United States Patent and Trademark Office OG Notices: 19 March 2002
Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Information For information concerning PCT member countries, see the notice appearing in the Official Gazette at 1251 O.G. 112, on October 23, 2001. Either the United States Patent and Trademark Office or the European Patent Office may act as the International Searching Authority for an international application filed with the United States Receiving Office or the International Bureau as Receiving Office where at least one of the applicants is either a national or resident of the United States of America. The European Patent Office may act as the International Preliminary Examining Authority for an international application filed in the United States Receiving Office or the International Bureau as Receiving Office where at least one of the applicants is either a national or resident of the United States of America, provided that the European Patent Office acted as the International Searching Authority. The search fee of the European Patent Office was increased, effective January 1, 2002, and was announced in the Official Gazette at 1253 O.G. 88, on December 25, 2001. International fees were changed, effective on January 1, 2002, due to a change in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss franc, and were announced in the Official Gazette at 1253 O.G. 88, on December 25, 2001. A change in the maximum number of designation fees payable, with effect from January 1, 2002, was announced in the Official Gazette at 1253 O.G. 88, on December 25, 2001. A change in the reduction for electronic filing, with effect from January 1, 2002, was announced in the Official Gazette at 1253 O.G. 88, on December 25, 2001. Certain domestic PCT fees have been changed, effective October 1, 2001, to adjust certain patent fee amounts to reflect fluctuations in the Consumer Price Index. The revisions were announced in the Official Gazette at 1249 O.G. 111, on August 28, 2001. The schedule of PCT fees (in U.S. dollars), as of October 1, 2001, is as follows: International Application (PCT Chapter I) fees: Transmittal fee: $240.00 Search Fee U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as International Searching Authority (ISA) - No corresponding prior U.S. national application filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) $700.00 - Corresponding prior U.S. national application filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) and filing fee under 37 CFR 1.16(a) paid $450.00 - Supplemental search fee, per additional invention (payable only upon invitation) $210.00 European Patent Office as ISA $866.00 International fees Basic fee $407.00 Basic supplemental fee (for each page over 30) $9.00 Designation fee per country or region - For the first 5 national or regional offices designated $88.00 - For each designation in excess of 5 offices No Charge Precautionary designation fee and confirmation fee for each precautionary designation confirmed (PCT Rule 15.5) - Designation fee $88.00 - Confirmation fee $44.00 (A reduction of $125 in the international fees is available in certain cases where PCT-EASY software is used to prepare the request, provided that the necessary conditions are met. See 1217 OG 131 (December 29, 1998)). International Application (PCT Chapter II) fees associated with filing a Demand for Preliminary Examination: Handling fee $137.00 Preliminary examination fee USPTO as International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) - USPTO was ISA in PCT Chapter I $490.00 - Additional examination fee, per additional invention (payable only upon invitation) $140.00 - USPTO was not ISA in PCT Chapter I $750.00 - Additional examination fee, per additional invention (payable only upon invitation) $270.00 Small U.S. National Stage Fees Entity Regular Basic National fee USPTO was IPEA - All claims presented satisfied provisions of PCT Article 33(2) to (4) $50.00 $100.00 - All claims presented did not satisfy provisons of PCT Article 33(2) to (4) $355.00 $710.00 USPTO was ISA but not IPEA $370.00 $740.00 USPTO was neither ISA nor IPEA - Search report has not been prepared by the European Patent Office or the Japanese Patent Office $520.00 $1,040.00 - Search report has been prepared by the European Patent Office or the Japanese Patent Office $445.00 $890.00 Other National fees - For each independent claim in excess of 3 $42.00 $84.00 - For each claim in excess of 20 $9.00 $18.00 - For each application con- taining a multiple depen- dent claim $140.00 $280.00 - Surcharge for filing oath or declaration after the time limit applicable under PCT Article 22 or 39(1) $65.00 $130.00 - Processing fee for filing English translation after the time limit applicable under PCT Article 22 or 39(1) $130.00 $130.00 January 11, 2002 JAMES E. ROGAN Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office