[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 119 (Thursday, June 20, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 37210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14702]



[[Page 37210]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No.: PTO-C-2013-0036]


Request of the United States Patent and Trademark Office for 
Public Comments: Voluntary Best Practices Study

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: Today, the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator 
(IPEC) released the Administration's Joint Strategic Plan for 
Intellectual Property Enforcement. The Strategy notes that the 
Administration encourages the private sector to help reduce 
intellectual property infringement that occurs online--such as 
copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting--by developing and 
implementing cooperative, voluntary initiatives that are practical, 
effective and consistent with due process, free speech, privacy of 
users and competition. The Administration encourages all participants 
in such voluntary initiatives to continue cooperating with all 
interested stakeholders to ensure that the initiatives are as effective 
and transparent as possible. (The 2013 Joint Strategic Plan for 
Intellectual Property Enforcement is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/intellectualproperty/ipec.)
    Consistent with the Administration's policy of building a data-
driven government, the Strategy stresses the importance of evaluating 
the effectiveness of the voluntary initiatives encouraged by the 
Administration. The Strategy also notes that the United States Patent 
and Trademark Office (USPTO) will solicit input from the public and 
from other parts of the U.S. Government to assist in the evaluation of 
whether such voluntary initiatives help to reduce infringement.

DATES: To be ensured of consideration, written comments must be 
received on or before July 22, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted electronically via 
http://www.regulations.gov, docket number PTO-2013-0036. Submissions 
should contain the term ``Voluntary Best Practices Study.'' The 
regulations.gov Web site is a Federal E-Government Web site that allows 
the public to find, review and submit comments on documents that have 
published in the Federal Register and that are open for comment. 
Submissions filed via the regulations.gov Web site will be available to 
the public for review and inspection. For this reason, please do not 
include in your comments information of a confidential nature, such as 
sensitive personal information or proprietary business information.
    If you are unable to provide submissions to regulations.gov, you 
may contact the Office of Chief Economist at 
[email protected] using the subject line ``Voluntary Best 
Practices Study'' or (571) 272-6900 to arrange for an alternate method 
of transmission.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Saurabh Vishnubhakat, Office of Chief 
Economist at [email protected], or (571) 272-6900.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USPTO invites input from all interested 
parties on the processes, data metrics, and methodologies that could be 
used to assess the effectiveness of cooperative agreements and other 
voluntary initiatives to reduce infringement. The USPTO additionally 
welcomes input on the following questions:
    1. How should ``effectiveness'' of cooperative voluntary 
initiatives be defined?
    2. What type of data would be particularly useful for measuring 
effectiveness of voluntary initiatives aimed at reducing infringement 
and what would that data show?
    3. If the data is not readily available, in what ways could it be 
obtained?
    4. Are there particular impediments to measuring effectiveness, at 
this time or in general, and if so, what are they?
    5. What mechanisms should be employed to assist in measuring the 
effectiveness of voluntary initiatives?
    6. Is there existing data regarding efficacy of particular 
practices, processes or methodologies for voluntary initiatives, and if 
so, what is it and what does it show?

    Dated: June 14, 2013.
Teresa Stanek Rea,
Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting 
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2013-14702 Filed 6-19-13; 8:45 am]
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