[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 208 (Monday, October 28, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65786-65787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-27323]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No. 2003-C-002]


Request for comments and notice of round table meetings regarding 
Small Business Views on Additional Harmonization of Patent Laws

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Request for input and notice of round table meetings.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) seeks 
comments from small businesses, experts in global patent issues and 
other interested parties on achieving additional harmonization of 
patent laws. As a part of this effort, USPTO announces the scheduling 
of three round table meetings to receive views on patent law 
harmonization issues.

DATES: Comments must be received by December 19, 2002, to ensure 
consideration. Requests to participate in round table meetings must be 
received by November 22, 2002. If it becomes necessary to limit the 
number of participants, preference will be given to first-in-time 
requests. The round table meetings are tentatively scheduled for 
December 2, 2002, in the greater Los

[[Page 65787]]

Angeles, California area; December 4, 2002, in the greater Chicago, 
Illinois area; and December 19, 2002, in the greater Washington, DC 
area.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests to participate in the round 
table meetings should be addressed to the United States Patent and 
Trademark Office, Office of International Relations, Room 902, 2121 
Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202, Attn: Jon Santamauro, Small 
Business/Harmonization; faxed to Jon Santamauro's attention at (703) 
305-8885; or sent via electronic mail to 
[email protected]. Specific times and locations for the 
round table meetings will be determined based on responses received 
from persons who express an interest in participation. Details as to 
those times and locations will be communicated to participants and 
posted on USPTO's Web site at www.uspto.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jon Santamauro by telephone at (703) 
305-9300 or by electronic mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In response to a request by the Ranking Republican Member of the 
Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the 
Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, the General 
Accounting Office (GAO) analyzed and prepared a report on (1) whether 
small businesses face impediments in obtaining foreign patent 
protection; (2) what impact any impediments have on their foreign 
patent decisions; and (3) whether any Federal actions could help small 
businesses overcome the impediments they may face in obtaining foreign 
patents. The Congressional requesters expressed concern that some small 
businesses, particularly high-technology firms, were not obtaining 
patent protection overseas and thus were losing potential sales in 
foreign markets.
    The GAO completed its report, captioned Federal Action Needed to 
Help Small Businesses Address Foreign Patent Challenges (GAO-02-789), 
in July 2002 and made it available to the public in August 2002. The 
report is available on-line at www.gao.gov.
    According to the report, foreign patent costs are the most 
significant impediment that small businesses face in trying to protect 
their inventions abroad. The conclusion is based on information 
received from small businesses and patent attorneys consulted by GAO in 
preparation of the report. The report also identifies impediments 
including companies' limited foreign patent knowledge; differences 
among foreign patent systems; and the existence of challenging business 
climates and weak patent enforcement in certain countries.
    To help address these impediments, GAO recommends that USPTO obtain 
input from small businesses, experts in global patent issues, and other 
interested parties in order to assess the advantages and disadvantages 
of various options for achieving additional patent law harmonization. 
In addition, GAO recommends that the Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration, with assistance of USPTO, collect and make 
available information about key aspects of foreign patent laws, 
requirements, procedures, and costs that would be useful to small 
businesses that are considering whether to obtain foreign patent 
protection.
    Consistent with the GAO recommendation, the Congressional 
requesters of the GAO report have requested that the USPTO convene a 
series of round table meetings with small business owners and policy 
experts by December 31, 2002, to hear views on the harmonization of 
global patent laws. They further request a synopsis of the proceedings 
and findings by March 31, 2003.

Round Table Meetings and Request for Comments

    The USPTO requests that interested parties submit comments and/or 
recommendations on achieving additional harmonization of patent laws. 
It is suggested that this input be categorized as follows:
    (1) Cost and fee related issues.
    (2) Procedural and administrative issues.
    (3) Substantive patent law issues.
    (4) Enforcement issues.
    (5) Miscellaneous issues.
    Comments must be received by December 19, 2002, to ensure 
consideration, and should be addressed to the United States Patent and 
Trademark Office, Office of International Relations, Room 902, 2121 
Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202, Attn: Jon Santamauro, Small 
Business/Harmonization; faxed to Jon Santamauro's attention at (703) 
305-8885; or sent via electronic mail to 
[email protected].
    In addition, the USPTO will conduct round table meetings to hear 
views on the harmonization of international patent laws. The round 
table meetings are tentatively scheduled for December 2, 2002, in the 
greater Los Angeles, California area; December 4, 2002, in the greater 
Chicago, Illinois area; and December 19, 2002, in the greater 
Washington, DC area.
    Requests to participate in round table meetings must be received by 
November 22, 2002, and should be addressed as indicated above. If it 
becomes necessary to limit the number of participants, preference will 
be given to first-in-time requests. Specific times and locations for 
the round table meetings will be determined based on responses received 
from persons who express an interest in participation. Details as to 
those times and locations will be communicated to participants and 
posted on USPTO's Web site at www.uspto.gov.

    Dated: October 22, 2002.
James E. Rogan,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 02-27323 Filed 10-25-02; 8:45 am]
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