Before the next renewal of this collection PTO should conduct outreach to stakeholders regarding the burden of the Initial Patent Applications collection and ways to potentially reduce it and include the results of this outreach in the next ICR submission for review.
table that charts list comparision
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
01/31/2014
36 Months From Approved
01/31/2011
513,221
0
543,591
11,553,888
0
10,677,624
772,798,833
0
243,201,076
This information collection is necessary to conduct a thorough examination of patent applications, in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 131 and 37 CFR 1.16 through 1.84. An applicant must provide sufficient information so the USPTO can properly examine the application to determine whether it meets the requirements outlined in the patent statutes and regulations. This collection covers new original utility, plant, design, provisional, design continued prosecution applications, continuations/divisionals of international applications, utility, plant, and design continuation/divisional applications, utility, plant, and design continuation-in-part applications and provisional applications. This collection also covers papers filed under 37 CFR 1.41, 1.48, and 1.53(c)(2), in addition to petitions. These applications can be filed electronically through the USPTO's electronic filing system. The electronic submissions of the design continued prosecution applications, the continuations/divisionals of international applications, the continuations/divisionals, and the continuation-in-part applications, in addition to the papers filed under 37 CFR 1.41, 1.48, and 1.53(c)(2) are being added into the collection at this time. The USPTO believes that the primary respondents to this information collection will be businesses and other for-profits.
The USPTO estimates that the burden hours for this collection will increase by 876,264 hours per year, but that the total responses will decrease by 30,370 responses per year. New electronic submissions for the design continued prosecution applications, the continuation/divisional of an international application, continuation/divisional applications, and the continuation-in-part applications, in addition to papers filed
under 37 CFR 1.41, 1.48, and 1.53, have been added into the collection as part of this renewal. These new submissions, however, are offset by an overall reduction in filings. Despite the reduction in responses, the total burden hours have increased due to new estimated completion times for many of the applications and the new items being added into the collection. The USPTO estimates that the annual (non-hour) costs for this collection will increase by $81,650,975 per year as a result of the new items and increases in the fees. The currently approved burden for this collection is 543,591 responses, 10,677,624 burden hours, and $691,147,858 ($243,201,076) in annual (non-hour) costs. The USPTO estimates that this renewal will have 513,221 responses,
11.553,888 burden hours, and $772,798,833 in annual (non-hour) costs. This is a decrease of 30,370 responses, but an increase of 876,264 burden hours and $81,650,975
in annual (non-hour) costs.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Original New Utility Applications - No Application Data Sheet