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 times during the month of July
2000:

Document Services

Certified Documents                        Goal                  Actual
                                                                 Processing
                                                                 Time

Patent Application-As-Filed,                7 days                5 days
  Expedited
Patent Application-As-Filed,               17 days               14 days
  Regular
Patent Related File Wrapper                25 days               35 days*
Patent Copy                                10 days                7 days
Patent Assignments                         10 days                8 days

Trademark Application-As-                   7 days                5 days
  Filed, Expedited
Trademark Application-As-                  17 days               13 days
  Filed, Regular
Trademark Related File                     25 days               31 days*
  Wrapper
Trademark Assignments                      10 days                9 days
Trademark Registration,                     5 days                4 days
  Expedited
Trademark Registration,                    14 days                7 days
  Regular

Uncertified Documents

Expedited Patent Copies                     1 day                 1 day
Regular Patent Copies                       3 days                3 days
Plant Patents                               3 days                2 days
Patent Assignments                         10 days                6 days
Patent Related File Wrapper                25 days               21 days*

Expedited Trademark Copies                  1 day                 2 days
Regular Trademark Copies                    3 days                2 days
Trademark Assignments                      10 days                5 days
Trademark Related File                     25 days               17 days*
  Wrappers

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

During the month of July 2000, a total of 16,856 public orders (28,819
copies) were filled and closed, or 5,543 orders more (9,972 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 the
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 June 2, 2000. The
cycle time to process, record, and mail notices is 55 calendar days.

August 15, 2000                                      PATRICK ROWE, Director
                                                   Office of Public Records