One Year Retention of Paper Copies of Digital Files

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 167 (Monday, August 29, 2011)]
[Notices][Pages 53667-53670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov][FR Doc No: 2011-21964]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
[Docket No. PTO-P-2011-0032]
Establishing a One-Year Retention Period for Patent-Related Papers That Have Been Scanned Into the Image File Wrapper System or the Supplemental Complex Repository for Examiners

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.
ACTION: Request for Comments
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To see the complete text of this comment request access:http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2011_register&docid=fr29au11-22.

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is considering establishing a retention period of one year for patent-related papers that have been scanned into the Image File Wrapper system (IFW) or the Supplemental Complex Repository for Examiners (SCORE). Specifically, the USPTO is considering establishing a one-year retention period that begins on September 1, 2011, for papers scanned into IFW or SCORE prior to September 1, 2011; or a paper's submission date, for papers scanned into IFW or SCORE on or after September 1, 2011. After the expiration of the one-year retention period (after September 1, 2012, or later), the USPTO would dispose of the paper unless, within sufficient time prior to disposal of the paper, the relevant patent applicant, patent owner, or reexamination party files a bona fide request to correct the electronic record of the paper in IFW or SCORE, and the request remains outstanding at the time disposal of the paper would have otherwise occurred. Establishing a one-year retention period for papers scanned into IFW or SCORE would replace the USPTO's past practice of indefinitely retaining the papers, which has been rendered unnecessary and cost-ineffective by improvements in scanning and indexing.

DATES: Comment Deadline Date: To be ensured of consideration, written comments must be received on or before October 28, 2011. No public hearing will be held.

U.S.-China Intellectual Property Cooperation

According to a July 21, 2011 press release, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has entered into an agreement with The Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government in the People’s Republic of China to establish a general framework for future cooperation. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the first of its kind between the U.S. government and a provincial government, targets "improving enforcement and collaboration on intellectual property matters through exchanges of information, capacity building, and other educational activities."

The United States also has agreements with China's State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), Trademark Office and National Copyright Administration.