25226 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 82 / Thursday, April 28, 2022 / Notices 

before this Council for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during this meeting. Council 

action will be restricted to those issues 

specifically listed in this notice and any 

issues arising after publication of this 

notice that require emergency action 

under section 305(c) of the MagnusonStevens Act, provided the public has 

been notified of the Council’s intent to 

take final action to address the 

emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

This meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. This meeting 

will be recorded. Consistent with 16 

U.S.C. 1852, a copy of the recording is 

available upon request. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to 

Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, at 

(978) 465–0492, at least 5 days prior to 

the meeting date. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: April 25, 2022. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–09147 Filed 4–27–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB993] 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of hybrid meeting. 

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) Crab 

Plan Team will meet May 16, 2022, 

through May 19, 2022. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Monday, May 16, 2022 through 

Thursday, May 19, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 

4 p.m., Alaska Time. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be a 

hybrid meeting. Attend in-person in the 

Dillingham/Katmai Room at the 

Anchorage Hilton Hotel, 500 W 3rd 

Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501 or join 

online through the link at https://

meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/ 

2913. 

Council address: North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 1007 W 

3rd Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501–2252; 

telephone: (907) 271–2809. 

Instructions for attending the meeting 

via video conference are given under 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, below. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sarah Rheinsmith, Council staff; phone: 

(907) 271–2809; email: 

sarah.rheinsmith@noaa.gov. For 

technical support please contact our 

admin Council staff, email: 

npfmc.admin@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Agenda 

Monday, May 16, 2022 Through 

Thursday, May 19, 2022 

The agenda will include: (a) Survey 

updates for corner stations; (b) Aleutian 

Island Golden King Crab (AIGKC) final 

assessment and stock status; (c) Snow 

Crab spatial assessment model; (d) 

Climate Change and Snow Crab; (e) 

Bristol Bay Red King Crab (BBRKC) 

proposed model runs and Risk Tables; 

(f) Snow Crab IBM model update; (g) 

BBRKC resampling updates; (h) Snow 

Crab updates and continued 

explorations no what happened to the 

stock; (i) Snow Crab-proposed model 

runs and Rebuilding plan; (j) Bering Sea 

Fisheries Research Foundation (BSFRF) 

survey catchability/selectivity; (k) 

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Fishing 

Effects Update; (l) Tanner Crab, Pribilof 

Island Red King Crab (PIRKC) and Saint 

Matthews Blue King Crab (SMBKC) 

proposed model runs; (m) BBRKC 

Discussion Paper; (n) Modifying timing 

of Crab Assessments; (o) BSFRF update; 

and (p) additional topics. The agenda is 

subject to change, and the latest version 

will be posted at https://

meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/ 

2913 prior to the meeting, along with 

meeting materials. 

Connection Information 

You can attend the meeting online 

using a computer, tablet, or smart 

phone, or by phone only. Connection 

information will be posted online at: 

https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/ 

Details/2913. If you are attending the 

meeting in-person please note that all 

attendees will be required to wear a 

mask. 

Public Comment 

Public comment letters will be 

accepted and should be submitted 

electronically to https://

meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/ 

2913. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: April 25, 2022. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–09148 Filed 4–27–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Patent and Trademark Office 

[Docket No.: PTO–P–2022–0002] 

Filing Patent Applications in DOCX 

Format 

AGENCY: United States Patent and 

Trademark Office, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO) recently 

announced a delay in the effective date 

of the surcharge fee for certain patent 

applications that are not filed in DOCX 

format until January 1, 2023. During the 

period before the non-DOCX filing 

surcharge fee becomes effective, the 

USPTO is encouraging applicants to 

begin filing patent applications in 

DOCX format. To address concerns 

some applicants have raised and to 

allow applicants to get acclimated to the 

process of filing applications in DOCX 

format, the USPTO is providing 

applicants with the option, on a 

temporary basis, to submit an applicantgenerated PDF version of the 

application along with the DOCX file(s) 

when filing an application in Patent 

Center. 

DATES: 

Applicable date: April 28, 2022. 

Duration: The option to submit an 

applicant-generated PDF of the 

application along with the DOCX file(s) 

when filing an application in Patent 

Center, as discussed in this notice, will 

be available through December 31, 2022. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mark O. Polutta, Senior Legal Advisor, 

Office of Patent Legal Administration, at 

571–272–7709; or Eugenia A. Jones, 

Senior Legal Advisor, Office of Patent 

Legal Administration, at 571–272–7727. 

For technical questions about 

submitting documents in DOCX format, 

please contact the Patent Electronic 

Business Center (EBC) at 1–877–217– 

9197 (toll-free), 571–272–4100 (local), or 

ebc@uspto.gov. The EBC is open from 6 

a.m. to midnight ET, Monday through 

Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

USPTO published a final rule in the 

Federal Register that included a new 

non-DOCX filing surcharge fee, set forth 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 82 / Thursday, April 28, 2022 / Notices 25227 

in 37 CFR 1.16(u), with an effective date 

of January 1, 2022. See Setting and 

Adjusting Patent Fees During Fiscal 

Year 2020, 85 FR 46932 (August 3, 

2020) (Patent Fee Setting final rule). 

This surcharge fee is due for any nonprovisional utility application filed 

under 35 U.S.C. 111 (other than a 

reissue application) on or after the 

effective date, when the specification, 

claims, and/or abstract do not conform 

to the USPTO requirements for 

submission in DOCX format. The 

USPTO recently announced it was 

delaying the effective date of this fee 

until January 1, 2023. See Setting and 

Adjusting Patent Fees During Fiscal 

Year 2020, 86 FR 66192 (Nov. 22, 2021). 

This will enable the USPTO to perform 

additional monitoring and evaluating of 

its information technology systems, and 

to give applicants more time to adjust to 

filing patent applications in DOCX 

format. 

The USPTO continues to work with 

its stakeholders to transition to the 

DOCX format. Through this notice, the 

USPTO is providing applicants with the 

option to submit an applicant-generated 

PDF of the application along with the 

validated DOCX file(s) when filing an 

application in Patent Center, from the 

effective date of this notice through 

December 31, 2022 (the temporary 

period). This option will not be 

available for applications filed via EFSWeb. This will allow applicants to gain 

confidence in the reliability and 

accuracy of the USPTO system when 

filing applications in DOCX format, and 

safeguard the applicant should any 

conversion discrepancies have taken 

place. 

Patent Center is the new tool for the 

electronic filing and management of 

patent applications that will eventually 

replace EFS-Web and the Patent 

Application Information Retrieval 

(PAIR) system. Patent Center offers a 

number of benefits to applicants. For 

example, when filing documents in 

DOCX in Patent Center, applicants do 

not have to manually separate the 

sections of the document into the 

specification, claims, and abstract. 

Additional information on Patent Center 

is available at www.uspto.gov/patents/ 

apply/patent-center. 

The DOCX User Guide posted on the 

USPTO website explains that during the 

filing process, an applicant initially 

uploads a DOCX file(s) containing the 

specification, claims, and abstract. The 

DOCX file(s) undergoes preliminary 

validation, in which metadata is 

removed, non-substantive changes (e.g., 

acceptance of track changes in initial 

filings, removal of comments and 

bookmarks) may be made, and a 

validated DOCX file(s) is created. In 

addition, a feedback document is 

generated to provide warnings, identify 

common errors, such as formatting 

errors, and provide instant feedback to 

the applicant to prevent unnecessary 

delays in processing. In order to 

improve processing efficiency and 

provide an enhanced user experience 

for stakeholders, the USPTO system 

currently creates a consistently 

formatted PDF version of the 

specification, claims, and abstract 

during the filing process that will be 

made available both before filing and in 

the application file after the application 

has been filed. By transitioning to DOCX 

the applicant benefits from improved 

application quality and management as 

described at: https://www.uspto.gov/ 

patents/docx. The USPTO continues to 

evaluate how best to implement changes 

to the format of application files used 

during examination based on DOCX 

submissions. 

The USPTO previously published a 

notice which sets forth that the USPTO 

considers the validated DOCX file(s) 

submitted by the applicant to be the 

authoritative document and that 

applicants may rely on the validated 

DOCX file(s) as the source or 

evidentiary copy of the application to 

make any corrections to the documents 

in the application file. See Submitting 

Patent Applications in Structured Text 

Format and Reliance on the Text 

Version as the Source or Evidentiary 

Copy, 86 FR 29571 (Jun. 2, 2021). Thus, 

applicants already have the ability to 

rely on the validated DOCX file(s) they 

submitted to correct any errors or 

discrepancies that result from the 

USPTO’s conversion of the DOCX file(s) 

to a PDF(s). If there is an error or 

discrepancy in the record that resulted 

from filing an application in DOCX 

format, the applicant should promptly 

notify the EBC at 1–866–217–9197 (tollfree), 571–272–4100 (local), or ebc@

uspto.gov so the EBC can investigate the 

issue(s). 

Applicants who choose to submit an 

applicant-generated PDF with the 

validated DOCX file(s) when filing an 

application in Patent Center during the 

temporary period will not have to pay 

any additional fees, such as an 

application size fee, as a result of filing 

the applicant-generated PDF, and, on 

petition, will be able to rely on the 

applicant-generated PDF if a 

discrepancy occurs during the filing 

process. Please note that if an applicant 

makes changes to the DOCX file(s) prior 

to filing the application as a result of the 

validation process, then the applicant 

should ensure that the applicantgenerated PDF corresponds to the 

revised DOCX file(s). Once the nonDOCX filing surcharge fee becomes 

effective on January 1, 2023, applicants 

who submit an applicant-generated PDF 

with the validated DOCX file(s) will 

need to pay the non-DOCX filing 

surcharge fee and any other additional 

fees as a result of filing the applicantgenerated PDF. As December 31, 2022, 

approaches, the USPTO will evaluate 

whether there is a need to extend the 

temporary period beyond December 31, 

2022, and will inform the public of any 

extension of the temporary period. 

Under this temporary new process of 

allowing applicant to optionally submit 

the applicant-generated PDF, the 

USPTO has created a new document 

description for the optional applicantgenerated PDF submitted with the 

DOCX file(s) during the temporary 

period. This new document description 

is ‘‘Auxiliary PDF of application,’’ and 

the corresponding document code is 

AUX.PDF. If filing an applicantgenerated PDF in Patent Center, it 

should be a single PDF and contain all 

the sections being filed in DOCX format. 

Use of this document description by 

applicants will facilitate recognition of 

the document in the application file and 

will avoid confusion with the 

specification, claims, and abstract that 

are to be used during examination and 

publishing. 

As stated above, applicants can rely 

on the validated DOCX file(s) as the 

source or evidentiary copy to make 

corrections to the record when any 

discrepancies are identified between the 

source or evidentiary copy and the 

documents the USPTO has converted. 

Applicants may need to file a petition 

under 37 CFR 1.181 to make a 

correction to the record, which is 

supported by the validated DOCX file(s). 

See 86 FR 29571. However, if a 

correction to the record is needed due 

to an error or discrepancy that is not 

supported by the validated DOCX file(s), 

but is instead only supported by the 

applicant-generated PDF filed during 

the temporary period, the applicant 

should file a petition under 37 CFR 

1.182 that identifies how the applicantgenerated PDF supports the requested 

correction to the record. In addition, 

such a petition under 37 CFR 1.182 

must be accompanied by an amendment 

to the specification, claims, or abstract 

to correct the record as desired, unless 

such an amendment was previously 

submitted. Amendments to the 

application must comply with 37 CFR 

1.121. The USPTO will waive the fee 

under 37 CFR 1.17(f) for this petition 

when an applicant is relying on an 

applicant-generated PDF, filed in Patent 

Center during the temporary period, as 


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25228 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 82 / Thursday, April 28, 2022 / Notices 

1The OMB control numbers for the CFTC 

regulations were published on December 30, 1981. 

See 46 FR 63035 (Dec. 30, 1981). 

2The Commission notes that the terms 

‘‘registered’’ and ‘‘designated’’ are used 

interchangeably and mean the same thing. 

3 7 U.S.C. 1 et seq. 

4See Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and 

Consumer Protection Act, Public Law 111–203, tit. 

VII, 124 Stat. 1376 (2010) (codified as amended in 

various sections of 7 U.S.C.), available at https://

www.cftc.gov/sites/default/files/idc/groups/public/

@lrfederalregister/documents/file/2013-12242a.pdf. 

the source to make a correction to the 

record. As stated above, this will allow 

applicants to gain confidence in the 

reliability and accuracy of the USPTO 

system when filing applications in 

DOCX format, and safeguard the 

applicant should any conversion 

discrepancies have taken place. 

The applicant-generated PDF that 

accompanies a DOCX filing will not 

become part of the permanent record 

unless a petition is filed requesting the 

USPTO to correct the record in view of 

the applicant-generated PDF. In the 

absence of such a petition, the USPTO 

will dispose of the applicant-generated 

PDF, and all copies thereof, after a 

retention period of at least three years 

after the patent grant or abandonment of 

the application. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

review their applications, including the 

USPTO-generated PDF, shortly after 

filing the application to identify any 

errors or discrepancies in the record, as 

discussed above. The applicant should 

file any necessary petition to correct the 

record early in prosecution and 

promptly after discovering any errors or 

discrepancies. 

As an alternative to filing a petition, 

applicants may be able to correct 

discrepancies resulting from filing an 

application in DOCX format by relying 

on a proper priority or benefit claim. A 

proper priority or benefit claim under 

37 CFR 1.55 or 37 CFR 1.78 to a priorfiled application that is present on the 

filing date of the application is 

considered an incorporation by 

reference of the prior-filed application 

as to any inadvertently omitted portion 

of the specification or drawing(s), 

subject to the conditions and 

requirements of 37 CFR 1.57(b). 

Therefore, in some instances, 

discrepancies resulting from filing an 

application in DOCX format may be 

addressed by amending portions of the 

specification pursuant to the 

incorporation by reference provisions of 

37 CFR 1.57(b), in lieu of a petition. The 

amendment should be identified as an 

amendment under 37 CFR 1.57(b), and 

it must comply with 37 CFR 1.57(b) and 

37 CFR 1.121. 

The USPTO continues to host training 

sessions on filing documents in DOCX. 

Information on filing application 

documents in DOCX, as well as 

information on how to submit an 

applicant-generated PDF and a link to 

the DOCX training sessions, is available 

at www.uspto.gov/patents/docx. 

Kathi Vidal, 

Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual 

Property and Director of the United States 

Patent and Trademark Office. 

[FR Doc. 2022–09027 Filed 4–27–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–16–P 

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING 

COMMISSION 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Notice of Intent To Extend 

Collection 3038–0052: Core Principles 

& Other Requirements for DCMs 

AGENCY: Commodity Futures Trading 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Commodity Futures 

Trading Commission (‘‘Commission’’ or 

‘‘CFTC’’) is announcing an opportunity 

for public comment on the proposed 

renewal of a collection of certain 

information by the agency. Under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (‘‘PRA’’), 

Federal agencies are required to publish 

notice in the Federal Register 

concerning each proposed collection of 

information, including each proposed 

extension of an existing collection of 

information, and to allow 60 days for 

public comment. This notice solicits 

comments on reporting requirements 

relating to collections of information 

related to designated contract markets 

(‘‘DCMs’’) under the Commission’s 

regulations. 

DATES: Comments must be submitted on 

or before June 27, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by ‘‘OMB Control No. 3038– 

0052’’ by any of the following methods: 

• The Agency’s website, at https://

comments.cftc.gov/. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments 

through the website. 

• Mail: Christopher Kirkpatrick, 

Secretary of the Commission, 

Commodity Futures Trading 

Commission, Three Lafayette Centre, 

1155 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 

20581. 

• Hand Delivery/Courier: Same as 

Mail above. 

Please submit your comments using 

only one method. All comments must be 

submitted in English, or if not, 

accompanied by an English translation. 

Comments will be posted as received to 

https://www.cftc.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Roger Smith, Associate Chief Counsel, 

Division of Market Oversight, 

Commodity Futures Trading 

Commission, Three Lafayette Centre, 

1155 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 

20581; 202–418–5344; email: rsmith@

cftc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., Federal 

agencies must obtain approval from the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(‘‘OMB’’) for each collection of 

information they conduct or sponsor. 

‘‘Collection of Information’’ is defined 

in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3 

and includes agency requests or 

requirements that members of the public 

submit reports, keep records, or provide 

information to a third party. Section 

3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A), requires Federal agencies 

to provide a 60-day notice in the 

Federal Register concerning each 

proposed collection of information, 

including each proposed extension of an 

existing collection of information, 

before submitting the collection to OMB 

for approval. To comply with this 

requirement, the Commission is 

publishing notice of the proposed 

extension of the existing collection of 

information listed below. An agency 

may not conduct or sponsor, and a 

person is not required to respond to, a 

collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number.1

Title: Core Principles & Other 

Requirements for DCMs (OMB Control 

No. 3038–0052). This is a request for a 

revision and extension of a currently 

approved information collection. 

Abstract: The regulations governing 

designated contract markets (‘‘DCMs’’) 

originally were adopted pursuant to the 

Commodity Futures Modernization Act 

of 2000, which amended section 5 of the 

Commodity Exchange Act (‘‘CEA’’) to 

impose requirements concerning the 

registration 2 and operation of DCMs.3

The DCM statutory framework 

subsequently was revised as a result of 

further amendments to the CEA under 

Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street 

Reform and Consumer Protection Act 

(‘‘Dodd-Frank Act’’).4 Part 38 of the 

Commission’s regulations governs the 

activities of DCMs. The information 

collected pursuant to Part 38 is 


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