Pursuant to the Inventors' Rights Act
of 1999, 35 U.S.C. 297, and implementing regulations at 37 CFR part
4, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is
required to provide a forum for the publication of complaints
concerning invention promoters and responses from the invention
promoters. Upon receipt of a complaint, the USPTO will forward it
to the inventor promoter for a response. The USPTO does not
investigate these complaints or participate in any legal
proceedings against invention promoters or promotion firms. Under
the Act, USPTO is responsible for making complaints and responses
available to the public on the USPTO's website. A complaint
submitted to the USPTO must be clearly marked, or otherwise
identified, as a complaint. The complaint must include: (1) The
name and address of the complaint; (2) the name and address of the
invention promoter; (3) the name of the customer; (4) the invention
promotion services offered or performed by the invention promoter;
(5) the name of the mass media in which the invention promoter
advertised providing such services; (6) and example of the
relationship between the customer and the invention promoter; and
(7) a signature of the complainant. Identifying information is
necessary so that the USPTO can both forward the complaint to the
invention promoter or promotion firm as well as notify the
complainant that the complaint has been forwarded. Complainants
should understand that the complaints will be forwarded to the
invention promoter for response and that the complaint and response
will be made available to the public as required by the Inventors'
Rights Act. If the USPTO does not receive a response from the
invention promoter, the complaint will be published without a
response. The USPTO does not accept under this program complaints
that request confidentiality. This information collection contains
one form, Complaint Regarding Invention Promoter (PTO/2048A), which
is used by the public to submit a complaint under this program.
This form is available for download from the USPTO website. Use of
this form is voluntary, and the complainant may submit his or her
complaint without the form via any of the approved methods of
collection as long as the complainant includes the necessary
information and the submission is clearly marked as a complaint
filed under the Inventors' Rights Act. There is no associated form
for submitting responses to the complaints.
US Code:
35
USC 297 Name of Law: Inventors' Rights Act of 1999
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.