(78)                        DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

                          Patent and Trademark Office

                Request for Comments on Interim Guidelines for
                 Examination of Patent Applications Under the
             35 U.S.C. 112 A 1 "Written Description" Requirement;
                     Notice of Change in Public Hearings,
                         Extension of Comment Period.

AGENCY: Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of cancellation of public hearing in San Diego,
California; change of location of November 4, 1998, public hearing; and
extension of request period to present oral testimony.

SUMMARY: Due to insufficient interest, the public hearing to be held in
San Diego, California, on November 6, 1998, is canceled. For the same
reason, the public hearing to be held in Boston, Massachusetts, on
November 4, 1998, will be held in Arlington, Virginia. The period to
request an opportunity to present oral testimony at the Arlington
location has been extended to November 3, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The November 4, 1998, hearing will be held in the
Commissioner's Conference Room located in Crystal Park Two, Room 912,
2121 Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia. Those interested in testifying
should send their request to the attention of Mary Critharis addressed
to Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, Box 4, Patent and Trademark
Office, Washington, D.C. 20231. Requests may also be submitted by
facsimile transmission to Mary Critharis at (703) 305-8885.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Critharis by telephone at (703)
305-9300, by facsimile at (703) 305-8885, by electronic mail at
mary.critharis@uspto.gov, or by mail addressed to Commissioner of
Patents and Trademarks, Box 4, Washington, D.C. 20231.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 23, 1998, the Patent and
Trademark Office (PTO) announced its intention to hold public hearings
relating to the "written description" requirement under section 112 of
title 35 of the United States Code. 63 Fed. Reg. 50,887 (1998).
Interested members of the public were invited to testify on this subject
at public hearings to be held in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 4,
1998 and San Diego, California, on November 6, 1998. The period to
request an opportunity to present oral testimony at these hearings was
set to end on October 30, 1998.
   
Due to insufficient interest, the public hearing in San Diego is
canceled. For the same reason, the public hearing initially scheduled
for Boston will instead be held in Arlington, Virginia, on November 4,
1998, starting at 9 a.m. and ending no later than 5 p.m. Those wishing
to present oral testimony at the hearing must request an opportunity to
do so no later than November 3, 1998.
   
October 28, 1998                                            BRUCE A. LEHMAN
                                        Assistant Secretary of Commerce and
                                     Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks

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