Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Information

   For information concerning PCT member countries, see the notice
appearing in the Official Gazette at 1234 O.G. 28, on May 9, 2000.
   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 decreased, effective
June 1, 2000, and was announced in the Official Gazette at 1234 O.G. 60,
on May 16, 2000.
   International fees were changed, effective on January 1, 2000, 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 1229 O.G. 4, on
December 7, 1999. A change in the maximum number of designation fees
payable, with effect from January 1, 2000, was announced in the Official
Gazette at 1229 O.G. 4, on December 7, 1999. A change in the reduction
for electronic filing, with effect from January 1, 2000, was announced
in the Official Gazette at 1229 O.G. 4, on December 7, 1999.
   Certain domestic PCT fees have been changed by Public Law 106-113 of
November 29, 1999, and were announced in the Official Gazette at 1229
O.G. 38, on December 14, 1999. The effective date of the fee change is
December 29, 1999.
   The schedule of PCT fees (in U.S. dollars), as of June 1, 2000,
is as follows:

International Application (PCT Chapter I) fees:
   Transmittal fee:                                                 $240.00
   Search Fee
      U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as
      International Searching Authority (ISA)
         - No corresponding prior U.S. national
           application filed under
           35 U.S.C. 111(a)                                         $700.00
         - Corresponding prior U.S. national
           application filed under
           35 U.S.C. 111(a)                                         $450.00
         - Supplemental search fee, per
           additional invention (payable only upon invitation)      $210.00
      European Patent Office as ISA                                 $925.00
   International fees
      Basic fee                                                     $427.00
      Basic supplemental fee (for each page
      over 30)                                                       $10.00
      Designation fee per country or region
         - For the first 8 national or regional
         offices designated                                          $92.00
         - For each designation in excess
         of 8 offices                                             No Charge
         Precautionary designation fee and confirmation fee
         for each precautionary designation confirmed
         (PCT Rule 15.5)
         - Designation fee                                           $92.00
         - Confirmation fee                                          $46.00

(A reduction of $132 in the international fee is available in certain cases
where PCT-EASY software is used to prepare the request, provided that the
necessary conditions are met. See 1217 OG 131 (December 29, 1998)).

International Application (PCT Chapter II) fees associated
      with filing a Demand for Preliminary Examination:
      Handling fee                                                  $153.00
      Preliminary examination fee
         USPTO as International Preliminary
         Examining Authority (IPEA)
       - USPTO was ISA in PCT Chapter I                             $490.00
         - Additional examination fee, per
         additional invention (payable only
         upon invitation)                                           $140.00
       - USPTO was not ISA in PCT Chapter I                         $750.00
         - Additional examination fee,
         per additional invention (payable
         only upon invitation)                                      $270.00

                                                        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)                                    $335.00     $670.00
   USPTO was ISA but not IPEA                           $345.00     $690.00
   USPTO was neither ISA nor IPEA
     - Search report has not been prepared
        by the European Patent Office or
        the Japanese Patent Office                      $485.00     $970.00
     - Search report has been prepared by
        the European Patent Office or the
        Japanese Patent Office                          $420.00     $840.00

Other National fees
   - For each independent
      claim in excess of 3                               $39.00      $78.00
   - For each claim in excess of 20                       $9.00      $18.00
   - 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

April 21, 2000                                            Q. TODD DICKINSON
                                            Under Secretary of Commerce for
                                  Intellectual Property and Director of the
                                  United States Patent and Trademark Office