Patent Cooperation Treaty Update

   The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organiza-
tion has informed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that, due to
changes in the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss franc, the dollar
amount of the international fees for international applications filed in
the United States Receiving Office will increase, effective February 1,
1997.
  Effective February 1, 1997, the amount of the international fees for
international applications filed in the United States Receiving Office
will be:

Basic fee (first 30 pages)                                         $590.00
Basic supplemental fee (for each page over 30)                      $12.00
Designation fee (per country or region up to 11)                   $143.00
Handling fee                                                       $180.00

December 26, 1996                                          BRUCE A. LEHMAN
                                       Assistant Secretary of Commerce and
                                    Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks


                       Patent Cooperation Treaty Update

                              Accession by Ghana

   The United States Patent and Trademark Office received notification
from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that Ghana
deposited its instrument of accession of the PCT on November 26, 1996.
Ghana will become a Contracting State of the PCT on February 26, 1997.
Consequently, nationals and residents of Ghana are entitled to file
international applications under the PCT on and after February 26, 1997,
and from the same date it is possible to file international applications
designating and electing Ghana (country code: GH).

  Since Ghana is a member of the Harare Protocol with the framework of
ARIPO, Ghana will be able to be designated for a patent granted by ARIPO.
As of February 26, 1997, any designation in an international application
for an ARIPO patent will automatically include the designation of Ghana
for that purpose.

                        Listing of PCT Member Countries

                                        Date of Deposit    Entry into
Country                 Instrument      of Instrument      Force1

(1) Central African
    Republic2           Accession       15 September 1971  24 January 1978
(2) Senegal2            Ratification    08 March 1972      24 January 1978
(3) Madagascar          Ratification    27 March 1972      24 January 1978
(4) Malawi5             Accession       16 May 1972        24 January 1978
(5) Cameroon2           Accession       15 March 1973      24 January 1978
(6) Chad2               Accession       12 February 1974   24 January 1978
(7) Togo2               Ratification    28 January 1975    24 January 1978
(8) Gabon2              Accession       06 March 1975      24 January 1978
(9) United States
    of America          Ratification    26 November 1975   24 January 1978
(10) Germany3           Ratification    19 July 1976       24 January 1978
(11) Congo2             Accession       08 August 1977     24 January 1978
(12) Switzerland3       Ratification    14 September 1977  24 January 1978
(13) United Kingdom3    Ratification    24 October 1977    24 January 1978
(14) France3            Ratification    25 November 1977   25 Feb 1978
(15) Russian Federation Ratification    29 December 1977   29 March 1978
(16) Brazil             Ratification    09 January 1978    09 April 1978
(17) Luxembourg3        Ratification    31 January 1978    30 April 1978
(18) Sweden3            Ratification    17 February 1978   17 May 1978
(19) Japan              Ratification    01 July 1978       01 October 1978
(20) Denmark3           Ratification    01 September 1978  01 Dec 1978
(21) Austria3           Ratification    23 January 1979    23 April 1979
(22) Monaco3            Ratification    22 March 1979      22 June 1979
(23) Netherlands3       Ratification    10 April 1979      10 July 1979
(24) Romania            Ratification    23 April 1979      23 July 1979
(25) Norway             Ratification    01 October 1979    01 January 1980
(26) Liechtenstein3     Accession       19 December 1979   19 March 1980
(27) Australia          Accession       31 December 1979   31 March 1980
(28) Hungary            Ratification    27 March 1980      27 June 1980
(29) Democratic
     People's Republic
     of Korea
     (North Korea)      Accession       08 April 1980      08 July 1980
(30) Finland            Ratification    01 July 1980       01 October 1980
(31) Belgium3           Ratification    14 September 1981  14 Dec 1981
(32) Sri Lanka          Accession       26 November 1981   26 Feb 1982
(33) Mauritania2        Accession       13 January 1983    13 April 1983
(34) Sudan5             Accession       16 January 1984    16 April 1984
(35) Bulgaria           Accession       21 February 1984   21 May 1984
(36) Republic of Korea
     (South Korea)      Accession       10 May 1984        10 August 1984
(37) Mali2              Accession       19 July 1984       19 October 1984
(38) Barbados           Accession       12 December 1984   12 March 1985
(39) Italy3             Ratification    28 December 1984   28 March 1985
(40) Benin2             Accession       26 November 1986   26 Feb 1987
(41) Burkina Faso2      Accession       21 December 1988   21 March 1989
(42) Spain3             Accession       16 August 1989     16 Nov 1989
(43) Canada             Ratification    02 October 1989    02 January 1990
(44) Greece3            Accession       09 July 1990       09 October 1990
(45) Poland             Accession       25 September 1990  25 Dec 1990
(46) Cote d'Ivoire2     Ratification    31 January 1991    30 April 1991
(47) Guinea2            Accession       27 February 1991   27 May 1991
(48) Mongolia           Accession       27 February 1991   27 May 1991
(49) Czech Republic     Declaration4    18 December 1992   01 January 1993
(50) Ireland3           Ratification    01 May 1992        01 August 1992
(51) Portugal3          Accession       24 August 1992     24 Nov 1992
(52) New Zealand        Accession       01 September 1992  01 Dec 1992
(53) Ukraine            Declaration4    21 September 1992  25 Dec 1991
(54) Viet Nam           Accession       10 December 1992   10 March 1993
(55) Slovakia           Declaration4    30 December 1992   01 January 1993
(56) Niger2             Accession       21 December 1992   21 March 1993
(57) Kazakstan          Declaration4    16 February 1993   25 Dec 1991
(58) Belarus            Declaration4    14 April 1993      25 Dec 1991
(59) Latvia             Accession       07 June 1993       07 Sept 1993
(60) Uzbekistan         Declaration4    18 August 1993     25 Dec 1991
(61) China              Accession       01 October 1993    01 January 1994
(62) Slovenia           Accession       01 December 1993   01 March 1994
(63) Trinidad and
     Tobago             Accession       10 December 1993   10 March 1994
(64) Georgia            Declaration4    18 January 1994    25 Dec 1991
(65) Kyrgyzstan         Declaration4    14 February 1994   25 Dec 1991
(66) Republic of
     Moldova            Declaration4    14 February 1994   25 Dec 1991
(67) Tajikistan         Declaration4    14 February 1994   25 Dec 1991
(68) Kenya5             Accession       08 March 1994      08 June 1994
(69) Lithuania          Accession       05 April 1994      05 July 1994
(70) Armenia            Declaration4    17 May 1994        25 Dec 1991
(71) Estonia            Accession       24 May 1994        24 August 1994
(72) Liberia            Accession       27 May 1994        27 August 1994
(73) Swaziland5         Accession       20 June 1994       20 Sept 1994
(74) Mexico             Accession       01 October 1994    01 January 1995
(75) Uganda5            Accession       09 November 1994   09 Feb 1995
(76) Singapore          Accession       23 November 1994   23 Feb 1995
(77) Iceland            Accession       23 December 1994   23 March 1995
(78) Turkmenistan       Declaration4    01 March 1995      25 Dec 1991
(79) The former
     Yugoslav Republic
     of Macedonia       Accession       10 May 1995        10 August 1995
(80) Albania            Accession       04 July 1995       04 October 1995
(81) Lesotho5           Accession       21 July 1995       21 October 1995
(82) Azerbaijan         Accession       25 September 1995  25 Dec 1995
(83) Turkey             Accession       01 October 1995    01 January 1996
(84) Israel             Ratification    01 March 1996      01 June 1996
(85) Cuba               Accession       16 April 1996      16 July 1996
(86) Saint Lucia        Accession       30 May 1996        30 August 1996
(87) Bosnia and         Accession       7 June 1996        07 Sept. 1996
     Herzegovina
(  ) Ghana5             Accession       26 November 1996   26 February 1997

1Although the PCT entered into force on January 24, 1978, the Assembly of
the PCT Union fixed June 1, 1978, as the date from which international
applications could be filed and demands for international preliminary
examination could be submitted.

2Members of African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) regional
patent system.

3Member of European Patent Convention (EPC) regional patent system.

4Declaration of continued application.

5Member of African Regional Industrial Property Organization (ARIPO)
regional patent system.

December 26, 1996                                          BRUCE A. LEHMAN
                                       Assistant Secretary of Commerce and
                                    Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks