(117)               Interference Practice - New Procedures
                    for Handling Interference Cases at the
                   Board of Patent Appeals and Interference

   A Trial Section has been established within the Interference Division 
of the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences. Three administrative 
patent judges, an interference administrator, a paralegal and a legal 
technician have been assigned to the Trial Section. Two additional 
interference administrators will be assigned to the Trial Section in the 
near future.
   The purpose of the Trial Section is to handle what has been
previously known as the interlocutory phase of interferences, including
declaration of the interference and setting times for taking action
during the preliminary motion, testimony and briefings phases of the
interference.
   
The personnel currently assigned to the Trial Section are:
   
   Fred E. McKelvey
   Senior Administrative Patent Judge
   
   Richard E. Schafer
   Administrative Patent Judge
   
   Jameson Lee
   Administrative Patent Judge
   
   Merrell C. Cashion, Jr.
   Interference Administrator
   
   Yolunda Townes
   Paralegal
   
   Sonja Despertt
   Legal Technician
   
   Questions regarding procedure to be used by the Trial Section may be
made by telephone call placed to the paralegal or legal technician at
703-308-9797.
   The Trial Section will normally assign times for taking action during
the preliminary motion, testimony and briefing phases of interferences
such that the interference will be ready for final hearing in eighteen
(18) months. A final hearing will be set before a merits panel of judges
designated by the Chief Judge.
   Certain procedures will be adopted by the Trial Section with the view
to making administration of interferences more efficient. Those
procedures will be set out in a NOTICE DECLARING INTERFERENCE and orders
relating to the setting of times for taking action during the
preliminary motion and testimony/briefing phases of an interference.
   A copy of the current version of the NOTICE DECLARING INTEFERENCE or
the orders to be used in setting times for taking action during the
preliminary motion and/or testimony/briefing phases of an interference
may be obtained from the Trial Section by letter addressed as follows:
   
                               BOX INTERFERENCE
                                 Trial Section
                            Washington, D.C. 20231

   or by e-mail addressed as follows:
   
                           yolunda.townes@uspto.gov
                                      or
                           sonja.despertt@uspto.gov

November 6, 1998                                       BRUCE H. STONER, JR.
                                          Chief Administrative Patent Judge

                                 [1217 OG 18]