2014-12189. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

ACTION:

Notice.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for a collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

Agency: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Title: Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA) Surveys.

Form Number(s): None.

Agency Approval Number: 0651-0065.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Burden: 163 hours annually.

Number of Respondents: 650 responses per year.

Avg. Hours per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take participants of the GIPA training programs 15 minutes (0.25 hours) to complete the surveys. This includes the time to gather the necessary information, complete the survey, and submit the completed survey to the USPTO.

Needs and Uses: The pre-program, post-program, and alumni surveys will be used to obtain feedback from the participants of the various GIPA training classes. The pre-program surveys allow participants to provide feedback on the program expectations and training needs immediately prior to participating in the GIPA training programs. The post-program surveys allow participants to provide feedback on program effectiveness, service, facilities, teaching practices, and processes immediately after completing the GIPA training programs. The alumni surveys allow participants to provide feedback on program effectiveness approximately one year after completing the GIPA training programs.

The USPTO will use the data collected from the surveys to evaluate the percentage of foreign officials trained by GIPA who have initiated or implemented a positive intellectual property change in their organization and to evaluate the percentage of foreign officials trained by GIPA who increased their expertise in intellectual property. The data will also be used to evaluate the satisfaction of the participants with the intellectual property program and the value of the experience as it relates to future job performance. The USPTO also uses the survey data to meet organizational performance and accountability goals.

Affected Public: Individuals.

Frequency: On occasion.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

OMB Desk Officer: Nicholas A. Fraser, email: [e-mail].

Once submitted, the request will be publicly available in electronic format through the Information Collection Review page at www.reginfo.gov.

Paper copies can be obtained by:

• Email: [e-mail]. Include “0651-0065 Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA) Surveys copy request” in the subject line of the message.
• Fax: [phone], marked to the attention of Susan K. Fawcett.
• Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent on or before June 27, 2014 to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB Desk Officer, via email to [e-mail] or by fax to 202-395-5167, marked to the attention of Nicholas A. Fraser.

Dated: May 21, 2014.

Susan K. Fawcett,

Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer.