Request for Information Related to Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge, 15694-15695 [2016-06681]

Download as PDF 15694 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 57 / Thursday, March 24, 2016 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES final report needs no comments, NMFS will consider the draft report as the Final Report. b. Final Report: Glacier Bay shall prepare and submit a Final Report to NMFS within 30 days following resolution of any comments on the draft report from NMFS. 8. Reporting Injured or Dead Marine Mammals In the unanticipated event that the specified activity clearly causes the take of a marine mammal in a manner prohibited by the authorization, such as an injury (Level A harassment), serious injury, or mortality (e.g., vessel-strike, stampede, etc.), BLM and/or its designees shall immediately cease the specified activities and immediately report the incident to the Division Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, and the Alaska Regional Stranding Coordinator. The report must include the following information: • Time, date, and location (latitude/ longitude) of the incident; • Description and location of the incident (including water depth, if applicable); • Environmental conditions (e.g., wind speed and direction, Beaufort sea state, cloud cover, and visibility); • Description of all marine mammal observations in the 24 hours preceding the incident; • Species identification or description of the animal(s) involved; • Fate of the animal(s); and • Photographs or video footage of the animal(s) (if equipment is available). Glacier Bay NP shall not resume its activities until NMFS is able to review the circumstances of the prohibited take. NMFS will work with Glacier Bay NP to determine what is necessary to minimize the likelihood of further prohibited take and ensure MMPA compliance. Glacier Bay NP may not resume their activities until notified by us via letter, email, or telephone. In the event that Glacier Bay NP discovers an injured or dead marine mammal, and the marine mammal observer determines that the cause of the injury or death is unknown and the death is relatively recent (i.e., in less than a moderate state of decomposition as we describe in the next paragraph), Glacier Bay NP will immediately report the incident to the Division Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, and the Alaska Regional Stranding Coordinator. The report must include the same information identified in the paragraph above this section. Activities may continue while NMFS reviews the VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:44 Mar 23, 2016 Jkt 238001 circumstances of the incident. NMFS would work with Glacier Bay NP to determine whether modifications in the activities are appropriate. In the event that Glacier Bay NP discovers an injured or dead marine mammal, and the lead visual observer determines that the injury or death is not associated with or related to the authorized activities (e.g., previously wounded animal, carcass with moderate to advanced decomposition, or scavenger damage), Glacier Bay NP will report the incident to the Division Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, and the Alaska Regional Stranding Coordinator within 24 hours of the discovery. Glacier Bay NP personnel will provide photographs or video footage (if available) or other documentation of the stranded animal sighting to us. Glacier Bay NP can continue their survey activities while NMFS reviews the circumstances of the incident. Request for Public Comments NMFS requests comment on the analyses, the draft Authorization, and any other aspect of the Notice of Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization for Glacier Bay NP’s activities. Please include any supporting data or literature citations with your comments to help inform our final decision on Glacier Bay NP’s request for an Authorization. Dated: March 18, 2016. Perry F. Gayaldo, Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2016–06673 Filed 3–23–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Patent and Trademark Office [Docket No.: PTO–P–2016–0008] Request for Information Related to Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce. ACTION: Request for Comments. AGENCY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is requesting information from its stakeholders regarding issues to be discussed in upcoming World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) meetings related to intellectual property, genetic resources, and associated traditional knowledge. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Submission Deadline Date: To be ensured of consideration, submissions must be received on or before May 23, 2016. ADDRESSES: Written submissions should be sent by electronic mail over the Internet addressed to: InfoForWIPOIGC@uspto.gov. Submissions may also be submitted by postal mail addressed to: Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313–1450, marked to the attention of Karin Ferriter, Office of Policy and International Affairs. Although submissions may be sent by postal mail, the USPTO prefers to receive submissions by electronic mail message over the Internet because sharing submissions with the public is more easily accomplished. Electronic submissions are preferred to be formatted in plain text, but also may be submitted in ADOBE® portable document format or MICROSOFT WORD® format. Submissions not sent electronically should be on paper in a format that facilitates convenient digital scanning into ADOBE® portable document format. Timely filed submissions will be available for public inspection at the Office of Policy and International Affairs, currently located in Madison West, Tenth Floor, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. Submissions also will be available for viewing via the USPTO’s Internet Web site (https://www.uspto.gov/patentsgetting-started/international-protection/ patent-policy). Because submissions will be made available for public inspection, information that the submitter does not desire to make public, such as an address or phone number, should not be included. It would be helpful to the USPTO if written submissions include the following information: (1) The name and affiliation of the individual responding; and (2) an indication of whether submissions offered represent the views of the respondent’s organization or are the respondent’s personal views. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karin Ferriter, Attorney-Advisor (telephone (571) 272–9300; electronic mail message Karin.Ferriter@uspto.gov) or Dominic Keating, Director, ´ Intellectual Property Attache Program (telephone (571) 272–9300; electronic mail message Dominic.Keating@ uspto.gov), of the Office of Policy and International Affairs. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee DATES: E:\FR\FM\24MRN1.SGM 24MRN1 asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 57 / Thursday, March 24, 2016 / Notices on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) will conduct its thirtieth session from May 30 to June 3, 2016. The United States will participate in that meeting. At the meeting, the IGC will continue a longstanding discussion as to whether WIPO members should require patent applicants to disclose the source or origin of traditional knowledge and genetic resources used in an invention, as well as practices to prevent the granting of patents for inventions that are not patentable. These discussions have included definitional issues, including the definitions of genetic resources and traditional knowledge. See https://www.wipo.int/tk/en/igc/ for more information. Such practices include searching publicly available databases of genetic resource information and traditional knowledge. The IGC decided to invite relevant parties to provide information that could aid the IGC in its deliberations. The USPTO welcomes comments from the public on issues related to these topics. Comments regard the issues below would be particularly helpful to the USPTO. • Currently, several resources are available which enable USPTO patent examiners to search prior art traditional knowledge and medicine, many of which are also available to the public,1 and some of which are available only to patent examiners through the USPTO Science and Technology Information Center. Æ Are there additional databases with information about genetic resources and traditional knowledge that patent examiners should use to assess patentability? Æ What are the best practices for establishing such a database? Æ Before such a database is made publicly available, what steps should be taken to ensure that it does not include confidential information? Æ What studies have been done regarding national laws and practices that require patent applications to disclose the country of source or origin for genetic resources or traditional knowledge that may be implicated in the patent application? • The meeting is also expected to consider a wide range of views among IGC delegations as to whether the intellectual property system should play a role in ensuring that researchers obtain informed consent before obtaining genetic resources or 1 See https://www.uspto.gov/patent/laws-andregulations/comments-public/traditionalknowledge-and-medicine-resources. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:44 Mar 23, 2016 Jkt 238001 traditional knowledge from indigenous peoples. Æ What codes of conduct (e.g., University or industry regarding research), practices (e.g., State park procedures to obtain prior informed consent), and laws (e.g., tribal laws regarding sharing of culture and granting prior informed consent) are relevant to the protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge? Æ What studies have been done regarding national laws and practices requiring patent applications to disclose the country of source or origin for genetic resources or traditional knowledge? • At various times, different IGC delegations have referred to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Æ How, if at all, should these Declarations inform the discussions at the IGC? Interested parties are invited to share their views on these matters. The information obtained can help ensure that the United States delegation has the most current views on relevant issues for discussion at the WIPO IGC meetings. Studies, citations of databases, codes of conduct, and laws that are provided in response to this notice may be collected and submitted to WIPO for compilation as part of the reference materials for the WIPO IGC. Dated: March 18, 2016. Michelle K. Lee Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. [FR Doc. 2016–06681 Filed 3–23–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–16–P Department of the Army [Docket ID: USA–2016–HQ–0010] Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records Department of the Army, DoD. Notice to alter a System of Records. AGENCY: ACTION: The Department of the Army proposes to alter a system of records, A0600–43 DAPE, entitled ‘‘DA Conscientious Objector Review Board’’. This system is used to investigate claims of a service member that he/she is a conscientious objector to participation in war or to the bearing of arms and to make final determination resulting in assignment of appropriate status or awarding of discharge. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Comments will be accepted on or before April 25, 2016. This proposed action will be effective on the date following the end of the comment period unless comments are received which result in a contrary determination. DATES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and title, by any of the following methods: * Federal Rulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. * Mail: Department of Defense, Office of the Deputy Chief Management Officer, Directorate of Oversight and Compliance, Regulatory and Audit Matters Office, 9010 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–9010. Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and docket number for this Federal Register document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the Internet at https:// www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information. ADDRESSES: Ms. Tracy Rogers, Department of the Army, Privacy Office, U.S. Army Records Management and Declassification Agency, 7701 Telegraph Road, Casey Building, Suite 144, Alexandria, VA 22325–3905 or by calling (703) 428– 7499. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Department of the Army’s notices for systems of records subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended, have been published in the Federal Register and are available from the address in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or from the Defense Privacy and Civil Liberties Division Web site at https://dpcld.defense.gov/. The proposed systems reports, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) of the Privacy Act, as amended, were submitted on March 18, 2016, to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) pursuant to paragraph 4c of Appendix I to OMB Circular No. A–130, ‘‘Federal Agency Responsibilities for Maintaining Records About Individuals,’’ dated February 8, 1996 (February 20, 1996, 61 FR 6427). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Sfmt 4703 15695 E:\FR\FM\24MRN1.SGM 24MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 57 (Thursday, March 24, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15694-15695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-06681]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No.: PTO-P-2016-0008]


Request for Information Related to Intellectual Property, Genetic 
Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Request for Comments.

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

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is 
requesting information from its stakeholders regarding issues to be 
discussed in upcoming World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) 
meetings related to intellectual property, genetic resources, and 
associated traditional knowledge.

DATES: Submission Deadline Date: To be ensured of consideration, 
submissions must be received on or before May 23, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Written submissions should be sent by electronic mail over 
the Internet addressed to: InfoForWIPOIGC@uspto.gov. Submissions may 
also be submitted by postal mail addressed to: Director of the United 
States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 
22313-1450, marked to the attention of Karin Ferriter, Office of Policy 
and International Affairs. Although submissions may be sent by postal 
mail, the USPTO prefers to receive submissions by electronic mail 
message over the Internet because sharing submissions with the public 
is more easily accomplished.
    Electronic submissions are preferred to be formatted in plain text, 
but also may be submitted in ADOBE[supreg] portable document format or 
MICROSOFT WORD[supreg] format. Submissions not sent electronically 
should be on paper in a format that facilitates convenient digital 
scanning into ADOBE[supreg] portable document format.
    Timely filed submissions will be available for public inspection at 
the Office of Policy and International Affairs, currently located in 
Madison West, Tenth Floor, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia 
22314. Submissions also will be available for viewing via the USPTO's 
Internet Web site (https://www.uspto.gov/patents-getting-started/international-protection/patent-policy). Because submissions will be 
made available for public inspection, information that the submitter 
does not desire to make public, such as an address or phone number, 
should not be included. It would be helpful to the USPTO if written 
submissions include the following information: (1) The name and 
affiliation of the individual responding; and (2) an indication of 
whether submissions offered represent the views of the respondent's 
organization or are the respondent's personal views.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karin Ferriter, Attorney-Advisor 
(telephone (571) 272-9300; electronic mail message 
Karin.Ferriter@uspto.gov) or Dominic Keating, Director, Intellectual 
Property Attach[eacute] Program (telephone (571) 272-9300; electronic 
mail message Dominic.Keating@uspto.gov), of the Office of Policy and 
International Affairs.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The World Intellectual Property 
Organization's (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee

[[Page 15695]]

on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge 
and Folklore (IGC) will conduct its thirtieth session from May 30 to 
June 3, 2016. The United States will participate in that meeting.
    At the meeting, the IGC will continue a longstanding discussion as 
to whether WIPO members should require patent applicants to disclose 
the source or origin of traditional knowledge and genetic resources 
used in an invention, as well as practices to prevent the granting of 
patents for inventions that are not patentable. These discussions have 
included definitional issues, including the definitions of genetic 
resources and traditional knowledge. See https://www.wipo.int/tk/en/igc/ 
for more information. Such practices include searching publicly 
available databases of genetic resource information and traditional 
knowledge.
    The IGC decided to invite relevant parties to provide information 
that could aid the IGC in its deliberations. The USPTO welcomes 
comments from the public on issues related to these topics. Comments 
regard the issues below would be particularly helpful to the USPTO.
     Currently, several resources are available which enable 
USPTO patent examiners to search prior art traditional knowledge and 
medicine, many of which are also available to the public,\1\ and some 
of which are available only to patent examiners through the USPTO 
Science and Technology Information Center.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See https://www.uspto.gov/patent/laws-and-regulations/comments-public/traditional-knowledge-and-medicine-resources.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    [cir] Are there additional databases with information about genetic 
resources and traditional knowledge that patent examiners should use to 
assess patentability?
    [cir] What are the best practices for establishing such a database?
    [cir] Before such a database is made publicly available, what steps 
should be taken to ensure that it does not include confidential 
information?
    [cir] What studies have been done regarding national laws and 
practices that require patent applications to disclose the country of 
source or origin for genetic resources or traditional knowledge that 
may be implicated in the patent application?
     The meeting is also expected to consider a wide range of 
views among IGC delegations as to whether the intellectual property 
system should play a role in ensuring that researchers obtain informed 
consent before obtaining genetic resources or traditional knowledge 
from indigenous peoples.
    [cir] What codes of conduct (e.g., University or industry regarding 
research), practices (e.g., State park procedures to obtain prior 
informed consent), and laws (e.g., tribal laws regarding sharing of 
culture and granting prior informed consent) are relevant to the 
protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge?
    [cir] What studies have been done regarding national laws and 
practices requiring patent applications to disclose the country of 
source or origin for genetic resources or traditional knowledge?
     At various times, different IGC delegations have referred 
to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and to the United Nations 
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
    [cir] How, if at all, should these Declarations inform the 
discussions at the IGC?
    Interested parties are invited to share their views on these 
matters. The information obtained can help ensure that the United 
States delegation has the most current views on relevant issues for 
discussion at the WIPO IGC meetings. Studies, citations of databases, 
codes of conduct, and laws that are provided in response to this notice 
may be collected and submitted to WIPO for compilation as part of the 
reference materials for the WIPO IGC.

    Dated: March 18, 2016.
Michelle K. Lee
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2016-06681 Filed 3-23-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-16-P

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