Status of Office of Public Records Services

   The Office of Public Records (OPR) processes and fills orders for both
certified and uncertified copies of Patent and Trademark Office
documents and records assignments and other documents related to title.
This is an update of actual processing time for orders filled during the
month of April 2000:

DOCUMENT SERVICES

Certified Documents             Goal            Actual
                                                Processing
                                                Time

Patent Application-As-Filed,     7 days           5 days
Expedited
Patent Application-As-Filed,    17 days          10 days
Regular
Patent Related File Wrapper     25 days          29 days*
Patent Copy                     10 days           6 days
Patent Assignments              10 days           8 days

Trademark Application-As-        7 days           5 days
Filed, Expedited
Trademark Application-As-       17 days          10 days
Filed, Regular
Trademark Related File          25 days          24 days*
Wrapper
Trademark Assignments           10 days           8 days
Trademark Registration,          5 days           5 days
Expedited
Trademark Registration,         14 days           7 days
Regular

UnCertified Documents           Goal            Actual
                                                Processing
                                                Time

Expedited Patent Copies          1 day            2 days
Regular Patent Copies            3 days           3 days
Plant Patents                    3 days           1 day
Patent Assignments              10 days           8 days
Patent Related File Wrapper     25 days          21 days

Expedited Trademark Copies       1 day            1 day
Regular Trademark Copies         3 days           2 days
Trademark Assignments           10 days           9 days
Trademark Related File          25 days           9 days*
Wrappers

* Includes turnaround times for files on Official Search and File
Reconstruction.

During the month of April 2000, a total of 17,081 public orders (27,861
copies) were filled and closed, or 5,768 orders more (10,930 copies
less) than the FY-00 planning number of 11,313 orders (38,791 copies) to
be closed for this month. The average turnaround times for products
remain in expected ranges.

Due to varying availability of media, customers will not be advised when
orders are not delivered within the published goal periods. However,
customers will be advised if any unexpected delay in their order has
been identified. Customers should use the above actual days to mail for
each product as a guide as to when they can expect their orders. In
determining expected delivery times, the day an order is received in the
Office is calculated as "day zero." The next business day is "day one."

Customers are encouraged to fax orders for copies directly to Document
Services Division at (703) 308-9759 and to pay by PTO Deposit Account,
MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover. Copy orders may also be
placed through the Internet by accessing the PTO home page at
www.uspto.gov and selecting the "Order Copies" option. Information on
the status of pending orders may be obtained by calling (703) 308-9726
or 1 (800) 972-6382 (outside the Washington, DC Metro area), or via
E-mail: dsd@uspto.gov.

Assignment Services

The Assignment Division is currently mailing recordation notices for
documents received in the Office of Public Records on Feb. 27, 2000. The
cycle time to process, record, and mail notices is 60 calendar days.

May 9, 2000                                          PATRICK ROWE, Director
                                                   Office of Public Records