OMB files this
comment in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.11( c ). This OMB action is
not an approval to conduct or sponsor an information collection
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This action has no
effect on any current approvals. If OMB has assigned this ICR a new
OMB Control Number, the OMB Control Number will not appear in the
active inventory. For future submissions of this information
collection, reference the OMB Control Number provided. Resubmit
when proposed rule is finalized.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
The United States Patent and Trademark
Office (USPTO) is required by 35 U.S.C. 131 et seq. to examine an
application for patent and, when appropriate, issue a patent.
Currently, the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 301 and 37 CFR 1.501 govern
the ability of a person to cite to the USPTO in writing prior art
consisting of patents or printed publications which that person
believes to have a bearing on the patentability of any claim of a
patent. On September 16, 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
was enacted into law. Section 6(g) of the Leahy-Smith America
Invents Act amends 35 U.S.C 301 to expand the information that can
be submitted in the file of an issued patent by including written
statements made by a patent owner before a Federal court or the
USPTO regarding the scope of any claim of the patent. This
provision is effective on September 16, 2012 and the USPTO
accordingly published a notice of proposed rulemaking titled
"Changes to Implement Miscellaneous Post Patent Provisions of the
Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (RIN 0651-AC66) in the Federal
Register to implement it. In support of the proposed rulemaking,
the USPTO is submitting this new information collection, Post
Patent Public Submissions, and requesting that the item
"Information Disclosure Citation in a Patent" (PTO/SB/42) be
transferred out of the 0651-0031 Patent Processing (Updating)
approved inventory and into this new collection.
The USPTO is submitting this
new information collection request in support of a notice of
proposed rulemaking titled "Changes to Implement Miscellaneous Post
Patent Provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act" (RIN
0651-0066). This rule proposes a new requirement resulting from the
Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (i.e., the submission of patent
ownership statements) and is the sole means of accomplishing the
purpose of the statute. The USPTO estimates that this new
collection will add 1,000 responses, 10,000 burden hours, and $347
in annual (non-hour) postage costs to the USPTO's current
information collection inventory 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.