View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

OMB Control No: 0651-0058	ICR Reference No: 201105-0651-010
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201101-0651-003
Agency/Subagency: DOC/PTO	Agency Tracking No:
Title: Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Program
Type of Information Collection: No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 06/07/2011
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)	Date Received in OIRA: 06/01/2011
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	01/31/2012	01/31/2012	01/31/2012
Responses	3,700	0	3,100
Time Burden (Hours)	7,400	0	6,200
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Abstract: The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot program was originally established between the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Japan Patent Office (JPO) on July 3, 2006. The PPH program allows applicants whose claims are determined to be patentable in the office of first filing to have the corresponding application that is filed in the office of second filing be advanced out of turn for examination. At the same time, the PPH program allows the office of second filing to exploit the search and examination results of the office of first filing, which increases examination efficiency and improves patent quality. The PCT-PPH pilot program is an expansion to the PPH program based on the framework of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Information collected for the PCT is approved under OMB control number 0651-0021. The forms in this collection allow participants to file a request in a corresponding U.S. application and petition to make the U.S. application special under the PPH or PCT-PPH program. The forms collect similar data; however, there is a unique form for each participant. The USPTO is submitting this request to update the information collection for the PPH Program. The USPTO is proposing to add six forms to this collection for new participants in the PPH and PCT-PPH pilot programs. The USPTO plans to launch the PPH pilot programs with China, Brazil, and Taiwan on or around September 1, 2011. The USPTO plans to launch the PCT-PPH pilot program with Sweden on June 1, 2011, with the Nordic Patent Institute (NPI) on July 1, 2011, and with China on or around September 1, 2011.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 35 USC 119

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	73 FR 35661	06/24/2008
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	73 FR 70625	11/21/2008
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion
Annual Number of Responses	3,700	3,100	600
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	7,400	6,200	1,200
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: The increases in responses and burden hours for this collection are due to program changes from the addition of six forms into the collection for new participants in the PPH and PCT-PPH pilot programs (PPH China, Brazil, and Taiwan; PCT-PPH Sweden, Nordic Patent Institute, and China).

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $98,831

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

Agency Contact: Magdalen Greenlief 703 305-8813 mgreenlief@uspto.gov

View ICR - OIRA Conclusion