Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 210 / Thursday, October 30, 2014 / Notices 64573 

shortcoming noted within the draft 

documents, please propose specific 

remedies. 

Please adhere to the instructions 

detailed below for preparing and 

submitting your comments on the Draft 

Science Plan. Using the format guidance 

described below will facilitate the 

processing of reviewer comments and 

assure that all comments are 

appropriately considered. Please format 

your comments into the following three 

sections: (1) Background information 

about yourself; (2) overview or general 

comments; and (3) specific comments. 

Section one should include background 

information about yourself including: 

your name(s), organization(s), area(s) of 

expertise, mailing address, telephone 

and fax numbers, and email address(s). 

Section two should consist of overview 

or general comments on the document 

and should be numbered. Section three 

should consist of comments that are 

specific to particular pages, paragraphs, 

or lines in the document and should 

identify the page and line numbers to 

which they apply. Please number and 

print identifying information at the top 

of all pages. 

Technical Program Information: 

Becky Allee, Science Plan Team Lead, 

228–688–1701, Internet: becky.allee@

noaa.gov. 

Other Information 

Administrative Procedure Act: Notice 

and comment are not required under the 

Administrative Procedure Act, (5 U.S.C. 

553), or any other law, for notices 

relating to public property, loans, 

grants, benefits or contracts (5 U.S.C. 

553(a)). Because notice and comment is 

not required, a Regulatory Flexibility 

Analysis is not required and has not 

been prepared for this notice, (5 U.S.C. 

601 et seq.). 

Paperwork Reduction Act: 

Notwithstanding any other provision of 

law, no person is required to respond to, 

nor shall any person be subject to a 

penalty for failure to comply with a 

collection of information subject to the 

requirements of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act, unless that collection 

displays a currently valid OMB Control 

Number. This notice involves no 

collection of information, although the 

FFO that NOAA anticipates issuing in 

fall 2014 will have such a requirement. 

Dated: October 16, 2014. 

Mary C. Erickson, 

Director, National Centers for Coastal Ocean 

Science, National Ocean Service, National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2014–25797 Filed 10–29–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–JE–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Patent and Trademark Office 

Fastener Quality Act Insignia Recordal 

Process 

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment 

request. 

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO), as part of its 

continuing effort to reduce paperwork 

and respondent burden, invites the 

general public and other Federal 

agencies to take this opportunity 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 December 29, 

2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

• E-Mail: InformationCollection@

uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0028 

comment’’ in the subject line of the 

message. 

• Mail: Marcie Lovett, Records 

Management Division Director, Office of 

the Chief Information Officer, United 

States Patent and Trademark Office, 

P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313– 

1450. 

• Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://

www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information 

should be directed to Catherine Cain, 

Attorney Advisor, Office of the 

Commissioner for Trademarks, United 

States Patent and Trademark Office, 

P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313– 

1450; by telephone at 571–272–8946; or 

by email to Catherine.Cain@uspto.gov 

with ‘‘Paperwork’’ in the subject line. 

Additional information about this 

collection is also available at http://

www.reginfo.gov under ‘‘Information 

Collection Review.’’ 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

Under Section 5 of the Fastener 

Quality Act of 1999 (FQA), 15 U.S.C. 

5401 et seq., certain industrial fasteners 

must bear an insignia identifying the 

manufacturer. It is also mandatory for 

manufacturers of fasteners covered by 

the FQA to submit an application to the 

United Stated Patent and Trademark 

Office (USPTO) for recordal of the 

insignia on the Fastener Insignia 

Register. 

The procedures for the recordal of 

fastener insignia under the FQA are set 

forth in 15 CFR 280.300 et seq. The 

purpose of requiring both the insignia 

and the recordation is to ensure that 

certain fasteners can be traced to their 

manufacturers and to protect against the 

sale of mismarked, misrepresented, or 

counterfeit fasteners. 

The insignia may be either a unique 

alphanumeric designation that the 

USPTO will issue upon request or a 

trademark that is registered at the 

USPTO or is the subject of an 

application to obtain a registration. 

After a manufacturer submits a 

complete application for recordal, the 

USPTO issues a Certificate of Recordal. 

These certificates remain active for five 

years. Applications to renew the 

certificates must be filed within six 

months of the expiration date or, upon 

payment of an additional surcharge, 

within six months following the 

expiration date. 

If a recorded alphanumeric 

designation is assigned by the 

manufacturer, the designation becomes 

‘‘inactive,’’ and the new owner must 

submit an application to reactivate the 

designation within six months of the 

date of assignment. If the recordal is 

based on a trademark application or 

registration, and that registration is 

assigned, the recordal becomes 

‘‘inactive’’ and cannot be reactivated. 

Instead, the new owner of the trademark 

application or registration must apply 

for a new recordal. Manufacturers who 

record insignia must notify the USPTO 

of any changes of address. 

This information collection includes 

one form, the Application for Recordal 

of Insignia or Renewal/Reactivation of 

Recordal Under the Fastener Quality 

Act (PTO–1611), which provides 

manufacturers with a convenient way to 

submit a request for the recordal of a 

fastener insignia or to renew or 

reactivate an existing Certificate of 

Recordal. Use of Form PTO–1611 is not 

mandatory, and applicants may instead 

prepare requests for recordal using their 

own format. 

The public uses this information 

collection to comply with the insignia 

recordal provisions of the FQA. The 

USPTO uses the information in this 

collection to record or renew insignias 

under the FQA and to maintain the 

Fastener Insignia Register, which is 

open to public inspection. The public 

may download the Fastener Insignia 

Register from the USPTO Web site. 

II. Method of Collection 

By mail, facsimile, hand delivery, or 

electronically to the USPTO. 

III. Data 

OMB Number: 0651–0028. 

Form Number(s): PTO–1611. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
64574 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 210 / Thursday, October 30, 2014 / Notices 

Type of Review: Revision of a 

currently approved collection. 

Affected Public: Businesses or other 

for-profits. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 95 

responses per year. 

Estimated Time per Response: The 

USPTO estimates that it will take the 

public approximately 15 minutes (0.25 

hours) to gather the necessary 

information, prepare the form, and 

submit the request for recordal or 

renewal of a fastener insignia to the 

USPTO. 

Estimated Total Annual Respondent 

Burden Hours: 24 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Respondent 

Cost Burden: $3,000. The USPTO 

expects that the information in this 

collection will be prepared by 

paraprofessionals at an estimated rate of 

$125 per hour. Therefore, the USPTO 

estimates that the respondent cost 

burden for this collection will be 

approximately $3,000 per year. 

Item Estimated time for response 

Estimated 

annual 

responses 

Estimated 

annual burden 

hours 

Application for Recordal of Insignia or Renewal/Reactivation of 

Recordal Under the Fastener Quality Act (PTO–1611).

15 minutes ....................................... 95 24 

Totals .................................................................................................. .......................................................... 95 24 

Estimated Total Annual Non-Hour 

Respondent Cost Burden: $2,047. There 

are no capital start-up, recordkeeping, or 

maintenance costs associated with this 

information collection. However, this 

collection does have annual (non-hour) 

costs in the form of filing fees and 

postage costs. 

Under 37 CFR 2.7, the filing fee is $20 

for a recordal of a new fastener insignia, 

a renewal, or a request for reactivation. 

The USPTO estimates that it will 

receive 95 new recordals, renewals, or 

reactivations of fastener insignia per 

year, for a total of $1,900 in filing fees. 

If a manufacturer submits a renewal 

after the expiration date but within six 

months of that date, then the 

manufacturer must pay an additional 

$20 late-renewal surcharge. The USPTO 

estimates that approximately 7 of the 95 

responses per year will be late renewals 

that incur the surcharge, for a total of 

$140 in additional charges. Therefore, 

the total estimated filing fees for this 

collection will be $2,040 per year. 

The public may submit the 

information for this collection to the 

USPTO by mail through the United 

States Postal Service. The USPTO 

estimates that approximately 5 of the 95 

responses per year will be submitted to 

the USPTO by mail at an average firstclass postage cost of $1.42 per response, 

for a total postage cost of approximately 

$7 per year. 

The total non-hour respondent cost 

burden for this collection in the form of 

filing fees ($2,040) and postage costs 

($7) is estimated to be $2,047 per year. 

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, e.g., 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 also will become a matter of public 

record. 

Dated: October 23, 2014. 

Marcie Lovett, 

Records Management Division Director, 

USPTO, Office of the Chief Information 

Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2014–25861 Filed 10–29–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Patent and Trademark Office 

Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) 

Program 

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment 

request. 

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO), as part of its 

continuing effort to reduce paperwork 

and respondent burden, invites the 

general public and other Federal 

agencies to take this opportunity to 

comment on a 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 December 29, 

2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

• E-Mail: InformationCollection@

uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0058 

comment’’ in the subject line of the 

message. 

• Mail: Marcie Lovett, Records 

Management Division Director, Office of 

the Chief Information Officer, United 

States Patent and Trademark Office, 

P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313– 

1450. 

• Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://

www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information 

should be directed to Raul Tamayo, 

Senior Legal Advisor, Office of Patent 

Legal Administration, United States 

Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 

1450, Alexandria, VA 22313–1450; by 

telephone at 571–272–7728; or by email 

to Raul.Tamayo@uspto.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

The Patent Prosecution Highway 

(PPH) is a framework in which an 

application whose claims have been 

determined to be patentable by an Office 

of Earlier Examination (OEE) is eligible 

to go through an accelerated 

examination in an Office of Later 

Examination with a simple procedure 

upon an applicant’s request. By 

leveraging the search and examination 

work product of the OEE, PPH programs 

(1) deliver lower prosecution costs, (2) 

support applicants in their efforts to 

obtain stable patent rights efficiently 

around the world, and (3) reduce the 

search and examination burden, while 

improving the examination quality, of 

participating patent offices. 

Originally, the PPH programs were 

limited to the utilization of search and 

examination results of national 

applications between cross filings under 

the Paris Convention. Later, the 

potential of the PPH was greatly 

expanded by PCT–PPH programs, which 

permit participating patent offices to 

draw upon the positive results of the 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES