Patent Cooperation Treaty Update

   The Assembly of the International Patent Cooperation Union (PCT
Union), in a meeting held in Geneva from September 16 to October 1,
1997, decided to reduce the basic fee and the designation fee. These
reductions will take effect from January 1, 1998. Due to currency
exchange rate changes, a new dollar amount was also established for the
search fee required by the European Patent Office, also with effect from
January 1, 1998.

   Effective January 1, 1998, the dollar amounts of the basic fee, the
designation fee, and the search fee required by the European Patent
Office (EPO) when acting as International Searching Authority will be:

Basic fee (first 30 pages)                            $455.00

Designation fee
(per country or region up to 11)                      $105.00

Search fee required by European Patent Office
(EPO) when acting as International
Searching Authority                                  $1250.00

Nov. 10, 1997                                               BRUCE A. LEHMAN
                                        Assistant Secretary of Commerce and
                                     Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks