Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; “Rules for Patent Maintenance Fees”, 35240-35241 [2018-15877]

Download as PDF 35240 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 25, 2018 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Bay Watershed Education and Training Program National Evaluation System National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Department of Commerce, 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 proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before September 24, 2018. SUMMARY: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the internet at pracomments@doc.gov). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Bronwen Rice, NOAA Office of Education, (202) 482–6797 or Bronwen.Rice@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ADDRESSES: daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES I. Abstract This request is for an extension of a currently approved information collection. The NOAA Office of Education’s Bay Watershed Education and Training (B– WET) program seeks to contribute to NOAA’s mission by supporting education efforts to create an environmentally literate citizenry with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to protect watersheds and related ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems. B–WET currently funds projects in seven regions (California, Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, New England, and the Pacific Northwest). B–WET has created an across-region, internal evaluation system to provide ongoing feedback on program implementation and outcomes to ensure maximum quality and efficiency of the B–WET program. The evaluation system is sustained by B– VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:50 Jul 24, 2018 Jkt 244001 WET staff with occasional assistance from an outside contractor. B–WET awardees and the awardees’ professional development teacherparticipants are asked to voluntarily complete online survey forms to provide evaluation data. One individual from each awardee organization is asked to complete a form once per year of the award, and the teacher participants are asked to complete one form at the end of their professional development program and another form at the end of the following school year. II. Method of Collection Respondents submit their information electronically on web-based survey forms. III. Data OMB Control Number: 0648–0658. Form Number: None. Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a currently approved collection). Affected Public: Not-for-profit organizations; state, local or tribal governments; individuals or households. Estimated Number of Respondents: Given the funding levels of the past three fiscal years, NOAA B–WET estimates that approximately 115 awardees and 2,507 teachers will be invited to respond each year. Estimated Time per Response: Awardee-respondents will complete an online survey in 60 minutes and teacher-respondents will complete two online surveys in 30 minutes each. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,040. Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 in recordkeeping/reporting costs. 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, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 they also will become a matter of public record. Dated: July 20, 2018. Sarah Brabson, NOAA PRA Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 2018–15872 Filed 7–24–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–12–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Patent and Trademark Office Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; ‘‘Rules for Patent Maintenance Fees’’ Summary: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will submit 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. Agency: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce. Title: Rules for Patent Maintenance Fees. OMB Control Number: 0651–0016. Form Number(s): • PTO/SB/45 • PTO/SB/47 • PTO/SB/66 Type of Request: Regular. Number of Respondents: 533,910 responses per year. Average Hours per Response: The USPTO estimates it will take respondents from 0.006 hours (20 seconds) to 8 hours to complete the items in this collection, depending on the instrument(s) used. Burden Hours: 13,878.89 hours per year. Cost Burden: $1,209,457,959.50. Needs and Uses: This information collection is necessary so that patent owners can maintain a utility patent in force and to ensure that the USPTO can properly credit maintenance fee payments. The USPTO offers forms to assist the public with providing the information covered by this collection, including maintenance fee payments, petitions to accept delayed maintenance fee payments, and fee address changes. The public uses the Maintenance Fee Transmittal Form (PTO/SB/45) to determine and pay the correct amount due for a maintenance fee transaction. PTO/SB/45 may be mailed or faxed to the USPTO, but PTO/SB/45 may not be submitted electronically via EFS-Web. Customers may submit maintenance fees and six-month grace period surcharges paid before patent expiration electronically over the internet using the USPTO’s Office of Finance Online Shopping Page (hereinafter, the E:\FR\FM\25JYN1.SGM 25JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 25, 2018 / Notices daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES ‘‘Electronic Maintenance Fee Form’’) provided through the USPTO website. To pay a maintenance fee after patent expiration, customers must submit the maintenance fee payment together with a Petition to Accept Unintentionally Delayed Payment (PTO/SB/66). A petition to accept delayed payment of a maintenance fee under the unintentional standard may be filed online. To designate or change a fee address, the customer must submit a Fee Address Indication Form (PTO/SB/47). Completion of these forms results in information collected, maintained, and used consistent with all applicable OMB and USPTO Information Quality Guidelines. This includes the basic information quality standards established in the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35) (PRA), in OMB Circular A–130, and in the OMB information quality guidelines. Frequency: On occasion. Respondent’s Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits. OMB Desk Officer: Nicholas A. Fraser, email: Nicholas_A._Fraser@ omb.eop.gov. Once submitted, the request will be publicly available in electronic format through reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB. Further information can be obtained by: • Email: InformationCollection@ uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0016 comment’’ in the subject line of the message. • Mail: Raul Tamayo, Senior Legal Advisor, Office of Patent Legal Administration,, United States 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 August 24, 2018 to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB Desk Officer, via email to Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov, or by fax to 202–395–5167, marked to the attention of Nicholas A. Fraser. Marcie Lovett, Director, Records and Information Governance Division, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office. [FR Doc. 2018–15877 Filed 7–24–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–16–P COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION Order Granting Exemption From Certain Provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act Regarding Investment of Customer Funds and From Certain Related Commission Regulations Commodity Futures Trading Commission. ACTION: Order. AGENCY: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (‘‘CFTC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’) is issuing an order in response to a petition from ICE Clear Credit LLC, ICE Clear US, Inc., and ICE Clear Europe Limited (collectively, ‘‘the ICE DCOs’’ or ‘‘the Petitioners’’) seeking an exemption permitting the investment of futures and swap customer funds in certain categories of euro-denominated sovereign debt. The Commission is also granting exemptive relief to expand the universe of permissible counterparties and depositories that can be used in connection with these investments given the structure of the market for repurchase agreements in eurodenominated sovereign debt. DATES: Applicable as of July 25, 2018. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eileen A. Donovan, Deputy Director, (202) 418–5096, edonovan@cftc.gov, Division of Clearing and Risk, or Lihong McPhail, Research Economist, (202) 418–5722, lmcphail@cftc.gov, Office of the Chief Economist, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Three Lafayette Centre, 1155 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20581; or Tad Polley, Associate Director, (312) 596–0551, tpolley@cftc.gov, or Scott Sloan, Attorney-Advisor, (312) 596–0708, ssloan@cftc.gov, Division of Clearing and Risk, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 525 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60661. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: I. Background By petition dated June 22, 2017, the Petitioners, all registered derivatives clearing organizations (‘‘DCOs’’), requested an exemptive order under section 4(c) of the Commodity Exchange Act (‘‘CEA’’ or ‘‘Act’’) permitting the ICE DCOs to invest futures and cleared swap customer funds in certain categories of euro-denominated sovereign debt. On December 15, 2017, the Commission published a proposed order that would grant the requested exemption (‘‘Proposed Order’’) and requested public comment on the Proposed Order.1 1 82 VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:50 Jul 24, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 FR 59586 (Dec. 15, 2017). Frm 00040 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 35241 Section 4d of the Act 2 and Commission Regulation 1.25(a) 3 set out the permitted investments in which DCOs may invest customer funds.4 Section 4d limits investments of customer money to obligations of the United States (‘‘U.S. Government Securities’’), general obligations of any State or of any political subdivision thereof, and obligations fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States.5 Regulation 1.25 expands the list of permitted investments but does not permit investment of customer funds in foreign sovereign debt.6 Regulation 1.25 previously included foreign sovereign debt as a permitted investment for customer funds.7 In 2011, the Commission removed this option from Regulation 1.25, but also acknowledged that the safety of sovereign debt issuances of one country may vary greatly from those of another, and stated that it was amenable to considering requests for section 4(c) exemptions from this restriction.8 Specifically, the Commission stated that it would consider permitting foreign sovereign debt investments (1) to the extent that the petitioner has balances in segregated accounts owed to customers or clearing member futures commission merchants in that country’s currency and (2) to the extent that the sovereign debt serves to preserve principal and maintain liquidity of customer funds as 27 U.S.C. 6d. CFR 1.25(a) (2017). 4 Although Regulation 1.25 by its terms applies only to futures customer funds, Regulation 22.3(d) requires that a DCO investing cleared swap customer funds comply with the requirements of Regulation 1.25. 5 See 7 U.S.C. 6d(a)(2) (futures), (f)(4) (cleared swaps). 6 Regulation 1.25 permits investment of customer funds in: (i) Obligations of the United States and obligations fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States (U.S. government securities); (ii) General obligations of any State or of any political subdivision thereof (municipal securities); (iii) Obligations of any United States government corporation or enterprise sponsored by the United States government (U.S. agency obligations); (iv) Certificates of deposit issued by a bank (certificates of deposit) as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or a domestic branch of a foreign bank that carries deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; (v) Commercial paper fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States under the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program as administered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (commercial paper); (vi) Corporate notes or bonds fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States under the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program as administered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (corporate notes or bonds); and (vii) Interests in money market mutual funds. 7 See 17 CFR 1.25(a) (2005). 8 Investment of Customer Funds and Funds Held in an Account for Foreign Futures and Foreign Options Transactions, 76 FR 78776, 78782 (Dec. 19, 2011). 3 17 E:\FR\FM\25JYN1.SGM 25JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35240-35241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15877]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Patent and Trademark Office


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; ``Rules for Patent 
Maintenance Fees''

    Summary: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will 
submit 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.
    Agency: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.
    Title: Rules for Patent Maintenance Fees.
    OMB Control Number: 0651-0016.
    Form Number(s):

 PTO/SB/45
 PTO/SB/47
 PTO/SB/66

    Type of Request: Regular.
    Number of Respondents: 533,910 responses per year.
    Average Hours per Response: The USPTO estimates it will take 
respondents from 0.006 hours (20 seconds) to 8 hours to complete the 
items in this collection, depending on the instrument(s) used.
    Burden Hours: 13,878.89 hours per year.
    Cost Burden: $1,209,457,959.50.
    Needs and Uses: This information collection is necessary so that 
patent owners can maintain a utility patent in force and to ensure that 
the USPTO can properly credit maintenance fee payments. The USPTO 
offers forms to assist the public with providing the information 
covered by this collection, including maintenance fee payments, 
petitions to accept delayed maintenance fee payments, and fee address 
changes.
    The public uses the Maintenance Fee Transmittal Form (PTO/SB/45) to 
determine and pay the correct amount due for a maintenance fee 
transaction. PTO/SB/45 may be mailed or faxed to the USPTO, but PTO/SB/
45 may not be submitted electronically via EFS-Web. Customers may 
submit maintenance fees and six-month grace period surcharges paid 
before patent expiration electronically over the internet using the 
USPTO's Office of Finance Online Shopping Page (hereinafter, the

[[Page 35241]]

``Electronic Maintenance Fee Form'') provided through the USPTO 
website. To pay a maintenance fee after patent expiration, customers 
must submit the maintenance fee payment together with a Petition to 
Accept Unintentionally Delayed Payment (PTO/SB/66). A petition to 
accept delayed payment of a maintenance fee under the unintentional 
standard may be filed online. To designate or change a fee address, the 
customer must submit a Fee Address Indication Form (PTO/SB/47).
    Completion of these forms results in information collected, 
maintained, and used consistent with all applicable OMB and USPTO 
Information Quality Guidelines. This includes the basic information 
quality standards established in the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 
chapter 35) (PRA), in OMB Circular A-130, and in the OMB information 
quality guidelines.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits.
    OMB Desk Officer: Nicholas A. Fraser, email: 
[email protected].
    Once submitted, the request will be publicly available in 
electronic format through reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view 
Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
    Further information can be obtained by:
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0016 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
     Mail: Raul Tamayo, Senior Legal Advisor, Office of Patent 
Legal Administration,, United States 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 August 24, 2018 to Nicholas A. 
Fraser, OMB Desk Officer, via email to [email protected], 
or by fax to 202-395-5167, marked to the attention of Nicholas A. 
Fraser.

Marcie Lovett,
Director, Records and Information Governance Division, Office of the 
Chief Technology Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2018-15877 Filed 7-24-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-16-P
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