Extension of the Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program, 36530-36531 [2021-14615]

Download as PDF 36530 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 130 / Monday, July 12, 2021 / Notices entering either the title of the collection or the OMB Control Number 0648–0373. Sheleen Dumas, Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Commerce Department. [FR Doc. 2021–14740 Filed 7–9–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P Special Accommodations The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Kathy Collins at the Council Office, (302) 526–5253, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: July 7, 2021. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [FR Doc. 2021–14750 Filed 7–9–21; 8:45 am] [RTID 0648–XB218] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; public meeting. AGENCY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Bluefish Advisory Panel will hold a public meeting, jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Bluefish Advisory Panel. DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. For agenda details, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via webinar with a telephone-only connection option. Details on the proposed agenda, webinar listen-in access, and briefing materials can be accessed on the Council’s website at: www.mafmc.org. Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; telephone: (302) 674–2331; www.mafmc.org. SUMMARY: khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D., Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, telephone: (302) 526–5255. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council’s Bluefish Advisory Panel will meet jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Bluefish Advisory Panel via webinar. The purpose of this meeting is to welcome new Advisory Panel members, review recent management track stock assessment information for bluefish, and to review the recommendations of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and Monitoring Committee for 2022–23 catch and landings limits. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:26 Jul 09, 2021 Jkt 253001 United States Patent and Trademark Office [Docket No.: PTO–P–2020–0027] Extension of the Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is extending the Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program, initiated on July 2, 2020, which provides for the advancement of applications out of their turn in the ex parte appeals phase of patent prosecution before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board). The Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program permits an appellant who has filed an ex parte appeal and received a notice that the appeal has been docketed to file a petition to expedite the review of the appeal. The Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program sets a target of reaching a decision on an ex parte appeal within six months from the date that the appeal is entered into the program. DATES: Applicable Date: July 12, 2021. Duration: The Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program will run until July 2, 2022. The USPTO may extend the FastTrack Appeals Pilot Program (with or without modification) on either a temporary or a permanent basis, or may discontinue the program after that date. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Bartlett, PTAB, by telephone at 571–272–9797 or by email at fasttrackappeals@uspto.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Appeals to the Board are normally taken up for decision in the order in which they are docketed. See USPTO Standard SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Operating Procedure 1, Assignment of judges to panels (Sept. 20, 2018), available at www.uspto.gov/patents/ ptab/resources. Currently, the average appeal pendency is about 13 months, down from 15 months in 2020, and from 30 months in 2015. See the PTAB statistics available at www.uspto.gov/ patents/ptab/statistics. However, a small number of appeals are advanced out of turn due to a special status reflecting, for example, that the appealed case is a reissue application or a reexamination proceeding, or in light of an inventor’s advanced age or poor health. On July 2, 2020, the PTAB adopted, on a temporary basis, the Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program, under which an appellant may have an ex parte appeal to the Board advanced out of turn by filing a petition under 37 CFR 41.3, accompanied by the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 41.20(a). See Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program, 85 FR 39888 (July 2, 2020) (Fast-Track Notice). The Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program permits an appellant to accelerate the Board’s decision on an ex parte appeal, hastening the pace at which patentability determinations are made and products or services embodying those patented inventions are brought to the marketplace, and thus spurring follow-on innovation, economic growth, and job creation. The USPTO provides a form for the Fast-Track petition, Form PTO/SB/451, which is available on the USPTO’s website at www.uspto.gov/ patents/apply/forms/forms-patentapplications-filed-or-after-september16-2012. The Fast-Track Notice required, inter alia, that a petition be filed before July 2, 2021, to participate in the program. The Fast-Track Notice also set a maximum number of 500 appeals that may be advanced through Fast-Track petitions. The Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program is hereby extended to accept petitions for advancing out of turn (according ‘‘Fast-Track status’’ to) ex parte appeals through July 2, 2022. The requirements for the program remain the same as those set forth in the original notice (see Fast-Track Notice, 85 FR 39888), with the following modification regarding the petition limit. The upper limit of 500 total granted Fast-Track petitions, as set forth in the Fast-Track Notice, is no longer applicable. To maintain the Board’s ability to provide a faster appeal option while timely resolving other appeals, however, the number of granted petitions in the Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program remains limited to 125 granted petitions per quarter. If a quarterly limit E:\FR\FM\12JYN1.SGM 12JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 130 / Monday, July 12, 2021 / Notices is reached, the PTAB retains the flexibility to accept additional petitions, either for consideration in that quarter or to be held in abeyance for consideration in the next quarter. The USPTO tracks the number of granted petitions, the average time to answer petitions, and the average time to render a Board decision on the merits of the ex parte appeal after a petition grant. Current information and statistics may be viewed on the PTAB website at www.uspto.gov/PTABFastTrack. Andrew Hirshfeld, Commissioner for Patents, Performing the Functions and Duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. [FR Doc. 2021–14615 Filed 7–9–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–16–P CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE Notice Inviting Public Input on Executive Order 13985 Corporation for National and Community Service. ACTION: Request for comment. AGENCY: In accordance with Executive Order 13985 of January 20, 2021, the Corporation for National and Community Service, operating as AmeriCorps, is inviting public comment from any interested party, including current and former AmeriCorps program award recipients, regarding any barriers that they, or the communities they served, faced in accessing benefits and services offered by AmeriCorps’ programs. SUMMARY: To be considered, public comments must be received electronically no later than midnight eastern standard time (EST) on August 2, 2021. ADDRESSES: Public comments should be submitted online at https:// www.regulations.gov; search for ‘‘Request for Information (RFI) from Non-Federal Stakeholders: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities.’’ Comments submitted electronically, including attachments, will be posted to the docket unchanged and available to view by the public. Documents and information supporting your comment may be submitted as attachments. Please provide your contact information or organization name on the web-based form for possible follow-up from AmeriCorps. There is a 5,000-character limit on comments and maximum khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES DATES: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:26 Jul 09, 2021 Jkt 253001 number (10) of attached files and maximum size (10 MB) of each attached file. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kiara Rhodes, Honors Attorney, AmeriCorps, at krhodes@cns.gov or (202) 937–6965. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 20, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 13985, ‘‘Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,’’ to address racial, economic, and other disparities faced by underserved communities in the United States. The Order requires Federal agencies to conduct an equity assessment. In furthering this Agency’s commitment to bringing together and serving all communities, AmeriCorps seeks general public input on the following: 1. Potential barriers that underserved communities and individuals may face to enrollment in and access to benefits and services in AmeriCorps programs; 2. Potential barriers that underserved communities and individuals may face in taking advantage of Agency procurement and contracting opportunities; 3. Whether new policies, regulations, or guidance documents may be necessary to advance equity in Agency actions and programs; and 4. Knowledge of any offices or divisions within the Agency that are responsible for advancing civil rights or whose mandates specifically include serving underrepresented or disadvantaged communities. Dated: July 7, 2021. Fernando Laguarda, General Counsel. [FR Doc. 2021–14735 Filed 7–9–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6050–28–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [Docket No.: ED–2021–SCC–0100] Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Endowment Excise Tax: Allocation Reduction Waiver Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), Department of Education (ED). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct an emergency review of a new information collection. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 36531 The Department is requesting emergency processing and OMB approval for this information collection by July 26, 2021; and therefore, the Department is requesting public comments by July 23, 2021. A regular clearance process is also hereby being initiated to provide the public with the opportunity to comment under the full comment period. Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before September 10, 2021. ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the information collection listed in this notice, please use https://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED– 2021–SCC–0100. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https:// www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov site is not available to the public for any reason, ED will temporarily accept comments at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Please include the docket ID number and the title of the information collection request when requesting documents or submitting comments. Please note that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the PRA Coordinator of the Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 6W208C, Washington, DC 20202–8240. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Karen Epps, 202–453–6337. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public’s reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department’s information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the DATES: E:\FR\FM\12JYN1.SGM 12JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 130 (Monday, July 12, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36530-36531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-14615]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No.: PTO-P-2020-0027]


Extension of the Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is 
extending the Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program, initiated on July 2, 
2020, which provides for the advancement of applications out of their 
turn in the ex parte appeals phase of patent prosecution before the 
Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board). The Fast-Track Appeals 
Pilot Program permits an appellant who has filed an ex parte appeal and 
received a notice that the appeal has been docketed to file a petition 
to expedite the review of the appeal. The Fast-Track Appeals Pilot 
Program sets a target of reaching a decision on an ex parte appeal 
within six months from the date that the appeal is entered into the 
program.

DATES: 
    Applicable Date: July 12, 2021.
    Duration: The Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program will run until July 
2, 2022. The USPTO may extend the Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program 
(with or without modification) on either a temporary or a permanent 
basis, or may discontinue the program after that date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Bartlett, PTAB, by telephone at 
571-272-9797 or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Appeals to the Board are normally taken up 
for decision in the order in which they are docketed. See USPTO 
Standard Operating Procedure 1, Assignment of judges to panels (Sept. 
20, 2018), available at www.uspto.gov/patents/ptab/resources. 
Currently, the average appeal pendency is about 13 months, down from 15 
months in 2020, and from 30 months in 2015. See the PTAB statistics 
available at www.uspto.gov/patents/ptab/statistics. However, a small 
number of appeals are advanced out of turn due to a special status 
reflecting, for example, that the appealed case is a reissue 
application or a reexamination proceeding, or in light of an inventor's 
advanced age or poor health.
    On July 2, 2020, the PTAB adopted, on a temporary basis, the Fast-
Track Appeals Pilot Program, under which an appellant may have an ex 
parte appeal to the Board advanced out of turn by filing a petition 
under 37 CFR 41.3, accompanied by the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 
41.20(a). See Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program, 85 FR 39888 (July 2, 
2020) (Fast-Track Notice). The Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program permits 
an appellant to accelerate the Board's decision on an ex parte appeal, 
hastening the pace at which patentability determinations are made and 
products or services embodying those patented inventions are brought to 
the marketplace, and thus spurring follow-on innovation, economic 
growth, and job creation. The USPTO provides a form for the Fast-Track 
petition, Form PTO/SB/451, which is available on the USPTO's website at 
www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/forms/forms-patent-applications-filed-or-after-september-16-2012.
    The Fast-Track Notice required, inter alia, that a petition be 
filed before July 2, 2021, to participate in the program. The Fast-
Track Notice also set a maximum number of 500 appeals that may be 
advanced through Fast-Track petitions.
    The Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program is hereby extended to accept 
petitions for advancing out of turn (according ``Fast-Track status'' 
to) ex parte appeals through July 2, 2022. The requirements for the 
program remain the same as those set forth in the original notice (see 
Fast-Track Notice, 85 FR 39888), with the following modification 
regarding the petition limit.
    The upper limit of 500 total granted Fast-Track petitions, as set 
forth in the Fast-Track Notice, is no longer applicable. To maintain 
the Board's ability to provide a faster appeal option while timely 
resolving other appeals, however, the number of granted petitions in 
the Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program remains limited to 125 granted 
petitions per quarter. If a quarterly limit

[[Page 36531]]

is reached, the PTAB retains the flexibility to accept additional 
petitions, either for consideration in that quarter or to be held in 
abeyance for consideration in the next quarter.
    The USPTO tracks the number of granted petitions, the average time 
to answer petitions, and the average time to render a Board decision on 
the merits of the ex parte appeal after a petition grant. Current 
information and statistics may be viewed on the PTAB website at 
www.uspto.gov/PTABFastTrack.

Andrew Hirshfeld,
Commissioner for Patents, Performing the Functions and Duties of the 
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2021-14615 Filed 7-9-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P

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