[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 18215]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7284]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States Patent and Trademark Office


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    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 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
    Title: Rules for Patent Maintenance Fees.
    Form Number(s): PTO/SB/45/47/65/66.
    Agency Approval Number: 0651-0016.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 43,605 hours annually.
    Number of Respondents: 573,161 responses per year.
    Avg. Hours per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take the 
public approximately 20 seconds (0.006 hours) to 8 hours to submit the 
information in this collection, including the time to gather the 
necessary information, prepare the appropriate form or petition, and 
submit the completed request to the USPTO.
    Needs and Uses: Under 35 U.S.C. 41 and 37 CFR 1.20(e)-(i) and 
1.362-1.378, the USPTO charges fees for maintaining in force all 
utility patents based on applications filed on or after December 12, 
1980. Payment of these maintenance fees is due at 3\1/2\, 7\1/2\, and 
11\1/2\ years after the date the patent was granted. If the USPTO does 
not receive payment of the appropriate maintenance fee and any 
applicable surcharge within a grace period of six months following each 
of the above due dates (at 4, 8, or 12 years after the date of grant), 
the patent will expire at that time. After a patent expires, it is no 
longer enforceable. The public uses this collection to submit patent 
maintenance fee payments, to file petitions regarding delayed or 
refused payments, and to designate an address to be used for fee-
related correspondence.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other 
for-profits; and not-for-profit institutions.
    Frequency: On occasion and three times at four-year intervals 
following the grant of the patent.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    OMB Desk Officer: Nicholas A. Fraser, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dd93b4beb5b2b1bcae829cf3829bafbcaeb8af9db2b0bff3b8b2adf3bab2ab"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="236d4a404b4c4f42507c620d7c655142504651634c4e410d464c530d444c55">[email protected]</span></a>.
    Once submitted, the request will be publicly available in 
electronic format through the Information Collection Review page at 
www.reginfo.gov.
    Paper copies can be obtained by:
    <bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b8f1d6ded7cad5d9ccd1d7d6fbd7d4d4dddbccd1d7d6f8cdcbc8ccd796dfd7ce"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="afe6c1c9c0ddc2cedbc6c0c1ecc0c3c3caccdbc6c0c1efdadcdfdbc081c8c0d9">[email protected]</span></a>. Include ``0651-
0016 copy request'' in the subject line of the message.
    <bullet> Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, 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 April 26, 2012 to Nicholas A. 
Fraser, OMB Desk Officer, via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#91dff8f2f9fefdf0e2ced0bfced7e3f0e2f4e3d1fefcf3bff4fee1bff6fee7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4907202a212625283a160867160f3b283a2c3b0926242b672c2639672e263f">[email protected]</span></a>, or by fax to 202-395-5167, marked to the attention 
of Nicholas A. Fraser.

    Dated: March 22, 2012.
Susan K. Fawcett,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-7284 Filed 3-26-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P


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