborative Search
Pilot (CSP) Program
Between the Korean
Intellectual
Property Office
(KIPO) and the USPTO
(PTO/SB/437KR).
3...................... CSP Survey (PTO/SB/ 5 400 33.33 410.00
CSP Survey 1).
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Total.............. ..................... .............. .............. 900 1,533.33
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Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) Respondent Cost Burden: $0. There
are no estimated filing fees or postage costs for this collection.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on:
(a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including
hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information, including
the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents, including through the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of responses.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized or
included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.
Dated: October 2, 2015.
Marcie Lovett,
Records Management Division Director, USPTO, Office of the Chief
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-25828 Filed 10-8-15; 8:45 am]
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