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: VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:57 Apr 15, 2021 Jkt 253001 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: PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 $273 per hour. VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:57 Apr 15, 2021 Jkt 253001 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\16APN1.SGM 16APN1 20123 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 72 / Friday, April 16, 2021 / Notices TABLE 2—TOTAL HOURLY BURDEN FOR INDIVIDUALS OR HOUSEHOLDS RESPONDENTS Item No. Estimated annual respondents Item 1 ........................... 2 ........................... Total .............. Trademark Assignment System (ETAS) (PTO–1594). Patent Assignment System (EPAS) (PTO–1595). .................................................... Estimated annual responses (year) Estimated time for response (hour) Estimated annual burden (hours/year) Rate 2 ($/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, VerDate Sep<11>2014 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 Frm 00010 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]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P


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