Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals , 34229 [E7-12005]

Agencies

• Patent and Trademark Office

[Federal Register: June 21, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 119)]
[Notices]
[Page 34229]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21jn07-18]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has submitted
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: Practitioner Records Maintenance, Disclosure, and Discipline
Before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
    Form Number(s): None.
    Agency Approval Number: 0651-0017.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 10,402 hours annually.
    Number of Respondents: 532 responses per year.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: The USPTO estimates that practitioners
spend 26 hours per year keeping and maintaining records concerning
their client's cases. The USPTO estimates that practitioners seeking
reinstatement to practice before the agency will spend 60 hours per
year keeping and maintaining records showing their compliance with the
suspension or exclusion orders. It is estimated that it takes 2 hours
to report a complaint/violation. These estimates include the time to
maintain the records, and to gather the necessary information and
prepare the complaint/violation and submit it to the USPTO.
    Needs and Uses: This information is required by 35 U.S.C.
2(b)(2)(D) and 32, and administered by the USPTO through the USPTO Code
of Professional Responsibility (37 CFR 10.20 to 10.112) and the
Investigations and Disciplinary Proceedings rules (37 CFR 10.130 to
10.170). This information is used by the Director of the Office of
Enrollment and Discipline (OED) to investigate and, where appropriate,
prosecute for violations of the USPTO Code of Professional
Responsibility. Registered practitioners are mandated to maintain
proper documentation so that they can fully cooperate with an
investigation in the event of a report of an alleged violation.
Additionally, practitioners who have been excluded or suspended from
practice before the USPTO must keep and maintain records of their steps
to comply with the suspension or exclusion order. These records serve
as the practitioner's proof of compliance with the order. No forms are
associated with this information collection.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, (202) 395-3897.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained
by any of the following:
    E-mail: Susan.Fawcett@uspto.gov. Include ``0651-0017 copy request''
in the subject line of the message.
    Fax: 571-273-0112, marked to the attention of Susan K. Fawcett.
    Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the Chief
Information Officer, Customer Information Services Group, Public
Information Services Division, U.S. 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 July 23, 2007 to David Rostker,
OMB Desk Officer, Room 10202, New Executive Office Building,
Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: June 15, 2007.
Susan K. Fawcett,
Records Officer, USPTO, Customer Information Services Group, Public
Information Services Division.
[FR Doc. E7-12005 Filed 6-20-07; 8:45 am]

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