04-19886. Federal Acquisition Regulation; Information Collection; Commerce Patent Regulations

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AGENCIES:

Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION:

Notice of request for comments regarding an extension to an existing OMB clearance (9000-0095).

SUMMARY:

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning commerce patent regulations, Public Law 98-620. The clearance currently expires on October 31, 2004.

Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES:

Submit comments on or before November 1, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

Submit comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to the General Services Administration, FAR Secretariat, 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4035, Washington, DC 20405. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-0095, Commerce Patent Regulations, in all correspondence

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

Craig Goral, Contract Policy Division, GSA [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

As a result of the Department of Commerce (Commerce) publishing a final rule in the Federal Register implementing Public Law 98-620 (52 FR 8552, March 18, 1987), a revision to FAR Subpart 27.3 to implement the Commerce regulation was published in the Federal Register as an interim rule on June 12, 1989 (54 FR 25060). The final rule was published without change on June 21, 1990.

A Government contractor must report all subject inventions to the contracting officer, submit a disclosureof the invention, and identify any publication, or sale, or public use of the invention (52.227-11(c), 52.228-12(c), and52.227-13(e)(2)). Contractors are required to submit periodic or interim and final reports listing subject inventions (27.303(a); 27.304-1(e)(1)(i) and (ii); 27.304-1(e)(2)(i) and (ii); 52.227-12(f)(7); 52.227-14(e)(3)). In order to ensure that subject inventions are reported, the contractor is required to establish and maintain effective procedures for identifying and disclosing subject inventions (52.227-11, Alternate IV; 52.227-12(f)(5); 52.227-13(e)(1)).

In addition, the contractor must require his employees, by written agreements, to disclose subject inventions (52.227-11(f)(2); 52.227-12(f)(2); 52.227-13(e)(4)). The contractor also has an obligation to utilize the subject invention, and agree to report, upon request, the utilization or efforts to utilize the subject invention (27.302(e); 52.227-11(h); 52.227-12 (h)).

B. Annual Reporting Burden

The annual reporting burden is estimated as follows:

Respondents: 1,200.

Responses Per Respondent: 9.75.

Total Responses: 11,700.

Hours Per Response: 3.9;

Total Burden Hours: 45,630.

Obtaining Copies or Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the information collection documents from the General Services Administration, FAR Secretariat (VR), 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4035, Washington, DC 20405, telephone [phone]. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-0095, Commerce Patent Regulations, in all correspondence.

Dated: August 27, 2004

Ralph J. De Stefano,

Director, Contract Policy Division.