Notice Regarding the Elimination of the Fee for Petitions To Make Special Filed Under the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Programs, 29312-29313 [2010-12471]

Download as PDF srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES 29312 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 100 / Tuesday, May 25, 2010 / Notices Committee help GIPSA better meet the needs of its customers who operate in a dynamic and changing marketplace. DATES: GIPSA will consider nominations received by June 24, 2010. ADDRESSES: Submit nominations for the Advisory Committee by completing form AD–755. Nominations may be submitted by: • E-Mail: Terri.L.Henry@usda.gov. • Mail: Terri Henry, GIPSA, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 1633–S, Stop 3642, Washington, DC 20250–3642. • Fax: (202) 690–2173. • Hand Delivery or Courier: Terri Henry, GIPSA, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 1633–S, Stop 3642, Washington, DC 20250– 3642. • Internet: Go to https:// www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting comments. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terri L. Henry, telephone (202) 205– 8281 or e-mail Terri.L.Henry@usda.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As required by section 21 of the USGSA (7 U.S.C. 87j), as amended, the Secretary of Agriculture established the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee to provide advice to the GIPSA Administrator on implementation of the USGSA. The current authority for the Advisory Committee expires on September 30, 2015. As specified in the USGSA, each member’s term is 3 years and no member may serve successive terms. The Advisory Committee consists of 15 members, appointed by the Secretary, who represent the interests of grain producers, processors, handlers, merchandisers, consumers, exporters, and scientists with expertise in research related to the policies in section 2 of the USGSA (7 U.S.C. 74). Members of the Advisory Committee serve without compensation. USDA may reimburse members for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, for travel away from their homes or regular places of business in performance of Advisory Committee service (see 5 U.S.C. 5703). A list of current Advisory Committee members and other relevant information are available on the GIPSA Web site at https://www.gipsa.usda.gov. Under the section ‘‘I Want To * * * ’’ select ‘‘Learn about the Advisory Committee.’’ On November 10, 2009, GIPSA published a notice in the Federal Register (74 FR 57991) soliciting nominations to serve on the Advisory Committee to replace five members and eight alternate members whose terms VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:11 May 24, 2010 Jkt 220001 expired in March 2010. GIPSA is reopening for 30 days the time period for submitting additional nominations for individuals to serve on the Advisory Committee. Persons interested in serving on the Advisory Committee or nominating another individual to serve, may contact: Terri L. Henry by telephone at 202–205–8281, by fax at 202–690–2173, or by electronic mail at Terri.L.Henry@usda.gov to request Form AD–755. Form AD–755 may also be obtained via GIPSA’s Web site at https://www.gipsa.usda.gov. Under the section ‘‘I Want To…’’ select ‘‘Learn about the Advisory Committee,’’ then select Form AD–755. To ensure that recommendations of the Advisory Committee take into account the needs of the diverse groups served by the USDA, nominations shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability and experience to represent the interests of racial and ethnic minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. The final selection of Advisory Committee members and alternates is made by the Secretary of Agriculture without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, marital status, familial status, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or because all or part of their income is derived from public assistance. Marianne Plaus, Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration. [FR Doc. 2010–12380 Filed 5–24–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–KD–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Patent and Trademark Office [Docket No.: PTO–2010–0031] Notice Regarding the Elimination of the Fee for Petitions To Make Special Filed Under the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Programs AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is eliminating the fee for the petition to make special under the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programs. Currently, applicants must pay a petition fee under 37 CFR 1.17(h) to have an application to enter into the PPH program. With the elimination of the fee, applicants will no longer have PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 to pay the petition to make special fee in order to request an application enter all current pilot and fully implemented PPH programs. The elimination of the petition fee will simplify the PPH requirements and is expected to encourage greater PPH participation. Since 2006, the USPTO has implemented the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programs with a number of patent offices as part of efforts to pursue work sharing to avoid duplication of work among patent offices, and for reducing its own pendency and backlog. Notices regarding the PPH programs are available on the USPTO Web site at: https://www.uspto.gov/patents/ init_events/pph/index.jsp. Until now, the PPH notices have indicated that a request for participation in the PPH program must be accompanied by a petition to make special under 37 CFR 1.102(d) along with the required petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(h). The PPH applications have proven, on average, to take significantly less time to prosecute than non-PPH applications. Using the PPH process also increases the sharing and re-use of information (primarily search and examination results) between the USPTO and its partner patent offices. Improving the PPH framework to make it more userfriendly, and thereby encourage greater participation by applicants, would support the Office’s goal to optimize both the quality and timeliness of patents. Therefore, the USPTO has determined that all PPH applications will now be advanced out of turn for examination under 37 CFR 1.102(a) in order to expedite the business of the Office. Applications that are advanced out of turn under 37 CFR 1.102(a) do not require the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(h). Previously, applications were advanced out of turn under 37 CFR 1.102(d). DATES: Effective Date: May 25, 2010. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Magdalen Greenlief, Office of the Associate Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy, by telephone at 571–272–8140, by facsimile transmission to 571–273–8140, or by mail addressed to: Mail Stop Comments–Patents, Commissioner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313–1450. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PPH is a first concrete implementation of a worksharing framework which was jointly developed by the USPTO and the Japan Patent Office (JPO) in 2006 as a pilot project. The objective of the PPH is to promote work sharing while at the same time allowing applicants to obtain E:\FR\FM\25MYN1.SGM 25MYN1 srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 100 / Tuesday, May 25, 2010 / Notices patentability determinations faster in multiple jurisdictions. The USPTO currently has PPH arrangements with ten patent offices–those in Japan, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea, Canada, Australia, the European Patent Office (EPO), Denmark, Germany, Singapore and Finland. Notices regarding the PPH programs with these patent offices are available on the USPTO Web site at: https:// www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/ pph/index.jsp. Under the PPH program, if an application filed in an Office of First Filing (OFF) receives an indication that at least one claim is patentable, a corresponding application with corresponding claims filed in the USPTO as the Office of Second Filing (OSF) may be advanced out of turn for examination. To have the request for participation in the PPH accepted in the USPTO, an applicant must make available to the USPTO the relevant work of the OFF as well as any necessary translation. In addition, the request for participation in the PPH, until now, had to be accompanied by a petition to make special under 37 CFR 1.102(d) along with the required petition fee under 37 CFR 1.17(h). The PPH has proven to be a useful work-sharing vehicle, as shown by the following statistics (as of February 2010): • Over 2,500 PPH requests received by the USPTO since 2006; • First action allowance rate for PPH applications is about 25%, about double the first action allowance rate for all applications; • Overall allowance rate for PPH applications is about 93%, about double the allowance rate for all applications; and • The average number of actions per disposal for PPH applications is about 1.7, which is significantly less than the number of actions per disposal for nonPPH applications. While the PPH has been useful, it can be improved. The USPTO has taken a number of steps, in concert with the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and other PPH partners, to enhance the PPH framework to make it more user friendly and thereby encourage greater participation. In January 2010, the USPTO, JPO and EPO began a test implementation of an expanded PPH framework, to allow participation of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) national/regional phase applications when the International Authority has determined that one or more claims have novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability in the international phase. Previously, all PPH programs were confined to Paris VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:11 May 24, 2010 Jkt 220001 Convention route applications. The expectation is that by expanding the PPH to include PCT work products, participation will increase. The USPTO is taking additional steps to enhance the PPH framework to make the programs more user friendly and thereby encourage more participation. All petitions to make special filed with a PPH request on or after May 25, 2010 will be treated as a request that the Director order their application be advanced out of turn to expedite the business of the Office under 37 CFR 1.102(a), and the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(h) will not be required. If the request for participation in the PPH and the request to the Director are granted, the application will be advanced out of turn for examination by order of the Director under 37 CFR 1.102(a). Petitions to make special filed with a PPH request prior to May 25, 2010 will be treated under 37 CFR 1.102(d) and the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(h) will be required. Dated: May 18, 2010. David J. Kappos, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. [FR Doc. 2010–12471 Filed 5–24–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–16–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A–570–890] Wooden Bedroom Furniture from the People’s Republic of China: Extension of Time Limit for the Final Results of the Antidumping Duty Administrative Review AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. EFFECTIVE DATE: May 25, 2010. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Pedersen or David Edmiston, AD/CVD Operations, Office 4, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482–2769, and (202) 482–0989 respectively. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background On February 5, 2010, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on wooden PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 29313 bedroom furniture (WBF) from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), covering the period January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009. See Wooden Bedroom Furniture From the People’s Republic of China: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review and Intent To Rescind Review in Part, 75 FR 5952 (February 5, 2010). The final results of this administrative review were originally due no later than June 5, 2010. As explained in the memorandum from the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, the Department has exercised its discretion to toll deadlines for the duration of the closure of the Federal Government from February 5, through February 12, 2010. Thus, all deadlines in this segment of the proceeding have been extended by seven days. The revised deadline for the final results of this review is currently June 12, 2010. See Memorandum to the Record from Ronald Lorentzen, DAS for Import Administration, regarding ‘‘Tolling of Administrative Deadlines As a Result of the Government Closure During the Recent Snowstorm,’’ dated February 12, 2010. Extension of Time Limit of Final Results Section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), requires that the Department issue the final results of an administrative review within 120 days after the date on which the preliminary results are published. If it is not practicable to complete the review within that time period, section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act allows the Department to extend the deadline for the final results to a maximum of 180 days after the date on which the preliminary results are published. The Department finds that it is not practicable to complete the final results of this review by June 12, 2010, because the Department needs additional time to consider over 30 complex issues the parties have raised. Therefore, in accordance with section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act, the Department is extending the time limit for completion of the final results by 60 days to August 11, 2010. This notice is published in accordance with sections 751(a)(3)(A) and 777(i) of the Act. Dated: May 19, 2010. John M. Andersen, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations. [FR Doc. 2010–12566 Filed 5–24–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S E:\FR\FM\25MYN1.SGM 25MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29312-29313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12471]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No.: PTO-2010-0031]


Notice Regarding the Elimination of the Fee for Petitions To Make 
Special Filed Under the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Programs

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is 
eliminating the fee for the petition to make special under the Patent 
Prosecution Highway (PPH) programs. Currently, applicants must pay a 
petition fee under 37 CFR 1.17(h) to have an application to enter into 
the PPH program. With the elimination of the fee, applicants will no 
longer have to pay the petition to make special fee in order to request 
an application enter all current pilot and fully implemented PPH 
programs. The elimination of the petition fee will simplify the PPH 
requirements and is expected to encourage greater PPH participation.
    Since 2006, the USPTO has implemented the Patent Prosecution 
Highway (PPH) programs with a number of patent offices as part of 
efforts to pursue work sharing to avoid duplication of work among 
patent offices, and for reducing its own pendency and backlog. Notices 
regarding the PPH programs are available on the USPTO Web site at: 
https://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp. Until now, the 
PPH notices have indicated that a request for participation in the PPH 
program must be accompanied by a petition to make special under 37 CFR 
1.102(d) along with the required petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 
1.17(h).
    The PPH applications have proven, on average, to take significantly 
less time to prosecute than non-PPH applications. Using the PPH process 
also increases the sharing and re-use of information (primarily search 
and examination results) between the USPTO and its partner patent 
offices. Improving the PPH framework to make it more user-friendly, and 
thereby encourage greater participation by applicants, would support 
the Office's goal to optimize both the quality and timeliness of 
patents. Therefore, the USPTO has determined that all PPH applications 
will now be advanced out of turn for examination under 37 CFR 1.102(a) 
in order to expedite the business of the Office. Applications that are 
advanced out of turn under 37 CFR 1.102(a) do not require the petition 
fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(h). Previously, applications were advanced 
out of turn under 37 CFR 1.102(d).

DATES: Effective Date: May 25, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Magdalen Greenlief, Office of the 
Associate Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy, by telephone at 
571-272-8140, by facsimile transmission to 571-273-8140, or by mail 
addressed to: Mail Stop Comments-Patents, Commissioner for Patents, 
P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PPH is a first concrete implementation of a 
work-sharing framework which was jointly developed by the USPTO and the 
Japan Patent Office (JPO) in 2006 as a pilot project. The objective of 
the PPH is to promote work sharing while at the same time allowing 
applicants to obtain

[[Page 29313]]

patentability determinations faster in multiple jurisdictions. The 
USPTO currently has PPH arrangements with ten patent offices-those in 
Japan, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea, Canada, Australia, 
the European Patent Office (EPO), Denmark, Germany, Singapore and 
Finland. Notices regarding the PPH programs with these patent offices 
are available on the USPTO Web site at: https://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp.
    Under the PPH program, if an application filed in an Office of 
First Filing (OFF) receives an indication that at least one claim is 
patentable, a corresponding application with corresponding claims filed 
in the USPTO as the Office of Second Filing (OSF) may be advanced out 
of turn for examination. To have the request for participation in the 
PPH accepted in the USPTO, an applicant must make available to the 
USPTO the relevant work of the OFF as well as any necessary 
translation. In addition, the request for participation in the PPH, 
until now, had to be accompanied by a petition to make special under 37 
CFR 1.102(d) along with the required petition fee under 37 CFR 1.17(h).
    The PPH has proven to be a useful work-sharing vehicle, as shown by 
the following statistics (as of February 2010):
     Over 2,500 PPH requests received by the USPTO since 2006;
     First action allowance rate for PPH applications is about 
25%, about double the first action allowance rate for all applications;
     Overall allowance rate for PPH applications is about 93%, 
about double the allowance rate for all applications; and
     The average number of actions per disposal for PPH 
applications is about 1.7, which is significantly less than the number 
of actions per disposal for non-PPH applications.
    While the PPH has been useful, it can be improved. The USPTO has 
taken a number of steps, in concert with the Japan Patent Office (JPO) 
and other PPH partners, to enhance the PPH framework to make it more 
user friendly and thereby encourage greater participation. In January 
2010, the USPTO, JPO and EPO began a test implementation of an expanded 
PPH framework, to allow participation of the Patent Cooperation Treaty 
(PCT) national/regional phase applications when the International 
Authority has determined that one or more claims have novelty, 
inventive step and industrial applicability in the international phase. 
Previously, all PPH programs were confined to Paris Convention route 
applications. The expectation is that by expanding the PPH to include 
PCT work products, participation will increase.
    The USPTO is taking additional steps to enhance the PPH framework 
to make the programs more user friendly and thereby encourage more 
participation. All petitions to make special filed with a PPH request 
on or after May 25, 2010 will be treated as a request that the Director 
order their application be advanced out of turn to expedite the 
business of the Office under 37 CFR 1.102(a), and the petition fee set 
forth in 37 CFR 1.17(h) will not be required. If the request for 
participation in the PPH and the request to the Director are granted, 
the application will be advanced out of turn for examination by order 
of the Director under 37 CFR 1.102(a).
    Petitions to make special filed with a PPH request prior to May 25, 
2010 will be treated under 37 CFR 1.102(d) and the petition fee set 
forth in 37 CFR 1.17(h) will be required.

    Dated: May 18, 2010.
David J. Kappos,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2010-12471 Filed 5-24-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P
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