January 01, 1996
PTO 96-04

PTO to hold Hearings on Issues Relating to Patent Protection for Nucleic Acid Sequences

PTO to hold Hearings on Issues Relating to Patent Protection for Nucleic Acid Sequences

The Commerce Department's Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) is holding two public hearings, on April 16 and April 23, regarding search and examination procedures on patent applications for DNA sequences.

Interested members of the public are invited to testify or present written comments on the following issues:

1) Is there a more cost-effective way to search and examine applications containing large numbers of sequences in view of the PTO's limited human and computer resources?

2) How should the significantly higher cost associated with searching applications claiming large numbers of sequences be underwritten?

3) Do you have any specific suggestions which would facilitate the implementation of short term and long term solutions?

The hearing on Tuesday, April 16 will be held from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the University of California, San Diego, International Center, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California.

The public hearing on Tuesday, April 23 will be held from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the Patent and Trademark Office, Suite 912, Commissioner's Conference room, Crystal Park 2, 2121 Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia.

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