The USPTO is required by 35 U.S.C. 131
and 151 to examine applications and issue them as patents when
appropriate. The applicant must then pay the required issue fee to
receive the patent and avoid abandonment of the application. The
USPTO can also correct errors in patents and reissue patents as
appropriate. The public uses this information collection to pay
fees for issuing patents, to request corrections of errors in
issued patents, to apply for reissue patents, and to ensure that
the necessary fees and documentation are submitted to the USPTO.
The USPTO is proposing to add one form to this collection, Petition
to Correct Assignee After Payment of Issue Fee (37 CFR 3.81(b))
(PTO/SB/141). This form is associated with an existing information
requirement, Certificate of Correction, that is currently approved
under 0651-0033. Customers may use the proposed form PTO/SB/141 as
a convenient way to provide the explanation required by the
existing Certificate of Correction (PTO/SB/44) in certain
instances. The new form, Petition to Correct Assignee After Payment
of Issue Fee (37 CFR 3.81(b)) (PTO/SB/141), will be prepared and
submitted electronically. Automation of this item will allow the
public to complete the form on a computer and then use an
interactive button on the form itself to submit the information to
the USPTO over the Internet. The electronic form will be convenient
for customers while also allowing the USPTO to process the petition
more efficiently.
The USPTO is proposing to add
one form to this collection, Petition to Correct Assignee After
Payment of Issue Fee (37 CFR 3.81(b)) (PTO/SB/141). This form is
associated with an existing information requirement, Certificate of
Correction, that is currently approved under 0651-0033. The USPTO
estimates that it will receive 500 responses per year using form
PTO/SB/141, and that it will take the public approximately 30
minutes (0.50 hours) to prepare and submit the information for each
request. Therefore, this collection takes an increase of 500
responses and 250 burden hours as a program change. There is also a
$130 fee associated with submitting form PTO/SB/141. Therefore,
this collection takes an increase of $65,000 in annual (non-hour)
costs as a program change.
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.
Form PTO/SB/44 Certificate of Correction
0651-0033-justificationforchange-Dec2011.pdf
Certificate of Correction