[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78332-78333]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25157]
[[Page 78332]]
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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; Patent Examiner Employment Application
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-
0042 Patent Examiner Employment Application. 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 January 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-
0042 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
Federal Rulemaking 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 Linda Majca, Chief of Workforce Employment
Division--Patents, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box
1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-0692; or by
email at [email protected] with ``0651-0042 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
In the current employment environment, life science and engineering
graduates are in great demand. The United States Patent and Trademark
Office (USPTO) is in direct competition with the private industry for
the same caliber of candidates with the requisite knowledge and skills
to perform patent examination work. This information collection covers
online applications to the USPTO for entry-level patent examiner
positions. More specifically, the collection covers the respondent data
gathered from the applications. The USPTO posts the relevant positions
online and collects applicant information via the USA Staffing System.
The USA Staffing online application collects supplemental
information to a candidate's USAJOBS application. This information
assists USPTO Human Resource Specialists and Hiring Managers in
determining whether an applicant possesses the basic qualification
requirements for a patent examiner position. From the information
collected, the USA Staffing system creates an electronic real-time
candidate inventory on applicants' expertise and technical knowledge,
which allows USPTO to immediately review applications from multiple
applicants. The use of such automated online systems during recruitment
allows USPTO to remain competitive, meet hiring goals, and fulfill the
Agency's Congressional commitment to reduce the pendency rate for the
examination of patent applications.
II. Method of Collection
Items in this information collection must be submitted
electronically via the USA Staffing system.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0651-0042.
Forms: None.
Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits.
Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 7,226 respondents.
Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 7,226 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses
in this information collection will take the public approximately 30
minutes (0.5 hours) to complete. This includes the time to gather the
necessary information, create the document, and submit the completed
request to the USPTO.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 3,613 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden: $106,511.
Table 1--Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to Individual or Household Respondents
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Estimated Estimated Estimated
Item No. Item annual Responses per annual Estimated time for annual burden Rate \1\ ($/ Estimated
respondents respondent responses response (hour) (hour/year) hour) annual burden
(a) (b) (a) x (b) = (d)..................... (c) x (d) = (f) (e) x (f) =
(c) (e) (g)
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1........... Patent Examiner 7,226 1 7,226 0.50 (30 minutes)....... 3,613 $29.48 $106,511
Employee
Application.
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Totals......... 7,226 .............. 7,226 ........................ 3,613 .............. 106,511
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\1\ USPTO uses the OPM Special Rate Table 0576--Patent Examiner 07-Step 1 (the salary divided by 2,080 (the hours per year in a standard 40-hour work-
week)) as an estimate for the hourly rate: https://www.opm.gov/special-rates/2023/Table057601012023.aspx.
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;
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(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. 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,
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. 2023-25157 Filed 11-14-23; 8:45 am]
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