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View ICR - OIRA Conclusion

OMB Control No: 0651-0079	ICR Reference No: 202202-0651-002
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 202002-0651-001
Agency/Subagency: DOC/PTO	Agency Tracking No:
Title: International Work Sharing Program
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 05/16/2022
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)	Date Received in OIRA: 03/25/2022
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	05/31/2025	36 Months From Approved	05/31/2022
Responses	190	0	300
Time Burden (Hours)	445	0	470
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Abstract: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) established a Work Sharing Pilot Program in conjunction with the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) to study how the exchange of search results between offices for corresponding counterpart applications improves patent quality and facilitates the examination of patent applications in both offices. Under this Work Sharing Pilot Program, two Collaborative Search Pilot (CSP) programs—USPTO–JPO and USPTO– KIPO—have been implemented. Through their respective CSP(s), each office concurrently conducts searches on corresponding counterpart applications. The exchange of information and documents between IP offices benefits applicants by promoting compact prosecution, reducing pendency, and supporting patent quality by reducing the likelihood of inconsistencies in patentability determinations among IP offices when considering corresponding counterpart applications. The gains in efficiency and quality are achieved through a collaborative work sharing approach to the evaluation of patent claims. As a result of this exchange of search reports, the examiners in both offices may have a more comprehensive set of references before them when making an initial patentability determination. This information collection is comprised of four items: The Petition to Make Special Under the Expanded Collaborative Search Pilot Program; Petition for Participation in the CSP Program Between the JPO and the USPTO; the Petition for Participation in the CSP Program Between the KIPO and the USPTO; and the CSP Survey. The Petitions to Make Special and for Participation are used by patent applicants to request participation in the CSP Program. The CSP Survey is used to collect feedback on the program’s value, monitor usage of the program, and to measure the benefits the program provides to participants.

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate
Annual Number of Responses	190	300	-110
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	445	470	-25
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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

Burden Increase Due to:

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

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: Decreases in the annual number of responses (-110) and annual burden hours (-25) are due to the estimated change in number of respondents and the number of responses per respondent. This adjustment reflects the fact that many respondents under the CSP file multiple petitions which led to a corresponding reduction in the estimated number of surveys.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $3,450

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? Yes Part B of Supporting Statement

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. Yes

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. Yes

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? No

Agency Contact: Michael Arguello 571 270-7876 michael.arguello@uspto.gov