Letter of PTAAARMIGAN and 61 Intellectual Property Professionals to OMB/OIRA re Paperwork Reduction Act clearance for control number 0651-0027, Recording Assignments (Oct. 3, 2024)

Abstract

We write to comment on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (PTO) Supporting Statement in ICR 202408-0651-004 (control number 0651-0027), Recording Assignments. This information collection is another example of the two patterns we have raised in several recent letters: (a) The PTO’s use of information technology violates many principles of competent software design.  (b) The PTO’s information collection staff treat the ICR process less than seriously, with seeming apathy towards the needs of PTO's customers, or even as bureaucratic sport to see how the law can be evaded or subverted. The Paperwork Reduction Act is not treated as the opportunity for introspection, self-evaluation, and cooperative process design that Congress intended.