Patent Cooperation Treaty Update

   The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property
Organization has informed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, that due
to changes in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the
Swiss franc, the dollar amount of certain fees for international
applications filed in the United States Receiving Office will be
decreased, effective January 1, 2000. Due to currency exchange rate
changes, a new dollar amount was also established for the search fee
required by the European Patent Office, also effective as of January 1,
2000. The maximum number of designation fees payable will also be
reduced, effective January 1, 2000, from 10 to 8.

The amounts of these fees will be:

Basic fee (first 30 pages)                                          $427.00

Designation fee (per country or region up to 8)                      $92.00

Handling fee                                                        $153.00

PCT-EASY reduction                                                 $-132.00

Search fee required by European Patent Office (EPO)
when acting as International Searching Authority                    $990.00

November 10, 1999                                         Q. TODD DICKINSON
                                              Acting Assistant Secretary of
                                           Commerce and Acting Commissioner
                                                  of Patents and Trademarks