Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 138 / Monday, July 20, 1998 / Notices 38809

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

Recording Assignments (Formerly

Called Changes in Patent and

Trademark Practices)

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce

(DoC), as part of its continuing effort to

reduce paperwork and respondent

burden, invites the general public and

other Federal agencies to comment on

the continuing information collection,

as required by the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13 (44

U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before September 18,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Linda Engelmeier, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 5327, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington,

DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information

should be directed to the attention of

Audrey Britt, Manager of the

Assignment Division, by telephone at

(703) 308–9706 or by facsimile

transmission to (703) 308–7124.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

As part of the responsibilities

outlined by 35 U.S.C. 261 and 262 for

patents, and 15 U.S.C. 1057 and 1060 of

the Trademark Act of 1946 for

trademarks, the Patent and Trademark

Office (PTO) records a variety of

documents submitted to them by the

public, corporations, other federal

agencies, and Government-owned or

Government-controlled corporations.

These individuals, federal agencies, and

corporations can submit various

documents which establish their rights,

and/or titles for patents and trademarks

to the PTO for recording. This officially

and publicly establishes their rights and

titles. These documents typically

include items such as transfers of

properties (i.e., patents and trademarks),

liens, licenses, assignments of interest,

security interests, mergers, and

explanations of transactions or other

documents that record the transfer of

ownership from one party to another.

The PTO can also record assignments

for applications, patents, and

trademarks. By submitting these various

items, the individual, federal agency or

corporation can establish their

ownership of an item.

Once the document has been

recorded, it is available to the public.

All recorded documents, except for

those under secrecy orders or those in

which the federal government has a

documented interest, can be viewed by

the public. The public uses these

documents to conduct ownership and

chain-of-title searches. The public can

view these records either at the PTO or

the National Archives and Records

Administration, depending on when

they were recorded.

To make the recording process faster,

more efficient, and more accurate, the

PTO developed an automated system

called the Patent and Trademark

Assignment System or PTAS. This

system helps automate the movement of

the various documents to be recorded

throughout the PTO Assignment

Division.

In order to accurately record a

document and to take advantage of the

speed and efficiency of the PTAS, the

PTO developed cover sheets to submit

with the document to be recorded.

These cover sheets capture all of the

necessary data needed to accurately

record the various documents. These

cover sheets were also designed so that

they can be easily scanned into the

PTAS. At this time, only the cover

sheets can be scanned into the PTAS.

The PTO does not currently use any

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

any other technological collection

methods to collect the information for

patent and application assignments.

II. Method of Collection

By mail, facsimile transmission, or

hand carried to the Patent and

Trademark Office.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0651–0027.

Type of Review: Renewal without

change.

Affected Public: Individuals or

households, businesses or other forprofit, not-for-profit institutions, farms,

state, local or tribal governments, and

the Federal Government.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

320,000 responses per year.

Estimated Time Per Response: It is

estimated to take the public six minutes

to complete an assignment of an

application (Form PTO/SB/15) and an

assignment of a patent (Form PTO/SB/

41). It is estimated to take a half hour

to complete a trademark recordation

form cover sheet or a patent recordation

form cover sheet.

Estimated Total Annual Respondent

Burden Hours: 100,000 hours per year.

Estimated Total Annual Respondent

Cost Burden: $17,500,000 per year.

Title of form or function Form number(s) Estimated time for response

Estimated

annual burden hours

Estimated

annual responses

Assignment of Application ..................................... PTO/SB/15 ........................................... 6 mins ........................ 7,500 7,500

Assignment of Patent ............................................ PTO/SB/41 ........................................... 6 mins ........................ 7,500 75,000

Trademark Recordation Form Cover Sheet .......... Form PTO–1618A, B, & C ................... 30 mins ...................... 42,500 85,000

Patent Recordation Form Cover Sheet ................. Form PTO–1619A, B, & C ................... 30 mins ...................... 42,500 85,000

Totals .............................................................. .............................................................. .................................... 100,000 320,000

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the agency, including

whether the information shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden

(including hours and cost) of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized or

included in the request for OMB

approval of this information collection;

they will also become a matter of public

record.
38810 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 138 / Monday, July 20, 1998 / Notices

Dated: July 14, 1998.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 98–19204 Filed 7–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–16–P

COMMITTEE FOR THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE

AGREEMENTS

Adjustment of Import Limits for Certain

Cotton, Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend

and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and

Textile Products Produced or

Manufactured in Oman

July 14, 1998.

AGENCY: Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements

(CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the

Commissioner of Customs adjusting

limits.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 20, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Janet Heinzen, International Trade

Specialist, Office of Textiles and

Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce,

(202) 482–4212. For information on the

quota status of these limits, refer to the

Quota Status Reports posted on the

bulletin boards of each Customs port or

call (202) 927–5850. For information on

embargoes and quota re-openings, call

(202) 482–3715.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Section 204 of the Agricultural

Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854);

Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as

amended.

The current limits for certain

categories are being increased,

variously, for carryover and

carryforward.

A description of the textile and

apparel categories in terms of HTS

numbers is available in the

CORRELATION: Textile and Apparel

Categories with the Harmonized Tariff

Schedule of the United States (see

Federal Register notice 62 FR 66057,

published on December 17, 1997). Also

see 62 FR 67627, published on

December 29, 1997.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements

July 14, 1998.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC

20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive

amends, but does not cancel, the directive

issued to you on December 19, 1997, by the

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements. That directive

concerns imports of certain cotton, manmade fiber, silk blend and other vegetable

fiber textiles and textile products, produced

or manufactured in Oman and exported

during the twelve-month period which began

on January 1, 1998 and extends through

December 31, 1998.

Effective on July 20, 1998, you are directed

to increase the limits for the following

categories, as provided for under the terms of

the bilateral agreement between the

Governments of the United States and the

Sultanate of Oman, effected by exchange of

notes dated December 13, 1993 and January

15, 1994, as amended and extended:

Category Adjusted twelve-month

limit 1

334/634 .................... 166,500 dozen.

335/635 .................... 280,269 dozen.

338/339 .................... 577,388 dozen.

340/640 .................... 280,269 dozen.

341/641 .................... 210,202 dozen.

347/348 .................... 956,831 dozen.

647/648/847 ............. 429,659 dozen.

1The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports exported after December

31, 1997.

The Committee for the Implementation of

Textile Agreements has determined that

these actions fall within the foreign affairs

exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5

U.S.C. 553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc.98–19219 Filed 7–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–F

COMMITTEE FOR THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE

AGREEMENTS

Adjustment of Import Limits for Certain

Cotton, Wool, Man-Made Fiber, Silk

Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber

Textiles and Textile Products

Produced or Manufactured in Sri Lanka

July 14, 1998.

AGENCY: Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements

(CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the

Commissioner of Customs adjusting

limits.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 20, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Helen L. LeGrande, International Trade

Specialist, Office of Textiles and

Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce,

(202) 482–4212. For information on the

quota status of these limits, refer to the

Quota Status Reports posted on the

bulletin boards of each Customs port or

call (202) 927–5850. For information on

embargoes and quota re-openings, call

(202) 482–3715.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Section 204 of the Agricultural

Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854);

Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as

amended.

The current limits for certain

categories are being adjusted, variously,

for swing, special shift, carryover,

carryforward, special carryforward, and

allowance for handloomed products.

A description of the textile and

apparel categories in terms of HTS

numbers is available in the

CORRELATION: Textile and Apparel

Categories with the Harmonized Tariff

Schedule of the United States (see

Federal Register notice 62 FR 66057,

published on December 17, 1997). Also

see 62 FR 67837, published on

December 30, 1997.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements

July 14, 1998.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC

20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive

amends, but does not cancel, the directive

issued to you on December 22, 1997, by the

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements. That directive

concerns imports of certain cotton, wool,

man-made fiber, silk blend and other

vegetable fiber textiles and textile products,

produced or manufactured in Sri Lanka and

exported during the twelve-month period

which began on January 1, 1998 and extends

through December 31, 1998.

Effective on July 20, 1998, you are directed

to adjust the limits for the following

categories, as provided for under the Uruguay

Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing:

Category Adjusted twelve-month

limit 1

237 ........................... 378,494 dozen.

314 ........................... 5,410,964 square meters.

331/631 .................... 3,712,107 dozen pairs.

333/633 .................... 13,359 dozen.

334/634 .................... 904,824 dozen.

335/835 .................... 204,058 dozen.

336/636/836 ............. 588,478 dozen.

338/339 .................... 1,597,383 dozen.

340/640 .................... 1,569,583 dozen.

341/641 .................... 2,220,363 dozen of

which not more than

1,554,376 dozen

shall be in Category

341 and not more

than 1,554,376

dozen shall be in

Category 641.

342/642/842 ............. 727,287 dozen.

345/845 .................... 98,476 dozen.