[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 222 (Monday, November 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80695-80696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25630]


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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 and Trademark Resource Center Metrics

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-
0068 (Patent and Trademark Resource Center Metrics). 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 January 19, 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.
    <bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1851767e776a75796c7177765b7774747d7b6c717776586d6b686c77367f776e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="94ddfaf2fbe6f9f5e0fdfbfad7fbf8f8f1f7e0fdfbfad4e1e7e4e0fbbaf3fbe2">[email protected]</span></a>. Include ``0651-
0068

[[Page 80696]]

comment'' in the subject line of the message.
    <bullet> Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    <bullet> 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: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Robert Berry, Manager, Patent and Trademark 
Resource Center Program, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, 
VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-7152; or by email at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6e3c010c0b1c1a402c0b1c1c172e1b1d1e1a0140090118"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d082bfb2b5a2a4fe92b5a2a2a990a5a3a0a4bffeb7bfa6">[email protected]</span></a> with ``0651-0068 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 Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) is authorized under 
the provision of 35 U.S.C. 2(a)(2), which provides that the United 
States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) shall be responsible for 
disseminating information with respect to patents and trademarks to the 
public. The PTRC Program is made up of public, state, and academic 
libraries. Each participating library designated as a PTRC must fulfill 
the following requirements: Assist the public in the efficient use of 
patent and trademark resources; provide free access to patent and 
trademark resources provided by the USPTO; and send representatives to 
attend USPTO-hosted PTRC training seminars.
    The USPTO seeks to collect information about the public's use of 
the PTRCs and training provided through the PTRC program. The PTRC 
Program requirements stipulate that all participating libraries must 
submit quarterly metrics on the public's use of PTRC services and 
public outreach efforts provided by the PTRCs. To facilitate that 
requirement, the USPTO electronically collects these metrics on a 
quarterly basis. This information collection enables the USPTO to see 
how customers are being served by the PTRCs and to ascertain what 
changes may be needed in the types of services provided. These metrics 
also provide the PTRC Program Office with insight into the trainings it 
should offer to PTRC librarians.

II. Method of Collection

    Electronically submitted to the USPTO.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0651-0068.
    Forms: None.
    Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Affected Public: State, local, and Tribal governments.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 100 respondents.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 400 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses 
in this information collection will take the public approximately 30 
minutes (0.50 hours) to complete. This includes the time to gather the 
necessary information, prepare the worksheet, and submit it to the 
USPTO.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 200 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden: $7,508.

                             Table 1--Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to State, Local, and Tribal Government Respondents
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                                                                                                                                             Estimated
                                          Estimated    Responses  per     Estimated     Estimated  time      Estimated     Rate \1\  ($/      annual
     Item No.              Item            annual         respondent      annual r       for  response    burden  (hour/       hour)        respondent
                                         respondents                      esponses          (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.................  PTRC Metrics.....             100               4             400  0.50 (30 minutes)             200          $37.54          $7,508
                                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.........  .................             100  ..............             400  .................             200  ..............           7,508
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    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-Hourly Cost Burden: $0. There 
are no capital start-up, maintenance costs, recordkeeping costs, filing 
fees, or postage costs associated with this information collection.
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    \1\ Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Occupation Employment 
Statistics, wage category 25-4022 for `Librarians and Media 
Collections Specialists working in Colleges, Universities, and 
Professional Schools'; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes254022.htm.
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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. 2023-25630 Filed 11-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P


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