30-Day Notice

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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 186 / Wednesday, September 25, 2024 / Notices
This notice allows for an additional 30
days for public comment.
Agency: United States Patent and
Trademark Office, Department of
Commerce.
Title: Rules for Patent Maintenance
Fees.
OMB Control Number: 0651–0016.
Needs and Uses: Under 35 U.S.C. 41
and 37 CFR 1.20(e)–(h), 1.362, 1.363,
1.366, 1.377, and 1.378, the USPTO
charges fees for maintaining in force all
patents based on applications filed on or
after December 12, 1980, except for
plant and design patents. Furthermore,
maintenance fees are required for a
reissue patent unless the patent being
reissued did not require maintenance
fees. Payment of these maintenance fees
is due at 31⁄2, 71⁄2, and 111⁄2 years after
the date the patent was granted. See
section 2504 of the Manual of Patent
Examining Procedure (MPEP) (9th
Edition, Rev. 07.2022, February 2023)
for more information.
If the USPTO does not receive
payment of the appropriate maintenance
fee and any applicable surcharge within
a grace period of six months following
each of the above due dates (at 4, 8, or
12 years after the date of grant), the
patent will expire at that time. After a
patent expires, it is no longer
enforceable. Payments of maintenance
fees that are submitted during the 6month grace period before patent
expiration must include the appropriate
surcharge as indicated by 37 CFR
1.20(h). Submissions of maintenance fee
payments and surcharges must include
the relevant patent number and the
corresponding United States application
number in order to identify the correct
patent and ensure proper crediting of
the fee being paid. See MPEP 2506,
2510, and 2515 for more information.
If the USPTO refuses to accept and
record a maintenance fee payment that
was submitted prior to the expiration of
a patent, the patentee may petition the
Director to accept and record the
maintenance fee under 37 CFR 1.377.
This petition must be accompanied by
the fee indicated in 37 CFR 1.17(g),
which may be refunded if it is
determined that the refusal to accept the
maintenance fee was due to an error by
the USPTO.
If a patent has expired due to
nonpayment of a maintenance fee, the
patentee may petition the Director to
accept a delayed payment of the
maintenance fee under 37 CFR 1.378(b).
The Director may accept the payment of
a maintenance fee after the expiration of
the patent if the petitioner shows to the
satisfaction of the Director that the delay
in payment was unintentional. Petitions
to accept unintentionally delayed

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payment must also be accompanied by
the required maintenance fee and the
petition fee as set forth in 37 CFR
1.17(m). If the Director accepts the
maintenance fee payment upon petition,
then the patent is reinstated. If the
USPTO denies a petition to accept
delayed payment of a maintenance fee
in an expired patent, the patentee may
petition the Director to reconsider that
decision under 37 CFR 1.378(d).
This information collection covers
maintenance fee petition information,
including the electronic interface and
form provided by the USPTO to assist
the public with maintenance fee
petitions. To pay a maintenance fee after
patent expiration, the maintenance fee
payment and the petition fee, as set
forth in 37 CFR 1.17(m), must be filed
together with a petition to accept an
unintentionally delayed payment of the
maintenance fee in an expired patent
under 37 CFR 1.378(b). The USPTO
offers two different versions of the form
for petitions to accept unintentionally
delayed payments of maintenance fees:
a web-based ePetition and form PTO/
SB/66 (a fillable PDF). The USPTO
recommends the use of the web-based
ePetition. The USPTO does not offer
forms for the petitions to review the
refusal to accept the payment of a
maintenance fee prior to the expiration
of the patent under 37 CFR 1.377 or the
petitions for the reconsideration of
decisions on petitions refusing to accept
the delayed payment of a maintenance
fee in an expired patent under 37 CFR
1.378(d).
The fee address indication form (PTO/
AIA/47 and PTO/SB/47) available at
www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/forms
was previously associated with this
information collection. This form
permits applicants, patentees, assignees,
or their representatives of record to
specify a ‘‘fee address’’ for
correspondence related to maintenance
fees that is separate from the
correspondence address associated with
a patent or application. This item is
considered by OMB to be exempt from
the PRA and therefore, though this item
remains available, it is no longer
included in this information collection.
Forms: (SB = Specimen Book).
• PTO/SB/66 (Petition to Accept
Unintentionally Delayed Payment of
Maintenance Fee in an Expired Patent
(37 CFR 1.378(b))
Type of Review: Extension and
revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Affected Public: Private sector.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain benefits.
Frequency: On occasion.

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Estimated Number of Annual
Respondents: 2,616 respondents.
Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 2,616 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: The
USPTO estimates that the responses in
this information collection will take the
public approximately between 1 hour
and 8 hours to complete. This includes
the time to gather the necessary
information, create the document, and
submit the completed item to the
USPTO.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent
Burden Hours: 3,424 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent
Non-Hourly Cost Burden: $2,577,316.
This information collection request
may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov.
Follow the instructions to view
Department of Commerce, USPTO
information collections currently under
review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for this information
collection should be submitted within
30 days of the publication of this notice
on the following website,
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
Find this particular information
collection by selecting ‘‘Currently under
30-day Review–Open for Public
Comments’’ or by using the search
function and entering either the title of
the information collection or the OMB
Control Number, 0651–0016.
Further information can be obtained
by:
• Email: InformationCollection@
uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0016
information request’’ in the subject line
of the message.
• Mail: Justin Isaac, Office of the
Chief Administrative Officer, United
States Patent and Trademark Office,
P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313–
1450.
Justin Isaac,
Information Collections Officer, Office of the
Chief Administrative Officer, United States
Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2024–21931 Filed 9–24–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–16–P

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and Approval; Comment Request;
Employers of National Service Form
and Survey
Corporation for National and
Community Service.

AGENCY:

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78290

Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 186 / Wednesday, September 25, 2024 / Notices

Notice of information collection;
request for comment.

ACTION:

The Corporation for National
and Community Service, operating as
AmeriCorps, has submitted a public
information collection request (ICR)
entitled Employees of National Service
Form and Survey for review and
approval in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act.
DATES: Written comments must be
submitted to the individual and office
listed in the ADDRESSES section by
October 25, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting
‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open
for Public Comments’’ or by using the
search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Copies of this ICR, with applicable
supporting documentation, may be
obtained by calling AmeriCorps, Emily
Smith, at (202) 391–1393 or by email to
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The OMB
is particularly interested in comments
which:
• Evaluate whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of CNCS, including whether
the information will have practical
utility;
• Evaluate the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions;
• Propose ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
• Propose ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on those who are to respond, including
through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology.
SUMMARY:

ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1

Comments
A 60-day Notice requesting public
comment was published in the Federal
Register on June 12, 2024, at 89 FR
49863, with a comment period ending
August 12, 2024. No public comments
were received in response to the notice.
Title of Collection: Employers of
National Service Enrollment Form and
Survey.
OMB Control Number: 3045–0175.

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Type of Review: Renewal.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Businesses and organizations.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 1,180.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 492.
Abstract: AmeriCorps is seeking to
renew its Employers of National Service
Enrollment Form and Survey.
Organizations from all sectors either
seeking to become, or already
established as, Employers of National
Service will be filling out these forms.
This includes businesses, nonprofits,
institutions of higher education, school
districts, state and local governments,
and Federal agencies. The purpose of
the enrollment form is to document
what the organization is committing to
doing as an Employer of National
Service and provide its contact
information to AmeriCorps. The
information gathered on the enrollment
form will also allow AmeriCorps to
display the organization’s information
accurately online, as a resource for job
seekers. It will also enable AmeriCorps
to speak to the diversity within the
program’s membership, both for internal
planning and external audience use.
The purpose of the survey form is to
track the actions an employer has taken
in the past year, gather stories of success
or impact, collect quantitative hiring
data relating to AmeriCorps and Peace
Corps alumni, and provide
organizations with an opportunity to
update their contact and location data.
AmeriCorps also seeks to continue using
the currently approved information
collection until the new information
collection is approved by OMB. The
currently approved information
collection is due to expire on September
30, 2024.
Rhonda Taylor,
Director, Partnerships and Program
Engagement.
[FR Doc. 2024–21919 Filed 9–24–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050–28–P

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Strategic Environmental Research and
Development Program Scientific
Advisory Board; Notice of Federal
Advisory Committee Meeting
Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition and Sustainment
(USD(A&S)), Department of Defense
(DoD).
ACTION: Notice of Federal advisory
committee meeting.
AGENCY:

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The DoD is publishing this
notice to announce that the following
Federal advisory committee meeting of
the Strategic Environmental Research
and Development Program (SERDP)
Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) will
take place.
DATES: SERDP SAB will hold a meeting
open to the public. Day 1—Tuesday,
October 15, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 4:05
p.m. EDT. Day 2—Wednesday, October
16, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be
accessible by videoconference.
Information for accessing the
videoconference is provided in
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, ‘‘Meeting
Accessibility.’’
SUMMARY:

Dr.
Kimberly Spangler, Designated Federal
Officer (DFO) 703–571–2477 (voice),
[email protected]
(email). Mailing address is SERDP
Office, 3500 Defense Pentagon, Rm.
5C646, Washington, DC 20301–3500.
Website: https://serdp-estcp.org/about.
The most up-to-date changes to the
meeting agenda can be found on the
website.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

This
meeting is being held under the
provisions of chapter 10 of title 5,
United States Code (U.S.C.) (commonly
known as the ‘‘Federal Advisory
Committee Act’’ or ‘‘FACA’’) and 41
CFR 102–3.140 and 102–3.150.
Availability of Materials for the
Meeting: Additional information,
including the agenda or any updates to
the agenda, is available on https://serdpestcp.mil/about/programs?Id=b7ba8fa2c6b0-4ae3-bdcd-50a3461ef4d9. Purpose
of the Meeting: The purpose of the
meeting is for the SERDP SAB to make
recommendations regarding
technologies, research, projects,
programs, activities, and, if appropriate,
funding within the scope of SERDP
Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.
Agenda: Tuesday, October 15, 2024,
from 10:00 a.m. to 4:05 p.m.—Convene,
SAB Business, Weapons Systems and
Platforms Statement of Need Overview
and Proposals, Resource Conservation
and Resilience Statement of Need
Overview and Proposals, Voting on
Fiscal Year 2026 Recommendations,
Public Comment Period, and Adjourn.
Wednesday, October 16, 2024, from
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.—Convene,
Resource Conservation and Resilience
Statement of Need Overview and
Proposals, Voting on Fiscal Year 2026
Recommendations, SAB Business,
Public Comment Period, and Adjourn.
Meeting Accessibility: Pursuant to 5
U.S.C. 1009(a) and 41 CFR 102–3.140

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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