4006 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 

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 

personal identifying information in a 

comment, be aware that the entire 

comment—including personal 

identifying information—may be made 

publicly available at any time. While 

you may ask in your comment to 

withhold personal identifying 

information from public view, USPTO 

cannot guarantee that it will be able to 

do so. 

Kimberly Hardy, 

Information Collections Officer, Office of the 

Chief Administrative Officer, United States 

Patent and Trademark Office. 

[FR Doc. 2021–00912 Filed 1–14–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–16–P 

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; National Medal of 

Technology and Innovation 

Nomination Application 

AGENCY: United States Patent and 

Trademark Office, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO), in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, invites 

comments on the extension and revision 

of an existing information collection: 

0651–0060 (National Medal of 

Technology and Innovation Nomination 

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 

March 16, 2021. 

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: InformationCollection@

uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0060 

comment’’ in the subject line of the 

message. 

• Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://

www.regulations.gov. 

• Mail: Kimberly Hardy, Office of the 

Chief Administrative 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 the attention of 

John Palafoutas, Program Manager, 

United States Patent and Trademark 

Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 

22313–1450, by telephone at 571–272– 

8400, or by email at nmti@uspto.gov. 

Additional information about this 

information collection is also available 

at http://www.reginfo.gov under 

‘‘Information Collection Review.’’ 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

The National Medal of Technology 

and Innovation is the highest honor for 

technological achievement bestowed by 

the president of the United States on 

America’s leading innovators. 

Established by an Act of Congress in 

1980, the Medal of Technology was first 

awarded in 1985. The Medal is awarded 

annually to individuals, teams (of up to 

four individuals), companies, or 

divisions of companies. The Medal 

recognizes outstanding contributions to 

the Nation’s economic, environmental, 

and social well-being through the 

development and commercialization of 

technology products, processes and 

concepts, technological innovation, and 

development of the Nation’s 

technological workforce. By 

highlighting the national importance of 

technological innovation, the Medal 

also seeks to inspire future generations 

of Americans to prepare for and pursue 

technical careers to keep America at the 

forefront of global technology and 

economic leadership. 

The National Medal of Technology 

and Innovation Nomination Evaluation 

Committee, a distinguished 

independent committee appointed by 

the Secretary of Commerce, reviews and 

evaluates the merit of all candidates 

nominated through an open, 

competitive solicitation process. The 

committee makes its recommendations 

for Medal candidates to the Secretary of 

Commerce who, in turn, makes 

recommendations to the President for 

final selection. The National Medal of 

Technology and Innovation Laureates 

are announced by the White House once 

the Medalists are notified of their 

selection. 

This information collection covers 

data gathered in the National Medal of 

Technology and Innovation Nomination 

Application, which the public uses to 

nominate an individual’s, team’s, or 

company’s extraordinary leadership and 

innovation in technological 

achievement and outstanding 

contribution to strengthening the 

nation’s technological workforce. The 

application collects general and 

biographical information about the 

nominee, general information about the 

nominator, and a discussion of the 

nominee’s contribution/achievements, 

and must be accompanied by up to six 

letters of recommendation or support 

from individuals who have first-hand 

knowledge of the cited achievement(s). 

II. Method of Collection 

The items in this information 

collection can be submitted 

electronically through the USPTO 

website via the online portal on 

www.uspto.gov/nmti. 

III. Data 

OMB Number: 0651–0060. 

Form Number: None. 

Type of Review: Revision of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

households. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 50 

respondents per year. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 50 

responses per year. 

Estimated Time per Response: The 

USPTO estimates that it will take 

approximately 40 hours to gather the 

necessary information, prepare the 

nomination application, write the 

recommendations, and submit the 

request for the nomination to the 

USPTO. 

Estimated Total Annual Respondent 

Burden Hours: 2,000 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Respondent 

Hourly Cost Burden: $97,140. 

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 4007 

1The USPTO expects that professors, public 

relations specialists, civil engineers and research 

managers will complete this information. The 

professional hourly rates for these occupations, 

based on the 2019 rates released by the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics, are $53.88 for professors (OES 19– 

2099), $33.75 for public relations specialists (OES 

27–3031), $45.36 for civil engineers (OES 17–2051), 

and $61.28 for research managers (OES 15–1111). 

The average combined hourly rate is $48.57. https:// 

www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_dc.htm. 

TABLE 1—TOTAL HOURLY BURDEN FOR INDIVIDUALS OR HOUSEHOLDS RESPONDENTS

Item No. Item 

Estimated 

annual 

respondents 

Estimated 

annual 

responses 

(year) 

Estimated 

time for 

response 

(hours) 

Estimated 

annual 

burden 

(hour/year) 

Rate 1

($/hour) 

Estimated 

annual 

burden 

(a) (b) (a) × (b) = c (d) (c) × (d) = e 

1 ............. National Medal of Technology and Innovation Nomination Application.50 50 40 2,000 $48.57 $97,140 

Totals ................................................. 50 50 ........................ 2,000 ........................ 97,140 

Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) 

Respondent Cost Burden: $0. There are 

no filing fees, postage, capital start-up, 

maintenance, or operation costs 

associated with this information 

collection. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to 

obtain or retain benefits. 

IV. Request for Comments 

The USPTO is soliciting public 

comments to: 

(a) Evaluate whether the proposed 

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 

proposed 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 

personal identifying information in a 

comment, be aware that the entire 

comment—including personal 

identifying information—may be made 

publicly available at any time. While 

you may ask in your comment to 

withhold personal identifying 

information from public view, USPTO 

cannot guarantee that it will be able to 

do so. 

Kimberly Hardy, 

Information Collections Officer, Office of the 

Chief Administrative Officer, United States 

Patent and Trademark Office. 

[FR Doc. 2021–00928 Filed 1–14–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Patent and Trademark Office 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

Review and Approval; Fastener Quality 

Act Insignia Recordal Process 

AGENCY: United States Patent and 

Trademark Office, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO), in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, invites 

comments on the extension and revision 

of an existing information collection: 

0651–0028 (Fastener Quality Act 

Insignia Recordal). 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 

March 16, 2021. 

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: InformationCollection@

upsto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0028 

comment’’ in the subject line of the 

message. 

• Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://

www.regulations.gov. 

• Mail: Kimberly Hardy, Office of the 

Chief Administrative 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 Catherine Cain, 

Attorney Advisor, Office of the 

Commissioner for Trademarks, United 

States Patent and Trademark Office, 

P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313– 

1450; by telephone at 571–272–8946; or 

by email to Catherine.Cain@uspto.gov 

with ‘‘0651–0028 comment’’ in the 

subject line. Additional information 

about this information collection is also 

available at http://www.reginfor.gov 

under ‘‘Information Collection Review.’’ 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

Under Section 5 of the Fastener 

Quality Act (FQA) of 1999, (15 U.S.C. 

5401 et seq.), certain industrial fasteners 

must bear an insignia identifying the 

manufacturer. It is also mandatory for 

manufacturers of fasteners covered by 

the FQA to submit an application to the 

USPTO for recordal of the insignia on 

the Fastener Insignia Register. The 

purpose of requiring both the insignia 

and the recordation is to ensure that 

certain fasteners can be traced to their 

manufacturers and to protect against the 

sale of mismarked, misrepresented, or 

counterfeit fasteners. The procedures for 

the recordal of fastener insignia under 

the FQA are set forth in 15 CFR 280.300 

et seq. 

This information collection covers 

data gathered in Applications for 

Recordal of Insignia and Applications 

for Renewal/Reactivation of Recordal 

Under the Fastener Quality Act. 

Insignias recorded with the USPTO may 

be sourced from an existing trademark 

registered at USPTO, from a trademark 

that is proposed in an application to 

obtain a registration currently before the 

USPTO, or from a unique alphanumeric 

designation issued upon request from 

the USPTO. After a manufacturer 

submits a complete application for 

recordal, the USPTO issues a Certificate 

of Recordal. These certificates remain