Customer Account Registration and Maintenance, 20619-20620 [2013-07933]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• United States Patent and Trademark Office

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 66 (Friday, April 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20619-20620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07933]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States Patent and Trademark Office


Customer Account Registration and Maintenance

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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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 this new 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 June 4, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Email: InformationCollection@uspto.gov. Include ``0651-
00xx Customer Account Registration and Maintenance'' in the subject 
line of the message.
     Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, 
P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.

[[Page 20620]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, 
P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-5429; 
or by email to Susan.Fawcet@uspto.gov. Additional information about 
this collection is also available at https://www.reginfo.gov under 
``Information Collection Review.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) seeks to 
launch ``MyUSPTO,'' an optional customer portal that will serve as a 
central point for access to online system interfaces and submission of 
information to the USPTO. Customers will have the opportunity to create 
online accounts through USPTO.gov that will collect information for a 
variety of programmatic purposes. MyUSPTO will initially serve as an 
authoritative source for customer contact and correspondence 
information (such as current addresses, official email addresses, and 
telephone numbers) and will eventually allow customers to create a 
portfolio of information that can be retained and used for other 
business transactions with the USPTO. In the future, MyUSPTO will also 
provide a unified interface with convenient access to other USPTO 
systems, such as electronic fee payments.
    With MyUSPTO, the agency seeks to establish the option for 
customers to obtain a single login that can be used to access USPTO's 
online systems, reducing the need to maintain multiple user names for 
different activities or re-enter information such as correspondence 
addresses for every authorized transaction.
    Guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum 
``Social Media, Web-Based Interactive Technologies, and the Paperwork 
Reduction Act'' dated April 7, 2010, states that self-identifying 
information for the creation of user accounts or profiles is not 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) under certain conditions. 
However, the PRA does apply ``when agencies use online accounts to 
collect information for programmatic purposes.'' Since the customer 
accounts will provide an option for users to submit information for 
programmatic purposes, the USPTO is seeking approval to collect this 
information under the PRA. This new collection is expected to enhance 
but not influence any existing or future information requirements for 
business before the Office.

II. Method of Collection

    Electronic.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-00xx.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; businesses or other 
for-profits; and not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,000 responses per year. The 
USPTO estimates that approximately 20% of these responses will be from 
small entities.
    Estimated Time Per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
the public from 2 to 12 minutes (0.03 to 0.20 hours) to gather, 
prepare, and submit the information required for this collection.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 1,150 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $283,475. The USPTO 
expects that the information in this collection will be prepared by 
attorneys and paraprofessionals. Using the estimate hourly rates of 
$371 for attorneys and $122 for paraprofessionals, the USPTO expects 
that the average hourly rate for respondents to this collection will be 
$246.50. Therefore, the USPTO estimates that the total respondent cost 
burden for submitting the information in this collection will be 
approximately $283,475 per year.

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                                                                                     Estimated       Estimated
                     Item                          Estimated time for response        annual       annual burden
                                                                                     responses         hours
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Customer Profile Account Request and            12 minutes......................           5,000           1,000
 Maintenance.
Correspondence and Contact Information........  2 minutes.......................           5,000             150
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    Totals....................................  ................................          10,000           1,150
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    Estimated Total Annual Non-hour Respondent Cost Burden: $0. There 
are no capital start-up, maintenance, or recordkeeping costs associated 
with this information collection. There are no fees for setting up a 
customer profile. All transactions will be received and processed 
electronically.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will 
become a matter of public record.
    The USPTO is soliciting public comments to:
    (a) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) 
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the burden 
of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

    Dated: April 2, 2013.
Susan K. Fawcett,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-07933 Filed 4-4-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P