IMPORTANT PATENT FEE INFORMATION

NEW PATENT STATUTORY FEE AMOUNTS ARE NOW IN EFFECT.

The "United States Patent and Trademark Office Reauthorization Act, Fiscal Year 1999" (H.R. 3723) was signed by the President on November 10, 1998. The fees established under 35 U.S.C. 41(a) and (b), referred to as patent statutory fees, are set at the amounts specified by H.R. 3723 for fiscal year 1999, beginning November 10, 1998. The new patent fee amounts reflect a modest reduction.

A final rule amending the rules of practice in patent cases to indicate the new patent fee amounts will be published in the Federal Register. The final rule and the new PTO fee schedule will be posted on the PTO's Web site in the near future.

To assist our customers, an interim PTO fee schedule provides a comparison of the fiscal year 1998 (October 1, 1997 - November 9, 1998) patent fee amounts and the new patent fee amounts (fiscal year 1999, beginning November 10, 1998).

The effective date for the amendments to the fee amounts in 37 CFR 1.16, 1.17(a) through (d), (l), and (m), 1.18, 1.20, and 1.492 is the date of enactment of H.R. 3723 (November 10, 1998). The effective date for the amendments to the fee amounts in 37 CFR 1.17(r) and (s), and 1.21(a)(6)(ii) will be the date of publication in the Federal Register.