Federal Register - Public User ID Badging

[Federal Register: December 23, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 247)]
[Notices][Page 78726-78727]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
Public User ID Badging
ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

I. Abstract

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is required by 35 U.S.C. 41(i)(1) to maintain a Public Search Facility to provide patent and trademark collections for searching and retrieval of information. The Public Search Facility is maintained for public use with paper and electronic search files and trained staff to assist searchers. The USPTO also offers training courses to assist the public with using the advanced electronic search systems available at the facility.

In order to manage the patent and trademark collections that are available to the public, the USPTO issues online access cards to customers who wish to use the electronic search systems at the Public Search Facility. Customers may obtain an online access card by completing the application at the Public Search Facility reference desk and providing proper identification. The plastic online access cards include a bar-coded user number and an expiration date. Users may renew their cards by validating and updating the required information and may obtain a replacement for a lost card by providing proper identification.

Under the authority provided in 41 CFR Part 102-81, the USPTO issues security identification badges to members of the public who wish to use the facilities at the USPTO. Public users may apply for a security badge in person at the USPTO Office of Security by providing the necessary information and presenting a valid form of identification with photograph. The security badges include a color photograph of the user and must be worn at all times while at the USPTO facilities.

The USPTO has recently eliminated the $25 fee for the public training courses offered for the online search systems available at the Public Search Facility. There is still a $120 fee for users who request private instruction. The public training fee is being deleted from this collection. The estimated time for completing the user training registration forms has also been reduced from ten minutes to five minutes due to the removal of the payment information from the forms.