83 FR 31378 - USPTO Websites Customer Satisfaction Surveys

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 129 (July 5, 2018)

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on a proposed new information collection.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 129 (Thursday, July 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31378-31379]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14383]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Patent and Trademark Office


USPTO Websites Customer Satisfaction Surveys

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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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 a 
proposed new information collection.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before September 4, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651--
New: Generic Clearance comment'' in the subject line of the message.
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
     Mail: Marcie Lovett, Director, Records and Information 
Governance Division, 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 Marcie Lovett, Director, Records and Information 
Governance Division, Office of the Chief Information Officer, United 
States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 
22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-8123; or by email to 
[email protected] with ``Generic Clearance'' in the subject line.
    Additional information about this collection can be found at http://www.reginfo.gov under ``Information Collection Review.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This proposed information collection covers information gathered on 
the USPTO Websites Customer Satisfaction Surveys. These surveys provide 
a means to consistently assess, benchmark, and improve customer 
satisfaction with USPTO websites. The agency has partnered with ForeSee 
Results, Inc. to conduct this information collection. ForeSee Results' 
methodology (Customer Experience Analytics or CXA) is a derivative of 
the widely used American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). This 
methodology combines survey data and a patented econometric model to 
precisely measure the customer satisfaction of website users, identify 
specific areas for improvement, and determine the impact of those 
improvements on customer satisfaction. The ultimate purpose of the 
surveys covered in this collection is to improve the quality of goods 
and services available to customers of the USPTO.
    The USPTO Websites Customer Satisfaction Surveys will be completed 
subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, Public Law 93-579, December 31, 
1974 (5 U.S.C. 522a). The agency information collection will be used 
solely for the purpose of the surveys. The contractor will not be 
authorized to release any USPTO information obtained through surveys 
without first obtaining permission from USPTO. In no case will any new 
system of records containing privacy information be developed by the 
USPTO or the contractor collecting the data. In addition, USPTO 
provides ForeSee only information sufficient to randomly select website 
visitors as potential survey respondents.
    The information collected in the surveys will enable USPTO to 
determine customer satisfaction metrics among various visitor sub-
groups. This information collection will assist USPTO in improving 
customer service and addressing areas of concern in a targeted manner. 
This survey does not ask any questions of a sensitive nature or 
regarding sensitive topics. There is no other agency or organization 
able to provide the information that is accessible through the 
surveying approach used in this information collection.

II. Method of Collection

    Customers will respond to the surveys electronically, as hosted on 
USPTO websites.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651--New.
    IC Instruments and Forms: The individual instruments in this 
collection, as well as their associated forms, are listed in the table 
below.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals and households; businesses or other 
for-profits; and not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100,000 responses per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: Approximately 8 minutes (0.133 hours) 
per response.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 13,333.33 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent (Hourly) Cost Burden: 
$2,716,133.33. The USPTO expects that attorneys, paralegals and pro se 
applicants will complete these applications. The professional hourly 
rate for attorneys is $438, and the hourly rates for paralegals and pro 
se applicants are $145 and $28.14, respectively. The combination of 
these respondent types brings the average respondent rate to $203.71. 
The sources for these rates are the 2017 Report of the Economic Survey 
of the American Intellectual Property Association (AIPLA), the 2016 
National Utilization and Compensation Survey Report of the National 
Association of the Legal Assistants (NALA), and the mean rate for 
office and administrative

[[Page 31379]]

support workers as found in the May 2017 National Occupational 
Employment and Wage Estimates of the U.S Bureau pf Labor Statistics 
(occupation code 43-1011). Using this blended hourly rate, the USPTO 
estimates that the total respondent cost burden for this collection is 
$2,716,133.33 per year.

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                                                 Estimated
                                                  time for     Estimated
            IC No.                Information     response      annual      Estimated  annual     Rate (S/hr)
                               collection  item                responses       burden hours
                                                 (minutes)
                               ................        (a)             (b)    (a) x (b) = (c)
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1............................  Surveys.........          8         100,000          13,333.33            $203.71
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    Total (Three-Year Period)  ................  .........         100,000          13,333.33      $2,716,133.33
                                                                 (300,000)           (40,000)    ($8,148,400.00)
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    Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) Respondent Cost Burden: $0. There 
are no capital start-up, maintenance, postage, or recordkeeping costs 
associated with this information 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;
    (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, e.g., the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized or 
included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Marcie Lovett,
Director, Records and Information Governance Division, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2018-14383 Filed 7-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-16-P