Notice of Change in Procedures for Recording Inventors' Names The Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has received a number of complaints from the public regarding improper truncation of inventors' names as printed on the Letters Patent. Changes on the printed patent currently require the filing and processing of certificates of correction. In an effort to address these complaints, the PTO has decided to change the method of recording and printing inventors' names on the Letters Patent. This change in the manner in which inventors' names will be printed on the Letters Patent is not to be confused with an actual change in an inventors' name as it appears on the oath or declaration, which requires correction by way of a petition under 37 CFR 1.182 (see MPEP 605.04(c)). Accordingly, the PTO printing contractor will be instructed to print inventors' names on the Letters Patent exactly as the names are typed on the oath or declaration. For example, an oath or declaration with a printed inventor's name of Jonathan Hohenhauser Smithfield Williams, Jr., and a signature which is legible as Jonathan H. S. Williams, Jr., would have the Letters Patent printed with Jonathan Hohenhauser Smithfield Williams, Jr. as the inventor. In order to have the PTO's records parallel as much as possible the above-noted changes, effective immediately, Application Processing Division will begin to enter into PALM (the PTO's computerized database) each inventor's name as printed or typed in the oath or declaration. Since the relevant fields in the PALM system for inventors' given names and last name are each limited to 25 characters, the example given above would be entered into the PALM system as Jonathan Hohenhauser Smit Williams, Jr. This PALM entry would be reflected on the filing receipt mailed to applicants. While the name `Smithfield' would be truncated in the PALM system to `Smit' as a result of the 25 character limitation, the printed patent will contain the full name as indicated above. There is a time lag between the PTO printing contractor's receipt of an application to be issued as a patent and the patent's actual issue date. Therefor, patents issued on or after June 17, 1997, will contain the inventors' full names exactly as they are printed on the oath or declaration. In all applications filed on or after April 18, 1997, applicants are cautioned to give their full names in the oath or declaration exactly as they would like them to be printed on the Letters Patent. In applications filed before April 18, 1997, if applicants do not desire to have their full names printed on the Letters Patent as they are printed or typed in the oath or declaration (at least one given name must be typed or printed in full), they must either: (1) request correction at the time of payment of the issue fee; or (2) if the issue fee has been paid prior to April 18, 1997, request correction, as soon as possible, by writing to Box Issue Fee, Assistant Commissioner for Patents, Washington, D.C. 20231. The requested correction will be made if sufficient time remains for the PTO to complete technical preparation of the text to be printed on the Letters Patent. February 13, 1997 EDWARD R. KAZENSKE Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Patents