Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Information

   For information concerning PCT member countries, see the notice
appearing in the Official Gazette at 1194 O.G. 618, on January 21, 1997.
   For use of the European Patent Office as an International Searching
Authority for international applications filed in the United States
Receiving Office, see the notice appearing in the Official Gazette at
1022 O.G. 52, on September 28, 1982.
   For use of the European Patent Office as an International Preliminary
Examining Authority for international applications filed in the United
States Receiving Office, see the notices appearing in the Official
Gazette at 1080 O.G. 2, on July 7, 1987, and at 1091 O.G. 2, on June 7,
1988. There is no longer a limit on the number of such international
applications accepted for international preliminary examination by the
European Patent Office; see the notice appearing at 1116 O.G. 32, on
July 17, 1990.
   The search fee of the European Patent Office was changed, effective
May 1, 1997, due to a change in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with
regard to the German mark, and was announced in the Official Gazette at
1197 O.G. 69, on April 22, 1997.
   International fees were changed, effective on May 1, 1997, 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 1197 O.G. 69, on
April 22, 1997.
   Certain domestic PCT fees and charges for International Search and
Preliminary Examination were changed, effective October 1, 1996, and were
announced in the Official Gazette at 1189 O.G. 62, on August 20, 1996.
   The schedule of PCT fees (in U.S. dollars), effective May 1, 1997,
is as follows:

International Application (PCT Chapter I) fees:
   Transmittal fee:                                                230.00
   Search Fee
      U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as
      International Searching Authority (ISA)
         - No corresponding prior U.S. national
           application filed                                       680.00
         - Corresponding prior U.S. national
           application filed                                       440.00
         - Supplemental search fee, per
           additional invention (payable only upon invitation)     200.00
      European Patent Office as ISA                               1425.00
   International fees
      Basic fee                                                    530.00
      Basic supplemental fee (for each page
      over 30)                                                      10.00
      Designation fee per country or region
         - For the first 11 national or regional
         offices designated                                        128.00
         - For each designation in excess
         of 11 offices                                          No Charge
         Precautionary designation fee and confirmation fee
         for each precautionary designation confirmed
         (PCT Rule 15.5)
         - Designation fee                                         128.00
         - Confirmation fee                                         64.00

International Application (PCT Chapter II) fees associated
      with filing a Demand for Preliminary Examination:
      Handling fee                                                 162.00
      Preliminary examination fee
         USPTO as International Preliminary
         Examining Authority (IPEA)
       - USPTO was ISA in PCT Chapter I                            480.00
         - Additional examination fee, per
         additional invention (payable only
         upon invitation)                                          140.00
       - USPTO was not ISA in PCT Chapter I                        730.00
         - Additional examination fee,
         per additional invention (payable
         only upon invitation)                                     260.00

                                                        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)                                     48.00      96.00
     - All claims presented did not satisfy
        provisons of PCT Article
        33(2) to (4)                                    350.00     700.00
   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 Japanese Patent Office                      520.00    1040.00
     - Search report has been prepared by
        the European Patent Office or the
        Japanese Patent Office                          455.00     910.00

Other National fees
   - For each independent
      claim in excess of 3                               40.00      80.00
   - For each claim in excess of 20                      11.00      22.00
   - For each application con-
      taining a multiple depen-
      dent claim                                        130.00     260.00
   - 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

March 31, 1997                                              BRUCE A. LEHMAN
                                        Assistant Secretary of Commerce and
                                     Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks


                       Patent Cooperation Treaty Update

                             Accession by Zimbabwe

   The United States Patent and Trademark Office received notification
from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that Zimbabwe
deposited its instrument of accession of the PCT on March 11, 1997.
Zimbabwe will become a Contracting State of the PCT on June 11, 1997.
Consequently, nationals and residents of Zimbabwe are entitled to file
international applications under the PCT on and after June 11, 1997, and
from the same date it is possible to file international applications
designating and electing Zimbabwe (country code: ZW).

   Since Zimbabwe is a member of the Harare Protocol within the
framework of the African Regional Industrial Property Organization
(ARIPO), Zimbabwe will be able to be designated for a patent granted by
ARIPO. As of June 11, 1997, any designation in an international
application for an ARIPO patent will automatically include the
designation of Zimbabwe for that purpose.


                           Accession by Sierra Leone

   The United States Patent and Trademark Office received notification
from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that Sierra
Leone deposited its instrument of accession of the PCT on March 17,
1997. Sierra Leone will become a Contracting State of the PCT on June
17, 1997. Consequently, nationals and residents of Sierra Leone are
entitled to file international applications under the PCT on and after
June 17, 1997, and from the same date it is possible to file
international applications designating and electing Sierra Leone
(country code: SL).


                        Listing of PCT Member Countries

                                      Date of Deposit      Entry into
Country                Instrument     of Instrument        Force1

(1)  Central African   Accession      15 September 1971    24 January 1978
     Republic2
(2)  Senegal2          Ratification   08 March 1972        24 January 1978
(3)  Madagascar        Ratification   27 March 1972        24 January 1978
(4)  Malawi5           Accession      16 May 1972          24 January 1978
(5)  Cameroon2         Accession      15 March 1973        24 January 1978
(6)  Chad2             Accession      12 February 1974     24 January 1978
(7)  Togo2             Ratification   28 January 1975      24 January 1978
(8)  Gabon2            Accession      06 March 1975        24 January 1978
(9)  United States     Ratification   26 November 1975     24 January 1978
     of America
(10) Germany3          Ratification   19 July 1976         24 January 1978
(11) Congo2            Accession      08 August 1977       24 January 1978
(12) Switzerland3      Ratification   14 September 1977    24 January 1978
(13) United Kingdom3   Ratification   24 October 1977      24 January 1978
(14) France3           Ratification   25 November 1977     25 February 1978
(15) Russian           Ratification   29 December 1977     29 March 1978
     Federation6
(16) Brazil            Ratification   09 January 1978      09 April 1978
(17) Luxembourg3       Ratification   31 January 1978      30 April 1978
(18) Sweden3           Ratification   17 February 1978     17 May 1978
(19) Japan             Ratification   01 July 1978         01 October 1978
(20) Denmark3          Ratification   01 September 1978    01 December 1978
(21) Austria3          Ratification   23 January 1979      23 April 1979
(22) Monaco3           Ratification   22 March 1979        22 June 1979
(23) Netherlands3      Ratification   10 April 1979        10 July 1979
(24) Romania           Ratification   23 April 1979        23 July 1979
(25) Norway            Ratification   01 October 1979      01 January 1980
(26) Liechtenstein3    Accession      19 December 1979     19 March 1980
(27) Australia         Accession      31 December 1979     31 March 1980
(28) Hungary           Ratification   27 March 1980        27 June 1980
(29) Democratic        Accession      08 April 1980        08 July 1980
     People's Republic
     ofKorea
     (North Korea)
(30) Finland           Ratification   01 July 1980         01 October 1980
(31) Belgium3          Ratification   14 September 1981    14 December 1981
(32) Sri Lanka         Accession      26 November 1981     26 February 1982
(33) Mauritania2       Accession      13 January 1983      13 April 1983
(34) Sudan5            Accession      16 January 1984      16 April 1984
(35) Bulgaria          Accession      21 February 1984     21 May 1984
(36) Republic of Korea Accession      10 May 1984          10 August 1984
     (South Korea)
(37) Mali2             Accession      19 July 1984         19 October 1984
(38) Barbados          Accession      12 December 1984     12 March 1985
(39) Italy3            Ratification   28 December 1984     28 March 1985
(40) Benin2            Accession      26 November 1986     26 February 1987
(41) Burkina Faso2     Accession      21 December 1988     21 March 1989
(42) Spain3            Accession      16 August 1989       16 November 1989
(43) Canada            Ratification   02 October 1989      02 January 1990
(44) Greece3           Accession      09 July 1990         09 October 1990
(45) Poland            Accession      25 September 1990    25 December 1990
(46) Cote d'Ivoire2    Ratification   31 January 1991      30 April 1991
(47) Guinea2           Accession      27 February 1991     27 May 1991
(48) Mongolia          Accession      27 February 1991     27 May 1991
(49) Czech Republic    Declaration4   18 December 1992     01 January 1993
(50) Ireland3          Ratification   01 May 1992          01 August 1992
(51) Portugal3         Accession      24 August 1992       24 November 1992
(52) New Zealand       Accession      01 September 1992    01 December 1992
(53) Ukraine           Declaration4   21 September 1992    25 December 1991
(54) Viet Nam          Accession      10 December 1992     10 March 1993
(55) Slovakia          Declaration4   30 December 1992     01 January 1993
(56) Niger2            Accession      21 December 1992     21 March 1993
(57) Kazakstan6        Declaration4   16 February 1993     25 December 1991
(58) Belarus6          Declaration4   14 April 1993        25 December 1991
(59) Latvia            Accession      07 June 1993         07 September 1993
(60) Uzbekistan        Declaration4   18 August 1993       25 December 1991
(61) China             Accession      01 October 1993      01 January 1994
(62) Slovenia          Accession      01 December 1993     01 March 1994
(63) Trinidad and      Accession      10 December 1993     10 March 1994
     Tobago
(64) Georgia           Declaration4   18 January 1994      25 December 1991
(65) Kyrgyzstan6       Declaration4   14 February 1994     25 December 1991
(66) Republic of       Declaration4   14 February 1994     25 December 1991
     Moldova6
(67) Tajikistan        Declaration4   14 February 1994     25 December 1991
(68) Kenya5            Accession      08 March 1994        08 June 1994
(69) Lithuania         Accession      05 April 1994        05 July 1994
(70) Armenia6          Declaration4   17 May 1994          25 December 1991
(71) Estonia           Accession      24 May 1994          24 August 1994
(72) Liberia           Accession      27 May 1994          27 August 1994
(73) Swaziland5        Accession      20 June 1994         20 September 1994
(74) Mexico            Accession      01 October 1994      01 January 1995
(75) Uganda5           Accession      09 November 1994     09 February 1995
(76) Singapore         Accession      23 November 1994     23 February 1995
(77) Iceland           Accession      23 December 1994     23 March 1995
(78) Turkmenistan6     Declaration4   01 March 1995        25 December 1991
(79) The former        Accession      10 May 1995          10 August 1995
     Yugoslav Republic
     of Macedonia
(80) Albania           Accession      04 July 1995         04 October 1995
(81) Lesotho5          Accession      21 July 1995         21 October 1995
(82) Azerbaijan6       Accession      25 September 1995    25 December 1995
(83) Turkey            Accession      01 October 1995      01 January 1996
(84) Israel            Ratification   01 March 1996        01 June 1996
(85) Cuba              Accession      16 April 1996        16 July 1996
(86) Saint Lucia       Accession      30 May 1996          30 August 1996
(87) Bosnia and        Accession      07 June 1996         07 September 1996
     Herzegovina
(88) Federal Republic  Ratification   01 November 1996     01 February 1997
     of Yugoslavia7
(89) Ghana5            Accession      26 November 1996     26 February 1997
(90) Zimbabwe5         Accession      11 March 1997        11 June 1997
(91) Sierra Leone      Accession      17 March 1997        17 June 1997

1 Although the PCT entered into force on January 24, 1978, the Assembly
  of the PCT Union fixed June 1, 1978, as the date from which
  international applications could be filed and demands for international
  preliminary examination could be submitted.
2 Member of African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) regional
  patent system.
3 Member of European Patent Convention (EPC) regional patent system.
4 Declaration of continued application.
5 Member of African Regional Industrial Property Organization (ARIPO)
  regional patent system.
6 Member of Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO) regional patent system.
7 The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is comprised of the Republics of
  Serbia and Montenegro. The World Intellectual Property Organization has
  utilized the two-letter code "YU" to refer to the Federal Republic of
  Yugoslavia becoming a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The United
  States understands that the scope of the territory covered by the
  designation encompasses only the Republics of Serbia and Montenegro.

May 9, 1997                                                 BRUCE A. LEHMAN
                                        Assistant Secretary of Commerce and
                                     Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks