Patent Public Advisory Committee Public Hearing on the Proposed Patent Fee Schedule, 24392-24393 [2023-08346]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 76 / Thursday, April 20, 2023 / Notices
Wednesday, May 17, 2023; Fish and
Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI)
Auditorium, 100 8th Avenue SE, St.
Petersburg, FL 33701; phone: (727) 502–
4769.
Tuesday, May 30, 2023; via webinar.
Visit www.gulfcouncil.org website and
click on the ‘‘meetings’’ tab for
registration information. After
registering, you will receive a
confirmation email containing
information about joining the webinar.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are physically
accessible to people with disabilities.
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interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Kathy Pereira (see
ADDRESSES), at least 5 working days
prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 17, 2023.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–08373 Filed 4–19–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
[Docket No. PTO–P–2023–0017]
Patent Public Advisory Committee
Public Hearing on the Proposed Patent
Fee Schedule
United States Patent and
Trademark Office, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearing.
AGENCY:
The United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO) is
announcing the date, time, and place of
a public hearing that will be held by the
Patent Public Advisory Committee
(PPAC) on the USPTO’s proposed
setting or adjusting of patent fees
pursuant to the USPTO’s fee setting
authority under section 10 of the LeahySmith America Invents Act (AIA), as
amended. The USPTO will make its
proposed patent fees available—as set
forth in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section of this notice—before the PPAC
hearing. The public is invited to testify
at the hearing and submit written
comments regarding proposed patent
fees.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
A hybrid public hearing will be
held on Thursday, May 18, 2023, from
1–3 p.m. ET. The USPTO will publish
a proposed patent fee schedule and
related supplementary information for
public viewing no later than May 4,
DATES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:01 Apr 19, 2023
Jkt 259001
2023, on the fee setting and adjusting
section of the USPTO website,
www.uspto.gov/
FeeSettingAndAdjusting. Anyone
wishing to present oral testimony at the
hearing must submit a written request
for an opportunity to do so no later than
May 11, 2023. Written comments on
proposed patent fees will be accepted
until May 25, 2023.
ADDRESSES: The hybrid public hearing
will be held in person in the Clara
Barton Auditorium at the USPTO, 600
Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia
22314. The hearing will also be
available via live feed for those wishing
to attend remotely. Information on
remote attendance will be posted on the
PPAC section of the USPTO website,
www.uspto.gov/ppac, before the
hearing.
Requests To Present Oral Testimony
The public is invited to testify at the
hearing and submit written comments
regarding proposed patent fees. Anyone
wishing to present oral testimony at the
hearing must submit a request in writing
no later than May 11, 2023. Requests to
testify should indicate:
A. The name of the person wishing to
testify;
B. The person’s contact information
(telephone number and email address);
C. The organization(s) the person
represents, if any;
D. An indication of the amount of
time needed for the testimony; and
E. An indication of whether testimony
will be provided in person or remotely.
Speaking slots are limited, and the
USPTO may be unable to honor all
requests. Requests to testify must be
submitted by email to Jennifer Lo at
Jennifer.Lo@uspto.gov. If more requests
to provide oral testimony are received
than time allows, requestors will be
invited to submit written comments.
Time slots will be at least five minutes
each. Speakers providing testimony at
the hearing should submit a written
copy of their testimony for inclusion in
the record of the proceedings no later
than May 25, 2023.
An agenda for witness testimony will
be sent to testifying requesters and
posted on the fee setting and adjusting
section of the USPTO website,
www.uspto.gov/
FeeSettingAndAdjusting. If time allows,
the PPAC may permit unscheduled
testimony.
The hearing will be physically
accessible to people with disabilities.
Individuals requiring accommodation,
such as sign language interpretation or
other ancillary aids, should
communicate their needs to the
individuals listed under the FOR
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
section of
this notice at least seven (7) business
days prior to the hearing.
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Written Comments
Written comments on proposed patent
fees must be submitted through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at
www.regulations.gov. To submit
comments via the portal, commenters
should enter docket number PTO–P–
2023–0017 on the homepage and select
the Search button. The site will provide
search results listing all documents
associated with this docket.
Commenters can find a reference to this
notice and select the Comment icon,
complete the required fields, and enter
or attach their comments. Attachments
to electronic comments will be accepted
in Adobe portable document format
(PDF) or Microsoft Word format.
Information that you do not want to
make public, such as an address or
phone number, should not be included
in the comments to protect your
privacy.
Visit the Federal eRulemaking Portal
for additional instructions on providing
comments via the portal. If electronic
submission of comments is not possible,
please contact the USPTO using the
contact information below at the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this notice for special instructions.
Recordings
A recording of the public hearing will
be posted on the fee setting and
adjusting section of the USPTO website,
www.uspto.gov/
FeeSettingAndAdjusting, shortly after
the hearing.
Transcripts
A transcript of the hearing will be
available on the fee setting and
adjusting section of the USPTO website,
www.uspto.gov/
FeeSettingAndAdjusting, shortly after
the hearing.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brendan Hourigan, Director, Office of
Planning and Budget, at 571–272–8966,
or at Brendan.Hourigan@uspto.gov; or
Dianne Buie, Director, Forecasting and
Analysis Division, at 571–272–6301, or
at Dianne.Buie@uspto.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
USPTO is authorized under section 10
of the AIA to set or adjust by rule all
patent and trademark fees established,
authorized, or charged under title 35 of
the United States Code and the
Trademark Act of 1946, respectively.
This authority was extended through
September 15, 2026, by the Study of
Underrepresented Classes Chasing
Engineering and Science Success Act of
E:\FR\FM\20APN1.SGM
20APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 76 / Thursday, April 20, 2023 / Notices
2018 (Pub. L. 115–273). Patent and
trademark fees set or adjusted by rule
under section 10 of the AIA may only
recover the aggregate estimated costs to
the USPTO for processing, activities,
services, and materials relating to
patents and trademarks, respectively,
including administrative costs of the
office with respect to each. Congress set
forth the process for the USPTO to
follow in setting or adjusting patent and
trademark fees by rule under section 10
of the AIA, including additional
procedural steps in the rulemaking
proceeding for issuance of regulations
under this section. Congress requires the
relevant advisory committee to hold a
public hearing regarding proposed fees
after receiving the proposal from the
USPTO. Congress, likewise, requires the
relevant advisory committee to prepare
a written report on proposed fees and
the USPTO to consider the relevant
advisory committee’s report before
finally setting or adjusting fees.
The USPTO is planning to exercise its
fee setting authority to set or adjust
patent fees. The USPTO will publish a
proposed patent fee schedule and
related supplementary information for
public viewing no later than May 4,
2023, on the fee setting and adjusting
section of the USPTO website,
www.uspto.gov/
FeeSettingAndAdjusting. The PPAC will
hold a public hearing regarding the
proposed patent fee schedule on the
date indicated in this notice. The
USPTO will assist the PPAC in holding
the hearing by providing resources to
organize the hearing and notifying the
public. Following the PPAC public
hearing and considering all comments,
advice, and recommendations, the
USPTO, if it continues with the fee
setting process, will publish a Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal
Register, setting forth its proposed
patent fees.
Katherine K. Vidal,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual
Property and Director of the United States
Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2023–08346 Filed 4–19–23; 8:45 am]
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
BILLING CODE 3510–16–P
CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION
BUREAU
The Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau (CFPB) announces
the availability of a revised version of its
‘‘Methodology for Determining Average
Prime Offer Rates,’’ which describes the
data and methodology used to calculate
the average prime offer rate (APOR) for
purposes of Regulation C and
Regulation Z. The methodology
statement has been revised to address
the imminent unavailability of certain
data the CFPB previously relied on to
calculate APORs, as a result of a recent
decision by Freddie Mac to make
changes to its Primary Mortgage Market
Survey® (PMMS). The CFPB has
identified a suitable temporary
alternative source of the relevant data
and will begin relying on those data to
calculate APORs on or after April 21,
2023.
SUMMARY:
The revised methodology
statement is available on the website of
the Federal Financial Institutions
Examination Council (FFIEC) at https://
ffiec.cfpb.gov/tools/rate-spread.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Waeiz Syed, Senior Counsel, Office of
Regulations, at 202–435–7700. If you
require this document in an alternative
electronic format, please contact CFPB_
Accessibility@cfpb.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Average
prime offer rates (APORs) are annual
percentage rates derived from average
interest rates, points, and other loan
pricing terms currently offered to
consumers by a representative sample of
creditors for mortgage loans that have
low-risk pricing characteristics. APORs
have implications for data reporters
under Regulation C, 12 CFR part 1003,
and creditors under Regulation Z, 12
CFR part 1026. Regulation C requires
covered financial institutions to report,
for certain transactions, the difference
between a loan’s annual percentage rate
(APR) and the APOR for a comparable
transaction.1 Under Regulation Z, a loan
meets the general qualified mortgage
(QM) definition if the APR exceeds the
APOR for a comparable transaction by
less than the applicable threshold as of
the date the interest rate is set.2 The
difference between the APR and APOR
also determines whether certain QM
definitions provide the creditor with a
conclusive or rebuttable presumption of
compliance,3 and whether the creditor
ADDRESSES:
must comply with certain provisions for
high-cost or higher-priced mortgage
loans.4
Currently, to calculate APORs, the
CFPB uses pricing data from the Freddie
Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey®
(PMMS) on three products—30-year
fixed-rate mortgage; 15-year fixed-rate
mortgage; and five-year variable-rate
mortgage—and pricing data from CFPB’s
own internal survey on one-year
variable-rate mortgages. The CFPB
calculates APORs on a weekly basis
using the methodology set forth in a
statement available to the public on the
FFIEC’s website.
The CFPB is publishing this notice to
inform the public that a revised
methodology statement is now
available. In September 2022, the CFPB
learned that Freddie Mac planned to
change the public version of PMMS to
no longer include points, fees, and
adjustable rates data used by the CFPB
to construct APORs. To address the
imminent unavailability of certain data
previously relied on to calculate APORs,
the CFPB identified a suitable
temporary alternative source of survey
data. After evaluating potential sources,
the CFPB determined that data from
Intercontinental Exchange Mortgage
Technology (ICE Mortgage Technology)
is currently the most suitable option to
replace PMMS. ICE Mortgage
Technology provides a data source that
has sufficient pricing data for the
variables and base products that the
CFPB requires to calculate APORs. With
this switch over to ICE Mortgage
Technology data, the CFPB is
transitioning to using additional base
products (such as a 20-year fixed-rate
mortgage and a 10/6-month ARM) and
removing others (such as the 1-year
variable-rate mortgage) to ensure there is
a firm basis for estimating APORs.5
Having data for more than two kinds of
fixed-rate mortgage products and more
than two kinds of variable-rate mortgage
products provides a firmer basis for
estimating rates across a full range of
fixed-rate and variable-rate mortgage
products. The CFPB will therefore use
the following eight base products to
calculate APORs: 30-year fixed-rate
mortgage; 20-year fixed-rate mortgage;
15-year fixed-rate mortgage; 10-year
fixed-rate mortgage; 10/6-month ARM;
4 12
Notice of Availability of Revised
Methodology for Determining Average
Prime Offer Rates
Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:01 Apr 19, 2023
Jkt 259001
1 12
CFR 1003.4(a)(12)(i).
2 12 CFR 1026.43(e)(2)(vi).
3 12 CFR 1026.43(b)(4) and (e)(1). Under
Regulation Z, loans that meet the requirements for
‘‘qualified mortgages’’ obtain either a conclusive or
rebuttable presumption of compliance with
Regulation Z’s requirement to make a reasonable
and good faith determination of a consumer’s
ability to repay any residential mortgage loan.
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
24393
CFR 1026.32(a)(1)(i) and 1026.35(a)(1).
CFPB considered the typical volume of
these products when considering which ones to use
when calculating APORs. Having more pricing data
for a product will provide more accurate APOR
estimates. In addition, because the CFPB will no
longer use one-year variable-rate mortgages as a
base product to calculate APORs, it will no longer
conduct its own internal survey on one-year
variable-rate mortgages.
5 The
E:\FR\FM\20APN1.SGM
20APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 76 (Thursday, April 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24392-24393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08346]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
[Docket No. PTO-P-2023-0017]
Patent Public Advisory Committee Public Hearing on the Proposed
Patent Fee Schedule
AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is
announcing the date, time, and place of a public hearing that will be
held by the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) on the USPTO's
proposed setting or adjusting of patent fees pursuant to the USPTO's
fee setting authority under section 10 of the Leahy-Smith America
Invents Act (AIA), as amended. The USPTO will make its proposed patent
fees available--as set forth in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
of this notice--before the PPAC hearing. The public is invited to
testify at the hearing and submit written comments regarding proposed
patent fees.
DATES: A hybrid public hearing will be held on Thursday, May 18, 2023,
from 1-3 p.m. ET. The USPTO will publish a proposed patent fee schedule
and related supplementary information for public viewing no later than
May 4, 2023, on the fee setting and adjusting section of the USPTO
website, www.uspto.gov/FeeSettingAndAdjusting. Anyone wishing to
present oral testimony at the hearing must submit a written request for
an opportunity to do so no later than May 11, 2023. Written comments on
proposed patent fees will be accepted until May 25, 2023.
ADDRESSES: The hybrid public hearing will be held in person in the
Clara Barton Auditorium at the USPTO, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria,
Virginia 22314. The hearing will also be available via live feed for
those wishing to attend remotely. Information on remote attendance will
be posted on the PPAC section of the USPTO website, www.uspto.gov/ppac,
before the hearing.
Requests To Present Oral Testimony
The public is invited to testify at the hearing and submit written
comments regarding proposed patent fees. Anyone wishing to present oral
testimony at the hearing must submit a request in writing no later than
May 11, 2023. Requests to testify should indicate:
A. The name of the person wishing to testify;
B. The person's contact information (telephone number and email
address);
C. The organization(s) the person represents, if any;
D. An indication of the amount of time needed for the testimony;
and
E. An indication of whether testimony will be provided in person or
remotely.
Speaking slots are limited, and the USPTO may be unable to honor
all requests. Requests to testify must be submitted by email to
Jennifer Lo at [email protected]. If more requests to provide oral
testimony are received than time allows, requestors will be invited to
submit written comments. Time slots will be at least five minutes each.
Speakers providing testimony at the hearing should submit a written
copy of their testimony for inclusion in the record of the proceedings
no later than May 25, 2023.
An agenda for witness testimony will be sent to testifying
requesters and posted on the fee setting and adjusting section of the
USPTO website, www.uspto.gov/FeeSettingAndAdjusting. If time allows,
the PPAC may permit unscheduled testimony.
The hearing will be physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Individuals requiring accommodation, such as sign
language interpretation or other ancillary aids, should communicate
their needs to the individuals listed under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section of this notice at least seven (7) business days prior
to the hearing.
Written Comments
Written comments on proposed patent fees must be submitted through
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. To submit
comments via the portal, commenters should enter docket number PTO-P-
2023-0017 on the homepage and select the Search button. The site will
provide search results listing all documents associated with this
docket. Commenters can find a reference to this notice and select the
Comment icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach their
comments. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Adobe
portable document format (PDF) or Microsoft Word format. Information
that you do not want to make public, such as an address or phone
number, should not be included in the comments to protect your privacy.
Visit the Federal eRulemaking Portal for additional instructions on
providing comments via the portal. If electronic submission of comments
is not possible, please contact the USPTO using the contact information
below at the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice for
special instructions.
Recordings
A recording of the public hearing will be posted on the fee setting
and adjusting section of the USPTO website, www.uspto.gov/FeeSettingAndAdjusting, shortly after the hearing.
Transcripts
A transcript of the hearing will be available on the fee setting
and adjusting section of the USPTO website, www.uspto.gov/FeeSettingAndAdjusting, shortly after the hearing.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brendan Hourigan, Director, Office of
Planning and Budget, at 571-272-8966, or at [email protected];
or Dianne Buie, Director, Forecasting and Analysis Division, at 571-
272-6301, or at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USPTO is authorized under section 10 of
the AIA to set or adjust by rule all patent and trademark fees
established, authorized, or charged under title 35 of the United States
Code and the Trademark Act of 1946, respectively. This authority was
extended through September 15, 2026, by the Study of Underrepresented
Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Success Act of
[[Page 24393]]
2018 (Pub. L. 115-273). Patent and trademark fees set or adjusted by
rule under section 10 of the AIA may only recover the aggregate
estimated costs to the USPTO for processing, activities, services, and
materials relating to patents and trademarks, respectively, including
administrative costs of the office with respect to each. Congress set
forth the process for the USPTO to follow in setting or adjusting
patent and trademark fees by rule under section 10 of the AIA,
including additional procedural steps in the rulemaking proceeding for
issuance of regulations under this section. Congress requires the
relevant advisory committee to hold a public hearing regarding proposed
fees after receiving the proposal from the USPTO. Congress, likewise,
requires the relevant advisory committee to prepare a written report on
proposed fees and the USPTO to consider the relevant advisory
committee's report before finally setting or adjusting fees.
The USPTO is planning to exercise its fee setting authority to set
or adjust patent fees. The USPTO will publish a proposed patent fee
schedule and related supplementary information for public viewing no
later than May 4, 2023, on the fee setting and adjusting section of the
USPTO website, www.uspto.gov/FeeSettingAndAdjusting. The PPAC will hold
a public hearing regarding the proposed patent fee schedule on the date
indicated in this notice. The USPTO will assist the PPAC in holding the
hearing by providing resources to organize the hearing and notifying
the public. Following the PPAC public hearing and considering all
comments, advice, and recommendations, the USPTO, if it continues with
the fee setting process, will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
in the Federal Register, setting forth its proposed patent fees.
Katherine K. Vidal,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2023-08346 Filed 4-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P
