[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 32 (Thursday, February 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11819-11821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03189]
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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 Petitions Related to Application and Reexamination
Processing Fees
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-
0059, Patent Petitions Related to Application and Reexamination
Processing Fees. 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 April 15, 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-
0059 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 Jeffrey West, Senior Legal Advisor, Office of
Patent Legal Administration, United States Patent and Trademark Office,
P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-2226;
or by email at [email protected] with ``0651-0059 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 United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is required
by 35 U.S.C. 131 et seq. to examine an application for patent and, when
appropriate, issue a patent. The USPTO also is required to publish
patent applications, with certain exceptions, promptly after the
expiration of a period of eighteen months from the earliest filing date
for which a benefit is sought under Title 35, United States Code.
USPTO petitions practice provides an opportunity for a patent
applicant or owner to supply additional information that may be
required in order for the USPTO to further process an application or
patent. For other USPTO actions, review is in the form of
administrative review obtained via submission of a petition to the
USPTO. Many actions taken by the USPTO during its examination of an
application for patent or for reissue of a patent, or during
reexamination of a patent, are subject to review by an appeal to the
Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Appeals to PTAB are covered in
other OMB approved information collections (0651-0063 and 0651-0069).
This information collection covers petitions filed in patent
applications
[[Page 11820]]
and reexamination proceedings that, when submitted to the USPTO, must
be accompanied by the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(f), (g), or (h).
This information collection also covers the transmittals for the
petitions fees.
II. Method of Collection
The items in this information collection can be submitted through
the USPTO patent electronic filing system (Patent Center), the USPTO's
online filing and viewing system for patent applications and related
documents. The USPTO also will accept submissions, if applicable, by
mail, hand delivery, and facsimile.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0651-0059.
Forms: (SB = Specimen Book; AIA = America Invents Act)
PTO/AIA/17p (Processing Fee Under 37 CFR 1.17(f), (g), &
(h) Transmittal)
PTO/SB/23 (Petition for Extension of Time Under 37 CFR
1.136(b))
PTO/SB/24A (Petition for Express Abandonment to Avoid
Publication Under 37 CFR 1.138(c))
PTO/SB/28 (Petition to Make Special Under Accelerated
Examination Program)
PTO/SB/140 (Petition to Withdraw an Application From Issue
After Payment of the Issue Fee Under 37 CFR 1.313(c))
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.
Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 50,953 respondents.
Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 50,953 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses
in this information collection will take the public approximately
between 12 minutes (0.20 hours) and 12 hours to complete. This includes
the time, depending on the complexity of the situation and item, to
gather the necessary information, create the document, and submit the
completed request to the USPTO.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 82,237 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden: $36,759,939.
Table 1--Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to Private Sector Respondents
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Estimated Estimated
Estimated Responses Estimated time for Estimated Rate \1\ annual
Item No. Item annual per annual response burden (hour/ ($/hour) respondent
respondents respondent responses (hours) year) cost burden
(a) (b) (a) x (b) = (d) (c) x (d) = (f) (e) x (f) =
(c) (e) (g)
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1..................... Petitions (corresponding to the 4,650 1 4,650 4 18,600 447 8,314,200
fee) Under 37 CFR 1.17(f)
include:
Petition to Accord a
Filing Date Under 1.57(a).
Petition to Accord a
Filing Date Under 1.53(e).
Petition for
Decision on a Question Not
Specifically Provided For.
Petition to Suspend
the Rules.
Petition Fee Under 37 CFR
1.17(f), (g), and (h)
Transmittal.
2..................... Petitions (corresponding to the 17,440 1 17,440 2 34,880 447 15,591,360
fee) Under 37 CFR 1.17(g)
include:
Petition to Access
an Assignment Record.
Petition for Access
to an Application.
Petition for
Expungement and Return of
Information.
Petition to Suspend
Action in an Application.
Petition Fee Under 37 CFR
1.17(f), (g), and (h)
Transmittal.
3..................... Petitions (corresponding to the 26,768 1 26,768 1 26,768 447 11,965,296
fee) Under 37 CFR 1.17(h)
include:
Petition for
Accepting Color Drawings or
Photographs.
Petition for Entry
of a Model or Exhibit.
Petition to Withdraw
an Application from Issue.
Petition to Defer
Issuance of a Patent.
Petition Fee Under 37 CFR
1.17(f), (g), and (h)
Transmittal.
4..................... Petitions to Make Special Under 133 1 133 12 1,596 447 713,412
Accelerated Examination
Program (EFS-Web only).
5..................... Petitions for Express 1,961 1 1,961 0.20 392 447 175,224
Abandonment to Avoid
Publication Under 37 CFR
1.138(c).
6..................... Petition for Extension of Time 1 1 1 0.50 1 447 447
Under 37 CFR 1.136(b).
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Totals...................... 50,953 ........... 50,953 .......... 82,237 ......... 36,759,939
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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
(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).
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-hourly Cost Burden:
$4,023,729. There are no capital start-up, maintenance, or
recordkeeping costs associated with this information collection.
However, there is non-hour cost burden in the form of filing files and
postage costs. The total annual non-hour respondent cost burden for
this
[[Page 11821]]
information collection is estimated to be $4,023,729, which includes
$4,018,552 in filing fees and $5,177 in postage.
Filing Fees
Some petitions in this information collection have associated
filing fees listed in the table below.
Table 2--Filing Fees
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Estimated
Item No. Fee code Item annual Filing fee Non-hourly cost
responses ($) burden
(a) (b) (a) x (b) = (c)
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1................. 1462................... Petitions requiring 1,275 $420 $535,500
the petition fee set
forth in 37 CFR 1.17
(f) (Group I)
(undiscounted).
1................. 2462................... Petitions requiring 880 168 147,840
the petition fee set
forth in 37 CFR 1.17
(f) (Group I) (small
entity).
1................. 3462................... Petitions requiring 170 84 14,280
the petition fee set
forth in 37 CFR 1.17
(f) (Group I) (micro
entity).
2................. 1463................... Petitions requiring 7,870 220 1,731,400
the petition fee set
forth in 37 CFR 1.17
(g) (Group II)
(undiscounted).
2................. 2463................... Petitions requiring 795 88 69,960
the petition fee set
forth in 37 CFR 1.17
(g) (Group II) (small
entity).
2................. 3463................... Petitions requiring 55 44 2,420
the petition fee set
forth in 37 CFR 1.17
(g) (Group II) (micro
entity).
3................. 1464................... Petitions requiring 9,205 140 1,288,700
the petition fee set
forth in 37 CFR 1.17
(h) (Group III)
(undiscounted).
3................. 2464................... Petitions requiring 3,980 56 222,880
the petition fee set
forth in 37 CFR 1.17
(h) (Group III)
(small entity).
3................. 3464................... Petitions requiring 199 28 5,572
the petition fee set
forth in 37 CFR 1.17
(h) (Group III)
(micro entity).
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Totals............. 24,429 ........... 4,018,552
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\1\ 2023 Report of the Economic Survey, publised 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/aopa.org/home/news-publications/economic-survey).
Postage Costs
Although the USPTO prefers that the items in this information
collection be submitted electronically, responses may be submitted by
mail through the United States Postal Service (USPS). The USPTO
estimates that 1% of the 50,953 items will be submitted in the mail
resulting in 510 mailed items. The USPTO estimates that the average
postage cost for a mailed submission, using a Priority Mail legal flat
rate envelope, will be $10.15. Therefore, the USPTO estimates the total
mailing costs for this information collection at $5,177.
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. 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. 2024-03189 Filed 2-14-24; 8:45 am]
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