[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 130 (Thursday, July 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41638-41639]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17029]


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UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has submitted 
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 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

[[Page 41639]]

    Title: Invention Promoters/Promotion Firms Complaints.
    Form Number(s): PTO/SB/2048.
    Agency Approval Number: 0651-0044.
    Type of Request: Revision of a collection previously approved under 
an emergency clearance.
    Burden: 50 hours annually.
    Number of Respondents: 200 responses per year. The PTO expects to 
receive 100 complaints concerning invention promoters/promotion firms 
and 100 responses to such complaints.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: The USPTO estimates that it takes an 
average of 15 minutes (.25 hours) to gather the information, complete 
the complaint, and submit it to the USPTO. The USPTO estimates that it 
will take an invention promoter an average of 15 minutes (.25 hours) to 
gather the information, complete the response, and submit it to the 
USPTO.
    Needs and Uses: The Inventors' Rights Act of 1999 requires the 
USPTO to publish complaints filed by independent inventors against 
invention promoters/promotion firms and publish any replies to such 
complaints. The Inventors' Rights Act requires the USPTO to publish 
these complaints and replies, but it does not require the USPTO to 
enforce the Act, to investigate the complaints, or to participate in 
any legal proceedings against the invention promoters/promotion firms. 
The USPTO has developed a form that complainants may choose to use to 
submit their complaints against an invention promoter/promotion firm to 
the USPTO. Use of this form, PTO/SB/2048 Complaint Regarding Invention 
Promoter, is not mandatory; however, its use will ensure that all of 
the necessary information is provided, which in turn enables the USPTO 
to make the complaint publicly available. At this time, there is no 
associated form for responses to the complaints. In addition, this 
information collection enables the invention promoters/promotion firms 
to respond to such complaints. The USPTO uses the complaint form to 
ensure that all of the necessary information is provided so that the 
complaints can be made publicly available. The USPTO then forwards the 
complaints to the invention promoter/ promotion firm and makes sure 
that any responses to these complaints are also made publicly 
available.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households, businesses or other 
for-profit, not-for-profit institutions, and farms.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, (202) 395-3897.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Thao P. Nguyen, Acting Records Officer, Office of 
Data Management, Data Administration Division, (703) 308-7397, USPTO, 
Suite 310, 2231 Crystal Drive, Washington, DC 20231.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent on or before August 7, 2000, to David 
Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room 10202, New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20503.

    Dated: June 29, 2000.
Thao P. Nguyen,
Acting Records Officer, USPTO, Office of Data Management, Data 
Administration Division.
[FR Doc. 00-17029 Filed 7-5-00; 8:45 am]
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