Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Recording Assignments, 20121-20123 [2021-07854]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 72 / Friday, April 16, 2021 / Notices
following website www.reginfo.gov/
public/do/PRAMain. Find this
particular information collection by
selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day
Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or
by using the search function and
entering either the title of the collection
or the OMB Control Number 0648–0646.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Chief Information Officer, Commerce
Department.
[FR Doc. 2021–07821 Filed 4–15–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–JS–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XB009]
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative
Management Act Provisions; General
Provisions for Domestic Fisheries;
Application for Exempted Fishing
Permits
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
AGENCY:
The Assistant Regional
Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries,
Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has
made a preliminary determination that
an Exempted Fishing Permit renewal
application from the Massachusetts
Division of Marine Fisheries contains all
of the required information and
warrants further consideration.
Regulations under the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act and the Atlantic
Coastal Fisheries Cooperative
Management Act require publication of
this notice to provide interested parties
the opportunity to comment on
applications for proposed Exempted
Fishing Permits.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before May 3, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written
comments by any of the following
methods:
• Email: NMFS.GAR.EFP@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line ‘‘Comments
on AOLA Larval Lobster EFP.’’ If you
cannot submit a comment through this
method, please contact Allison Murphy
at (978) 281–9122, or email at
allison.murphy@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy Analyst,
978–281–9122, allison.murphy@
noaa.gov.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
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19:57 Apr 15, 2021
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The
Massachusetts Division of Marine
Fisheries (MA DMF) submitted a
complete application on March 17, 2021
for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) to
conduct a lobster abundance survey that
Federal regulations would otherwise
restrict. The purpose of this study is to
provide fishery-independent data on
lobster growth and abundance in
Massachusetts state waters of statistical
areas 514 and 538. This EFP would
authorize up to seven vessels to conduct
larval sampling in Lobster Conservation
Management Area 1 and 2. A map of
this area is available at: https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/map/
lobster-management-areas.
For this project, MA DMF is
requesting exemptions from the
following Federal lobster regulations:
1. Gear specification requirements to
allow for the use of traps without escape
vents (50 CFR 697.21(c)(1) for Lobster
Management Area 1 and § 697.21(c)(2)
for Area 2);
2. Trap limit requirements to allow for
trap limits to be exceeded (§ 697.19(a)
for Area 1 and § 697.19(b) for Area 2);
3. Trap tag requirements to allow for
alternatively-tagged traps (§ 697.19(i));
4. Minimum and maximum carapace
length requirements to allow sub-legal
and over-sized lobsters to be landed for
research purposes (§§ 697.20(a)(2) and
697.20(b)(2) for Area 1, and
§§ 697.20(a)(3) and 697.20(b)(3) for Area
2);
5. V-notch possession requirement to
allow landing of females for research
purposes (§ 697.20(g)(1) for Area 1 and
§ 697.20(g)(3) for Area 2); and
6. Berried female possession
requirement to allow landing of eggbearing female lobsters for research
purposes (§ 697.20(d)(1)and(3)).
This survey has occurred annually
since 2006 in Massachusetts state
waters. The EFP would authorize up to
seven participating vessels to deploy
three standard and three ventless traps
per six-pot trawl. Stations would be
sampled twice per month from June
through October 2020. Sampling trips
would occur after a soak time of
approximately 3 days and at least one
MA DMF scientist would be on board
for the sampling trips. MA DMF
personnel would not be on board when
traps are baited and deployed. All gear
would be Atlantic Large Whale Take
Reduction Plan compliant. Survey traps
will be separate from each vessel’s
commercial lobster traps and would be
tagged as, ‘‘MADMF Research Traps.’’
All catch during sampling trips would
be retained temporarily to collect
biological data. MA DMF staff may
collect lobster and/or Jonah crab,
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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20121
including undersized, oversized,
v-notched, and egg-bearing lobsters.
Collected samples would be used for
research projects on growth and
maturity. No catch from the
experimental trips would be landed for
sale.
If approved, MA DMF may request
minor modifications and extensions to
the EFP throughout the study. EFP
modifications and extensions may be
granted without further notice if they
are deemed essential to facilitate
completion of the proposed research
and have minimal impacts that do not
change the scope or impact of the
initially approved EFP request. Any
fishing activity conducted outside the
scope of the exempted fishing activity
would be prohibited.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 13, 2021.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–07901 Filed 4–15–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Recording Assignments
United States Patent and
Trademark Office, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
The United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO), in
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, invites
comments on the extension and revision
of an existing information collection:
0651–0027 (Recording Assignments).
The purpose of this notice is to allow 60
days for public comment preceding
submission of the information collection
to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration,
comments regarding this information
collection must be received on or before
June 15, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments by
any of the following methods. Do not
submit Confidential Business
Information or otherwise sensitive or
protected information:
• Email: InformationCollection@
uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0027
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\16APN1.SGM
16APN1
20122
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 72 / Friday, April 16, 2021 / Notices
comment’’ in the subject line of the
message.
• Federal Rulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov.
• Mail: Kimberly Hardy, Office of the
Chief Administrative Officer, United
States Patent and Trademark Office,
P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313–
1450.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information
should be directed to Joyce R. Johnson,
Manager, Assignment Division, Mail
Stop 1450, United States Patent and
Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450,
Alexandria, VA 22313–1450; by
telephone at 703–756–1265; or by email
to Joyce.Johnson@uspto.gov with
‘‘0651–0027 comment’’ in the subject
line. Additional information about this
information collection is also available
at https://www.reginfo.gov under
‘‘Information Collection Review.’’
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
This collection of information is
required by 35 U.S.C. 261 and 262 for
patents and 15 U.S.C. 1057 and 1060 for
trademarks. These statutes authorize the
United States Patent and Trademark
Office (USPTO) to record patent and
trademark assignment documents,
including transfers of properties (i.e.,
patents and trademarks), liens, licenses,
assignments of interest, security
interests, mergers, and explanations of
transactions or other documents that
record the transfer of ownership of a
particular patent or trademark property
from one party to another. Assignments
are recorded for applications, patents,
and trademark registrations.
The USPTO administers these statutes
through 37 CFR 2.146, 2.171, and 37
CFR 3. These regulations permit the
public, corporations, other federal
agencies, and Government-owned or
Government-controlled corporations to
submit patent and trademark
assignment documents and other
documents related to title transfers to
the USPTO to be recorded. In
accordance with 37 CFR 3.54, the
recording of an assignment document by
the USPTO is an administrative action
and not a determination of the validity
of the document or of the effect that the
document has on the title to an
application, patent, or trademark.
In order to record an assignment
document, the respondent must submit
an appropriate cover sheet along with
copies of the assignment document to be
recorded. Once the assignment
documents are recorded, they are
available for public inspection. The
public uses these records to conduct
ownership and chain-of-title searches.
The public may view these records
either at the USPTO Public Search
Facility or at the National Archives and
Records Administration, depending on
the date they were recorded. The public
may also search patent and trademark
assignment information online through
the USPTO website. The only
exceptions are those documents that are
sealed under secrecy orders according to
37 CFR 3.58 or related to unpublished
patent applications maintained in
confidence under 35 U.S.C. 122 and 37
CFR 1.14.
This information collection covers
assignments submitted by paper and
online through the use of the Electronic
Patent Assignment System (EPAS) and
the Electronic Trademark Assignment
System (ETAS). The electronic systems
allow customers to complete the
required cover sheet information online
using web-based forms and then attach
the electronic assignment documents to
be submitted for recordation. The
electronic systems are available through
the USPTO website at https://
epas.uspto.gov/ and https://
etas.uspto.gov/.
II. Method of Collection
The items in this information
collection can be submitted
electronically through EPAS or ETAS,
or on paper by mail, facsimile, or hand
delivery to the USPTO.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0651–0027.
Form Numbers:
• PTO–1594 (Trademark Assignment
Recordation Cover Sheet)
• PTO–1595 (Patent Assignment
Recordation Cover Sheet)
Type of Review: Extension and
revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Affected Public: Private Sector;
individuals or households.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
649,880 respondents per year.
Estimated Number of Responses:
649,880 responses per year.
Estimated Time per Response: The
USPTO estimates that the response time
for activities related to the recording
assignment process will take
approximately 30 minutes (0.5 hours) to
complete. This includes the time to
gather the necessary information, create
the document, and submit the
completed item to the USPTO.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden:
324,941 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost Burden
(Hourly): $88,708,893.
TABLE 1—TOTAL HOURLY BURDEN FOR PRIVATE SECTOR RESPONDENTS
Item No.
Estimated
annual
respondents
Item
1 ...........................
2 ...........................
Total ..............
Trademark Assignment System
(ETAS) (PTO–1594).
Patent
Assignment
System
(EPAS) (PTO–1595).
....................................................
Estimated
annual
responses
(year)
Estimated time
for response
(hour)
Estimated
annual burden
(hours/year)
Rate 1
($/hour)
Estimated
annual
burden
(a)
(b)
(a) × (b) = (c)
(d)
(c) × (d) = (e)
35,984
35,984
0.5 (30 minutes) .........
17,992
$273
$4,911,816
353,945
353,945
0.5 (30 minutes) .........
176,973
273
48,313,629
389,929
389,929
.....................................
194,965
........................
53,225,445
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
1 2019
Report of the Economic Survey, published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA);
https://www.aipla.org/detail/journal-issue/2019-report-of-the-economic-survey. The USPTO uses the mean rate for attorneys in private firms which is $400 per hour.
The hourly rate for paraprofessional/paralegals is estimated at $145 from data published in the 2018 Utilization and Compensation Survey by the National Association
of Legal Assistants (NALA); https://www.nala.org/paralegals/research-and-survey-findings. The USPTO estimates that the combined rate for respondents will be approximately $273 per hour.
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19:57 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 253001
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
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E:\FR\FM\16APN1.SGM
16APN1
20123
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 72 / Friday, April 16, 2021 / Notices
TABLE 2—TOTAL HOURLY BURDEN FOR INDIVIDUALS OR HOUSEHOLDS RESPONDENTS
Item No.
Estimated
annual
respondents
Item
1 ...........................
2 ...........................
Total ..............
Trademark Assignment System
(ETAS) (PTO–1594).
Patent
Assignment
System
(EPAS) (PTO–1595).
....................................................
Estimated
annual
responses
(year)
Estimated time
for response
(hour)
Estimated
annual burden
(hours/year)
Rate 2
($/hour)
Estimated
annual
burden
(a)
(b)
(a) × (b) = (c)
(d)
(c) × (d) = (e)
23,989
23,989
0.5 (30 minutes) .........
11,995
$273
$3,274,635
235,962
235,962
0.5 (30 minutes) .........
117,981
273
32,208,813
259,951
259,951
.....................................
129,976
........................
35,483,448
2 2019
Report of the Economic Survey, published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA);
https://www.aipla.org/detail/journal-issue/2019-report-of-the-economic-survey. The USPTO uses the mean rate for attorneys in private firms which is $400 per hour.
The hourly rate for paraprofessional/paralegals is estimated at $145 from data published in the 2018 Utilization and Compensation Survey by the National Association
of Legal Assistants (NALA); https://www.nala.org/paralegals/research-and-survey-findings. The USPTO estimates that the combined rate for respondents will be approximately $273 per hour.
Estimated Total Annual Cost Burden
(Non-Hourly): $3,968,076. This
information collection has annual (nonhour) costs in the form of filing fees and
postage costs.
Filing Fees
The filing fee for submitting a nonelectronic patent assignment as
indicated by 37 CFR 1.21(h) is $50 per
property for recording each document,
while the filing fee for submitting a
trademark assignment as indicated by
37 CFR 2.6(b)(6) is $40.00 for recording
the first property in a document and
$25.00 for each additional property in
the same document. The USPTO
estimates that the average fee for a
trademark assignment recordation
request is approximately $65.00.
Therefore, this information collection
has an estimated total of $3,969,795 in
filing fees per year.
TABLE 3—FILING FEES
Item No.
Item
Estimated
cost
Estimated
non-hour
cost burden
(a)
(b)
(a) × (b) = (c)
1 ........................
2 ........................
4 ........................
Patent Recordation Form Cover Sheet (PTO–1595) ...................................
Trademark Recordation Form Cover Sheet (PTO–1594) ............................
Electronic Trademark Assignment System (ETAS) (PTO–1594) ................
1,351
1,050
58,923
$50
65
65
$67,550
68,250
3,829,995
....................
Total ..............................................................................................................
........................
........................
3,965,795
Postage Costs
Customers may incur postage costs
when submitting a patent or trademark
assignment request to the USPTO by
mail. The Patent and Trademark
Recordation Cover Sheets can be
submitted by mail, for a total of 2,401
mailed submissions. The average
postage cost for a mailed Patent or
Trademark Recordation Form Cover
Sheet is $0.95, resulting in a total
postage cost of $2,281 per year for this
information collection.
IV. Request for Comments
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Estimated
annual
responses
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,
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19:57 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 253001
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.
All comments submitted in response
to this notice are a matter of public
record. USPTO will include or
summarize each comment in the request
to OMB to approve this information
collection. Before including an address,
phone number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in a
comment, be aware that the entire
comment—including personal
identifying information—may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you may ask in your comment to
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
withhold personal identifying
information from public view, USPTO
cannot guarantee that it will be able to
do so.
Kimberly Hardy,
Information Collections Officer, Office of the
Chief Administrative Officer, United States
Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2021–07854 Filed 4–15–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–16–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Patent Prosecution Highway
(PPH) Program
United States Patent and
Trademark Office, Department of
Commerce.
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\16APN1.SGM
16APN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 72 (Friday, April 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20121-20123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07854]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Recording Assignments
AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments
on the extension and revision of an existing information collection:
0651-0027 (Recording Assignments). The purpose of this notice is to
allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the
information collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this information
collection must be received on or before June 15, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by
any of the following methods. Do not submit Confidential Business
Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information:
Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0027
[[Page 20122]]
comment'' in the subject line of the message.
Federal Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Mail: Kimberly Hardy, Office of the Chief Administrative
Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450,
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
should be directed to Joyce R. Johnson, Manager, Assignment Division,
Mail Stop 1450, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box
1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 703-756-1265; or by
email to [email protected] with ``0651-0027 comment'' in the
subject line. Additional information about this information collection
is also available at https://www.reginfo.gov under ``Information
Collection Review.''
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
This collection of information is required by 35 U.S.C. 261 and 262
for patents and 15 U.S.C. 1057 and 1060 for trademarks. These statutes
authorize the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to
record patent and trademark assignment documents, including transfers
of properties (i.e., patents and trademarks), liens, licenses,
assignments of interest, security interests, mergers, and explanations
of transactions or other documents that record the transfer of
ownership of a particular patent or trademark property from one party
to another. Assignments are recorded for applications, patents, and
trademark registrations.
The USPTO administers these statutes through 37 CFR 2.146, 2.171,
and 37 CFR 3. These regulations permit the public, corporations, other
federal agencies, and Government-owned or Government-controlled
corporations to submit patent and trademark assignment documents and
other documents related to title transfers to the USPTO to be recorded.
In accordance with 37 CFR 3.54, the recording of an assignment document
by the USPTO is an administrative action and not a determination of the
validity of the document or of the effect that the document has on the
title to an application, patent, or trademark.
In order to record an assignment document, the respondent must
submit an appropriate cover sheet along with copies of the assignment
document to be recorded. Once the assignment documents are recorded,
they are available for public inspection. The public uses these records
to conduct ownership and chain-of-title searches. The public may view
these records either at the USPTO Public Search Facility or at the
National Archives and Records Administration, depending on the date
they were recorded. The public may also search patent and trademark
assignment information online through the USPTO website. The only
exceptions are those documents that are sealed under secrecy orders
according to 37 CFR 3.58 or related to unpublished patent applications
maintained in confidence under 35 U.S.C. 122 and 37 CFR 1.14.
This information collection covers assignments submitted by paper
and online through the use of the Electronic Patent Assignment System
(EPAS) and the Electronic Trademark Assignment System (ETAS). The
electronic systems allow customers to complete the required cover sheet
information online using web-based forms and then attach the electronic
assignment documents to be submitted for recordation. The electronic
systems are available through the USPTO website at https://epas.uspto.gov/ and https://etas.uspto.gov/.
II. Method of Collection
The items in this information collection can be submitted
electronically through EPAS or ETAS, or on paper by mail, facsimile, or
hand delivery to the USPTO.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0651-0027.
Form Numbers:
PTO-1594 (Trademark Assignment Recordation Cover Sheet)
PTO-1595 (Patent Assignment Recordation Cover Sheet)
Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Affected Public: Private Sector; individuals or households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 649,880 respondents per year.
Estimated Number of Responses: 649,880 responses per year.
Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the response
time for activities related to the recording assignment process will
take approximately 30 minutes (0.5 hours) to complete. This includes
the time to gather the necessary information, create the document, and
submit the completed item to the USPTO.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 324,941 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost Burden (Hourly): $88,708,893.
Table 1--Total Hourly Burden For Private Sector Respondents
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated
Estimated annual Estimated time for Estimated Rate \1\ ($/ Estimated
Item No. Item annual responses response (hour) annual burden hour) annual burden
respondents (year) (hours/year)
.................. .............. (a) (b)........................ (a) x (b) = (d) (c) x (d) =
(c) (e)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...................... Trademark 35,984 35,984 0.5 (30 minutes)........... 17,992 $273 $4,911,816
Assignment System
(ETAS) (PTO-1594).
2...................... Patent Assignment 353,945 353,945 0.5 (30 minutes)........... 176,973 273 48,313,629
System (EPAS)
(PTO-1595).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total.............. .................. 389,929 389,929 ........................... 194,965 .............. 53,225,445
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 2019 Report of the Economic Survey, published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American Intellectual Property Law Association
(AIPLA); https://www.aipla.org/detail/journal-issue/2019-report-of-the-economic-survey. The USPTO uses the mean rate for attorneys in private firms
which is $400 per hour. The hourly rate for paraprofessional/paralegals is estimated at $145 from data published in the 2018 Utilization and
Compensation Survey by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA); https://www.nala.org/paralegals/research-and-survey-findings. The USPTO
estimates that the combined rate for respondents will be approximately $273 per hour.
[[Page 20123]]
Table 2--Total Hourly Burden For Individuals or Households Respondents
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated
Estimated annual Estimated time for Estimated Rate \2\ ($/ Estimated
Item No. Item annual responses response (hour) annual burden hour) annual burden
respondents (year) (hours/year)
.................. .............. (a) (b)........................ (a) x (b) = (d) (c) x (d) =
(c) (e)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...................... Trademark 23,989 23,989 0.5 (30 minutes)........... 11,995 $273 $3,274,635
Assignment System
(ETAS) (PTO-1594).
2...................... Patent Assignment 235,962 235,962 0.5 (30 minutes)........... 117,981 273 32,208,813
System (EPAS)
(PTO-1595).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total.............. .................. 259,951 259,951 ........................... 129,976 .............. 35,483,448
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ 2019 Report of the Economic Survey, published by the Committee on Economics of Legal Practice of the American Intellectual Property Law Association
(AIPLA); https://www.aipla.org/detail/journal-issue/2019-report-of-the-economic-survey. The USPTO uses the mean rate for attorneys in private firms
which is $400 per hour. The hourly rate for paraprofessional/paralegals is estimated at $145 from data published in the 2018 Utilization and
Compensation Survey by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA); https://www.nala.org/paralegals/research-and-survey-findings. The USPTO
estimates that the combined rate for respondents will be approximately $273 per hour.
Estimated Total Annual Cost Burden (Non-Hourly): $3,968,076. This
information collection has annual (non-hour) costs in the form of
filing fees and postage costs.
Filing Fees
The filing fee for submitting a non-electronic patent assignment as
indicated by 37 CFR 1.21(h) is $50 per property for recording each
document, while the filing fee for submitting a trademark assignment as
indicated by 37 CFR 2.6(b)(6) is $40.00 for recording the first
property in a document and $25.00 for each additional property in the
same document. The USPTO estimates that the average fee for a trademark
assignment recordation request is approximately $65.00. Therefore, this
information collection has an estimated total of $3,969,795 in filing
fees per year.
Table 3--Filing Fees
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Estimated non-
Item No. Item annual Estimated cost hour cost
responses burden
............................ (a) (b) (a) x (b) =
(c)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1................................. Patent Recordation Form 1,351 $50 $67,550
Cover Sheet (PTO-1595).
2................................. Trademark Recordation Form 1,050 65 68,250
Cover Sheet (PTO-1594).
4................................. Electronic Trademark 58,923 65 3,829,995
Assignment System (ETAS)
(PTO-1594).
-----------------------------------------------
Total....................... .............. .............. 3,965,795
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Postage Costs
Customers may incur postage costs when submitting a patent or
trademark assignment request to the USPTO by mail. The Patent and
Trademark Recordation Cover Sheets can be submitted by mail, for a
total of 2,401 mailed submissions. The average postage cost for a
mailed Patent or Trademark Recordation Form Cover Sheet is $0.95,
resulting in a total postage cost of $2,281 per year for this
information collection.
IV. Request for Comments
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.
All comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. USPTO will include or summarize each comment in the
request to OMB to approve this information collection. Before including
an address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying
information in a comment, be aware that the entire comment--including
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any
time. While you may ask in your comment to withhold personal
identifying information from public view, USPTO cannot guarantee that
it will be able to do so.
Kimberly Hardy,
Information Collections Officer, Office of the Chief Administrative
Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2021-07854 Filed 4-15-21; 8:45 am]
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