[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 165 (Friday, August 26, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 50180-50181]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17020]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

15 CFR Part 280

[Docket No: 050705177-5177-01]
RIN 0693-AB55


Fastener Quality Act

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States 
Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce, and the 
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 
United States Department of Commerce, are amending the rules that 
implement the Fastener Quality Act of 1999 to provide that all 
documents submitted in connection with the recordal of fastener 
insignia must be mailed to a particular postal box maintained by United 
States Patent and Trademark Office.

DATES: This final rule is effective on September 26, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ari Leifman, Office of the 
Commissioner for Trademarks, P.O. Box 1451, Alexandria, Virginia 22313-
1451, telephone number (571) 272-9572.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Fastener Quality Act of 1999, Public Law 101-592 (as amended by 
Pub. L. 104-113, Pub. L. 105-234 and Pub. L. 106-34) requires the 
Secretary of Commerce to establish a program for the recordation of the 
identifying insignia of certain fasteners. The rules set forth at 
Subpart D of 15 CFR 280.300 et seq. accordingly provide for a 
recordation system, and that system is maintained at the United States 
Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). One of the rules, 15 CFR 
280.310(d), provides that all documents pertaining to recordation must 
be mailed to a particular postal box maintained by the USPTO in 
Washington, DC.
    The efficiency of the insignia recordation program will be enhanced 
if documents submitted in connection with the program are mailed to a 
postal box that is close to the USPTO's headquarters in Alexandria, 
Virginia. Accordingly, Section 280.310(d) is amended to provide that 
these documents be mailed to that postal box.
    This final rule amends section 280.30, Application for Insignia, to 
identify the postal box to which all documents pertaining to 
recordation should be sent.

Additional Information

Executive Order 12866

    This rule of agency organization and management is not subject to 
Executive Order 12866.

Executive Order 12612

    This rule does not contain policies with Federalism implications 
sufficient to warrant preparation of a Federalism assessment under 
Executive Order 12612.

Administrative Procedure Act

    Prior notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required 
for this rule of agency organization, procedure, or practice. 5 U.S.C. 
553(b)(A). This rule revises the regulations to identify the address 
where documents submitted in connection with the recordal of fastener 
insignia may be mailed.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Because notice and comment are not required under 5 U.S.C. 553, or 
any other law, the analytical requirements of the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are inapplicable. As such, a 
regulatory flexibility analysis is not required.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule involves a collection of information that is subject to 
the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), and that has been approved by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under control number 0651-0028. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is required 
to comply, nor shall any person be subject to penalty for failure to 
comply with, a collection of information, subject to the requirements 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information 
displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.

[[Page 50181]]

National Environmental Policy Act

    This rule will not significantly affect the quality of the human 
environment. Therefore, an environmental assessment or Environmental 
Impact Statement is not required to be prepared under the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 280, Subpart D

    Application for Insignia.


0
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology and the United States Patent and Trademark 
Office amend 15 CFR Part 280, Subpart D, as follows:

PART 280--[AMENDED]

0
1. The authority citation for Part 280 continues to read:

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 5401 et seq.


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2. Section 280.310 is amended by revising paragraph (d) to read as 
follows:


Sec.  280.310  Application for insignia.

* * * * *
    (d) Applications and other documents should be addressed to: 
Director, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 16471, 
Arlington, VA 22215-1471 Attn: FQA

    Dated: August 10, 2005.
Jon W. Dudas,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
William Jeffrey,
Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
[FR Doc. 05-17020 Filed 8-25-05; 8:45 am]
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