83 FR 35240 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; “Rules for Patent Maintenance Fees”
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 143 (July 25, 2018)
Patent and Trademark Office
Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 143 (July 25, 2018)
| Page Range | 35240-35241 | |
| FR Document | 2018-15877 |
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 25, 2018)] [Notices] [Pages 35240-35241] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2018-15877] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Patent and Trademark Office Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; ``Rules for Patent Maintenance Fees'' Summary: 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. 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: 533,910 responses per year. Average Hours per Response: The USPTO estimates it will take respondents from 0.006 hours (20 seconds) to 8 hours to complete the items in this collection, depending on the instrument(s) used. Burden Hours: 13,878.89 hours per year. Cost Burden: $1,209,457,959.50. 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. PTO/SB/45 may be mailed or faxed to the USPTO, but PTO/SB/ 45 may not be submitted electronically via EFS-Web. 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 [[Page 35241]] ``Electronic Maintenance Fee Form'') provided through the USPTO website. To pay a maintenance fee after patent expiration, customers must submit the maintenance fee payment 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). Completion of these forms 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. Frequency: On occasion. Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits. 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 comment'' in the subject line of the message. Mail: Raul Tamayo, Senior Legal Advisor, Office of Patent Legal Administration,, 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 August 24, 2018 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. Marcie Lovett, Director, Records and Information Governance Division, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office. [FR Doc. 2018-15877 Filed 7-24-18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-16-P
![35240 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 25, 2018 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE WET staff with occasional assistance they also will become a matter of public
from an outside contractor. record.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric B–WET awardees and the awardees’ Dated: July 20, 2018.
Administration professional development teacher-
Sarah Brabson,
participants are asked to voluntarily
Proposed Information Collection; NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
complete online survey forms to provide
Comment Request; National Oceanic evaluation data. One individual from [FR Doc. 2018–15872 Filed 7–24–18; 8:45 am]
and Atmospheric Administration’s Bay each awardee organization is asked to BILLING CODE 3510–12–P
Watershed Education and Training complete a form once per year of the
Program National Evaluation System award, and the teacher participants are
asked to complete one form at the end DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
AGENCY: National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), of their professional development Patent and Trademark Office
Commerce. program and another form at the end of
the following school year. Submission for OMB Review;
ACTION: Notice.
II. Method of Collection Comment Request; ‘‘Rules for Patent
SUMMARY: The Department of Maintenance Fees’’
Respondents submit their information
Commerce, as part of its continuing Summary: The United States Patent
electronically on web-based survey
effort to reduce paperwork and and Trademark Office (USPTO) will
forms.
respondent burden, invites the general submit to the Office of Management and
public and other Federal agencies to III. Data Budget (OMB) for clearance the
take this opportunity to comment on OMB Control Number: 0648–0658. following proposal for collection of
proposed and/or continuing information Form Number: None. information under the provisions of the
collections, as required by the Type of Review: Regular submission Paperwork Reduction Act.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. (extension of a currently approved Agency: United States Patent and
DATES: Written comments must be collection). Trademark Office, Commerce.
submitted on or before September 24, Affected Public: Not-for-profit Title: Rules for Patent Maintenance
2018. organizations; state, local or tribal Fees.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments governments; individuals or OMB Control Number: 0651–0016.
households. Form Number(s):
to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Estimated Number of Respondents: • PTO/SB/45
Department of Commerce, Room 6616, Given the funding levels of the past • PTO/SB/47
three fiscal years, NOAA B–WET • PTO/SB/66
14th and Constitution Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20230 (or via the estimates that approximately 115 Type of Request: Regular.
internet at pracomments@doc.gov). awardees and 2,507 teachers will be Number of Respondents: 533,910
invited to respond each year. responses per year.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Estimated Time per Response: Average Hours per Response: The
Requests for additional information or Awardee-respondents will complete an USPTO estimates it will take
copies of the information collection online survey in 60 minutes and respondents from 0.006 hours (20
instrument and instructions should be teacher-respondents will complete two seconds) to 8 hours to complete the
directed to Bronwen Rice, NOAA Office online surveys in 30 minutes each. items in this collection, depending on
of Education, (202) 482–6797 or Estimated Total Annual Burden the instrument(s) used.
Bronwen.Rice@noaa.gov. Hours: 1,040. Burden Hours: 13,878.89 hours per
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Estimated Total Annual Cost to year.
Public: $0 in recordkeeping/reporting Cost Burden: $1,209,457,959.50.
I. Abstract
costs. Needs and Uses: This information
This request is for an extension of a collection is necessary so that patent
currently approved information IV. Request for Comments owners can maintain a utility patent in
collection. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether force and to ensure that the USPTO can
The NOAA Office of Education’s Bay the proposed collection of information properly credit maintenance fee
Watershed Education and Training (B– is necessary for the proper performance payments. The USPTO offers forms to
WET) program seeks to contribute to of the functions of the agency, including assist the public with providing the
NOAA’s mission by supporting whether the information shall have information covered by this collection,
education efforts to create an practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the including maintenance fee payments,
environmentally literate citizenry with agency’s estimate of the burden petitions to accept delayed maintenance
the knowledge, attitudes, and skills (including hours and cost) of the fee payments, and fee address changes.
needed to protect watersheds and proposed collection of information; (c) The public uses the Maintenance Fee
related ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ways to enhance the quality, utility, and Transmittal Form (PTO/SB/45) to
ecosystems. B–WET currently funds clarity of the information to be determine and pay the correct amount
projects in seven regions (California, collected; and (d) ways to minimize the due for a maintenance fee transaction.
Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, Gulf of burden of the collection of information PTO/SB/45 may be mailed or faxed to
Mexico, Hawaii, New England, and the on respondents, including through the the USPTO, but PTO/SB/45 may not be
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Pacific Northwest). B–WET has created use of automated collection techniques submitted electronically via EFS-Web.
an across-region, internal evaluation or other forms of information Customers may submit maintenance
system to provide ongoing feedback on technology. fees and six-month grace period
program implementation and outcomes Comments submitted in response to surcharges paid before patent expiration
to ensure maximum quality and this notice will be summarized and/or electronically over the internet using the
efficiency of the B–WET program. The included in the request for OMB USPTO’s Office of Finance Online
evaluation system is sustained by B– approval of this information collection; Shopping Page (hereinafter, the
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![Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 25, 2018 / Notices 35241
‘‘Electronic Maintenance Fee Form’’) COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING Section 4d of the Act 2 and
provided through the USPTO website. COMMISSION Commission Regulation 1.25(a) 3 set out
To pay a maintenance fee after patent the permitted investments in which
expiration, customers must submit the Order Granting Exemption From DCOs may invest customer funds.4
maintenance fee payment together with Certain Provisions of the Commodity Section 4d limits investments of
a Petition to Accept Unintentionally Exchange Act Regarding Investment of customer money to obligations of the
Delayed Payment (PTO/SB/66). A Customer Funds and From Certain United States (‘‘U.S. Government
Related Commission Regulations Securities’’), general obligations of any
petition to accept delayed payment of a
maintenance fee under the AGENCY: Commodity Futures Trading State or of any political subdivision
Commission. thereof, and obligations fully guaranteed
unintentional standard may be filed
as to principal and interest by the
online. To designate or change a fee ACTION: Order.
United States.5 Regulation 1.25 expands
address, the customer must submit a Fee the list of permitted investments but
Address Indication Form (PTO/SB/47). SUMMARY: The Commodity Futures
Trading Commission (‘‘CFTC’’ or does not permit investment of customer
Completion of these forms results in ‘‘Commission’’) is issuing an order in funds in foreign sovereign debt.6
information collected, maintained, and response to a petition from ICE Clear Regulation 1.25 previously included
used consistent with all applicable OMB Credit LLC, ICE Clear US, Inc., and ICE foreign sovereign debt as a permitted
and USPTO Information Quality Clear Europe Limited (collectively, ‘‘the investment for customer funds.7 In
Guidelines. This includes the basic ICE DCOs’’ or ‘‘the Petitioners’’) seeking 2011, the Commission removed this
information quality standards an exemption permitting the investment option from Regulation 1.25, but also
established in the Paperwork Reduction of futures and swap customer funds in acknowledged that the safety of
Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35) (PRA), in certain categories of euro-denominated sovereign debt issuances of one country
OMB Circular A–130, and in the OMB sovereign debt. The Commission is also may vary greatly from those of another,
granting exemptive relief to expand the and stated that it was amenable to
information quality guidelines.
universe of permissible counterparties considering requests for section 4(c)
Frequency: On occasion. exemptions from this restriction.8
and depositories that can be used in
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to connection with these investments Specifically, the Commission stated that
Obtain or Retain Benefits. given the structure of the market for it would consider permitting foreign
repurchase agreements in euro- sovereign debt investments (1) to the
OMB Desk Officer: Nicholas A. Fraser,
denominated sovereign debt. extent that the petitioner has balances in
email: Nicholas_A._Fraser@ segregated accounts owed to customers
omb.eop.gov. DATES: Applicable as of July 25, 2018.
or clearing member futures commission
Once submitted, the request will be FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: merchants in that country’s currency
publicly available in electronic format Eileen A. Donovan, Deputy Director, and (2) to the extent that the sovereign
through reginfo.gov. Follow the (202) 418–5096, edonovan@cftc.gov, debt serves to preserve principal and
instructions to view Department of Division of Clearing and Risk, or Lihong maintain liquidity of customer funds as
Commerce collections currently under McPhail, Research Economist, (202)
review by OMB. 418–5722, lmcphail@cftc.gov, Office of 27 U.S.C. 6d.
the Chief Economist, Commodity 3 17 CFR 1.25(a) (2017).
Further information can be obtained Futures Trading Commission, Three 4 Although Regulation 1.25 by its terms applies
by: Lafayette Centre, 1155 21st Street NW, only to futures customer funds, Regulation 22.3(d)
requires that a DCO investing cleared swap
• Email: InformationCollection@ Washington, DC 20581; or Tad Polley, customer funds comply with the requirements of
uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0016 Associate Director, (312) 596–0551, Regulation 1.25.
comment’’ in the subject line of the tpolley@cftc.gov, or Scott Sloan, 5 See 7 U.S.C. 6d(a)(2) (futures), (f)(4) (cleared
Attorney-Advisor, (312) 596–0708, swaps).
message. 6 Regulation 1.25 permits investment of customer
ssloan@cftc.gov, Division of Clearing
• Mail: Raul Tamayo, Senior Legal and Risk, Commodity Futures Trading
funds in: (i) Obligations of the United States and
Advisor, Office of Patent Legal obligations fully guaranteed as to principal and
Commission, 525 West Monroe Street, interest by the United States (U.S. government
Administration,, United States Patent Chicago, Illinois 60661. securities); (ii) General obligations of any State or
and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
of any political subdivision thereof (municipal
Alexandria, VA 22313–1450. securities); (iii) Obligations of any United States
government corporation or enterprise sponsored by
Written comments and I. Background the United States government (U.S. agency
recommendations for the proposed By petition dated June 22, 2017, the obligations); (iv) Certificates of deposit issued by a
Petitioners, all registered derivatives bank (certificates of deposit) as defined in section
information collection should be sent on 3(a)(6) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or
or before August 24, 2018 to Nicholas A. clearing organizations (‘‘DCOs’’), a domestic branch of a foreign bank that carries
Fraser, OMB Desk Officer, via email to requested an exemptive order under deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance
section 4(c) of the Commodity Exchange Corporation; (v) Commercial paper fully guaranteed
Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov, or by as to principal and interest by the United States
fax to 202–395–5167, marked to the Act (‘‘CEA’’ or ‘‘Act’’) permitting the ICE under the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program
attention of Nicholas A. Fraser. DCOs to invest futures and cleared swap as administered by the Federal Deposit Insurance
customer funds in certain categories of Corporation (commercial paper); (vi) Corporate
Marcie Lovett, euro-denominated sovereign debt. On notes or bonds fully guaranteed as to principal and
interest by the United States under the Temporary
Director, Records and Information December 15, 2017, the Commission
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Liquidity Guarantee Program as administered by the
Governance Division, Office of the Chief published a proposed order that would Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (corporate
Technology Officer, United States Patent and grant the requested exemption notes or bonds); and (vii) Interests in money market
Trademark Office. (‘‘Proposed Order’’) and requested mutual funds.
7 See 17 CFR 1.25(a) (2005).
[FR Doc. 2018–15877 Filed 7–24–18; 8:45 am] public comment on the Proposed 8 Investment of Customer Funds and Funds Held
BILLING CODE 3510–16–P Order.1 in an Account for Foreign Futures and Foreign
Options Transactions, 76 FR 78776, 78782 (Dec. 19,
1 82 FR 59586 (Dec. 15, 2017). 2011).
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Document Created: 2018-07-25 00:44:54
Document Modified: 2018-07-25 00:44:54
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| FR Citation | 83 FR 35240 |
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