Notice to the Public Regarding Termination of the 1999 Concurrent Search Pilot Program A notice was published in May 1999 by the European Patent Office (EPO), Japanese Patent Office (JPO), and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) (the Trilateral Offices) announcing the start of the 1999 concurrent search pilot program. The notice further indicated that the pilot program will be evaluated by the Trilateral Offices prior to the June 2000 Trilateral Meeting to determine whether the pilot program should be modified or expanded. The Trilateral Offices discussed the management of this ongoing pilot program at the Trilateral Technical Meeting held in Tokyo on June 14 - 16, 2000. In view of the restricted use of the pilot program, the Trilateral Offices agreed to conclude the pilot program on August 31, 2000. Any request for participation in the 1999 concurrent search pilot program submitted prior to August 31, 2000 will be handled and completed according to the terms and conditions of the pilot program. Please direct any comments regarding this notice to one of the e-mail addresses noted below, where appropriate: In the EPO :acardon@epo.org In the JPO :PA2A12@jpo-miti.go.jp In the USPTO :magdalen.greenlief@uspto.gov July 5, 2000 STEPHEN G. KUNIN Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy