United States Patent and Trademark Office OG Notices: 30 December 2003

                  Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Information

   For information concerning PCT member countries, see the notice
appearing in the Official Gazette at 1274 O.G. 188, on September 30, 2003.

   Either the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or the
European Patent Office (EPO) may act as the International Searching
Authority (ISA) for an international application filed with the United
States Receiving Office or the International Bureau (IB) as Receiving
Office where at least one of the applicants is either a national or
resident of the United States of America.  However, the EPO is
no longer a competent ISA, within the meaning of PCT Article 16(3), for
international applications filed by US residents or nationals on or after
01 March 2002 in the USPTO or IB as receiving Office, and where the
application contains one or more claims directed to the fields of
biotechnology or business methods.  For the definition of what the EPO
considers to be precluded subject matter in the fields of
biotechnology and business methods, applicants should see the "Notice from
the President of the European Patent Office," dated 26 November 2001, and
which is published as Annex A in the "Notice Concerning EPO Competence to
Act as PCT Authority" in the Official Gazette at 1255 O.G. 878, on
February 19, 2002.

   The European Patent Office may act as the International Preliminary
Examining Authority (IPEA) for an international application filed
in the United States Receiving Office or the International Bureau as
Receiving Office where at least one of the applicants is either a
national or resident of the United States of America, provided that the
European Patent Office acted as the International Searching Authority.
However, the EPO is no longer a competent IPEA, within the meaning of PCT
Article 32(3), for international applications filed by US residents or
nationals in the USPTO or IB as receiving Office where the corresponding
demand is filed with the EPO on or after 01 March 2002, and where the
application contains one or more claims directed to the fields of
biotechnology, business methods or telecommunication.  For the definition
of what the EPO considers to be precluded subject matter in the
field of telecommunication, applicants should see the "Notice from
the President of the European Patent Office," dated 26 November 2001, and
which is published as Annex A in the "Notice Concerning EPO
Competence to Act as PCT Authority" in the Official Gazette at 1255 O.G.
878, on February 19, 2002.

   The search fee of the European Patent Office was increased, effective
September 1, 2003, and was announced in the Official Gazette at 1273 O.G.
80, on August 12, 2003.

   International fees were changed, effective on April 15, 2003, due to
a change in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss
franc, and were announced in the Official Gazette at 1268 O.G. 76 on
March 25, 2003.  A change in the maximum number of designation fees
payable, with effect from January 1, 2002, was announced in the Official
Gazette at 1253 O.G. 88, on December 25, 2001.  A change in the reduction
for electronic filing, with effect from April 15, 2003, was announced in
the Official Gazette at 1268 O.G. 76, on March 25, 2003.

   The schedule of PCT fees (in U.S. dollars), as of September 1, 2003,
is as follows:

International Application (PCT Chapter I) fees:
   Transmittal fee:                                                 $240.00
   Search Fee
      U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as
      International Searching Authority (ISA)
         - No corresponding prior U.S. national
           application filed under
           35 U.S.C. 111(a)                                         $700.00
         - Corresponding prior U.S. national
           application filed under 35 U.S.C.
           111(a) and filing fee under
           37 CFR 1.16(a) paid                                      $450.00
         - Supplemental search fee, per
           additional invention (payable only upon invitation)      $210.00
      European Patent Office as ISA                               $1,119.00
   International fees
      Basic fee                                                     $476.00
      Basic supplemental fee (for each page
      over 30)                                                       $12.00
      Designation fee per country or region
         - For the first 5 national or regional
         offices designated                                         $104.00
         - For each designation in excess
         of 5 offices                                             No Charge
         Precautionary designation fee and confirmation fee
         for each precautionary designation confirmed
         (PCT Rule 15.5)
         - Designation fee                                          $104.00
         - Confirmation fee                                          $52.00

(A reduction of $148 in the international fees is available in certain
cases where PCT-EASY software is used to prepare the request, provided that
the necessary conditions are met. See 1217 OG 131 (December 29, 1998)).

International Application (PCT Chapter II) fees associated
      with filing a Demand for Preliminary Examination:
      Handling fee                                                  $172.00
      Preliminary examination fee
         USPTO as International Preliminary
         Examining Authority (IPEA)
       - USPTO was ISA in PCT Chapter I                             $490.00
         - Additional examination fee, per
         additional invention (payable only
         upon invitation)                                           $140.00
       - USPTO was not ISA in PCT Chapter I                         $750.00
         - Additional examination fee,
         per additional invention (payable
         only upon invitation)                                      $270.00

Certain domestic fees have been changed, effective October 1, 2003, to
adjust certain patent fee amounts to reflect fluctuations in the Consumer
Price Index.

                                                        Small
U.S. National Stage Fees                                Entity      Regular

Basic National fee
   USPTO was IPEA
     - All claims presented satisfied
        provisions of PCT Article
        33(2) to (4)                                     $50.00     $100.00
     - All claims presented did not satisfy
        provisions of PCT Article
        33(2) to (4)                                    $365.00     $730.00
   USPTO was ISA but not IPEA                           $385.00     $770.00
   USPTO was neither ISA nor IPEA
     - Search report has not been prepared
        by the European Patent Office or
        the Japan Patent Office                         $540.00   $1,080.00
     - Search report has been prepared by
        the European Patent Office or the
        Japan Patent Office                             $460.00     $920.00

Other National fees
   - For each independent
      claim in excess of 3                               $43.00      $86.00
   - For each claim in excess of 20                       $9.00      $18.00
   - For each application con-
      taining a multiple depen-
      dent claim                                        $145.00     $290.00
   - Surcharge for filing oath or
      declaration after the time
      limit applicable under PCT
      Article 22 or 39(1)                                $65.00     $130.00
   - Processing fee for filing
      English translation after
      the time limit applicable
      under PCT Article 22 or
      39(1)                                             $130.00     $130.00

August 26, 2003                                              JAMES E. ROGAN
                                            Under Secretary of Commerce for
                                  Intellectual Property and Director of the
                                  United States Patent and Trademark Office