United States Patent and Trademark Office OG Notices: 23 January 2007

                  Transcription of Oral Arguments before the
                   Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences

   The United States Patent and Trademark Office is increasing the
transparency of Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences decision
making. The Board has already opened its oral arguments to the public.
See 1308 OG 147-48 (Jul. 25, 2006). In 2007, the Board will begin
transcribing oral arguments before the Board. The transcript of the
argument will be entered into the official record of the proceeding.
Availability of the transcript should improve public insight into the
proceeding. See Okajima v. Bourdeau, 261 F.3d 1350, 1355,
59 USPQ2d 1795, 1798 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (discussing the transcript of the
argument before the Board). The transcript will not ordinarily be open
to correction since the cost and complexity of a correction process
would outweigh the benefits.

December 27, 2006                                        MICHAEL R. FLEMING
                                          Chief Administrative Patent Judge