[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 150 (Friday, August 5, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 45370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-15506]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No.: 2003-P-018]


Notice of Availability of and Request for Comments on Green Paper 
Concerning Restriction Practice

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is 
conducting a study of its restriction practice as part of its 21st 
Century Strategic Plan to transform the USPTO into a quality focused, 
highly productive, responsive organization supporting a market-driven 
intellectual property system. The USPTO prepared a ``Green Paper'' 
describing and evaluating four options to reform restriction practice 
suggested by various members of the public, and published a notice on 
June 6, 2005, at 70 FR 32761 seeking public comment on the Green Paper. 
The USPTO is extending the period for public comment until September 
14, 2005.

DATES: Comment Deadline Date: To be ensured of consideration, written 
comments on the Green Paper must be received on or before September 14, 
2005. No public hearing will be held.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent by electronic mail message over the 
Internet addressed to: [email protected]. Comments may also be 
submitted by mail addressed to: Mail Stop Comments--Patents, 
Commissioner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA, 22313-1450, or 
by facsimile to (571) 273-7735, marked to the attention of Robert A. 
Clarke. Although comments may be submitted by mail or facsimile, the 
Office prefers to receive comments via the Internet. If comments are 
submitted by mail, the Office prefers that the comments be submitted on 
a DOS formatted 3\1/2\ disk accompanied by a paper copy.
    Comments may also be sent by electronic mail message over the 
Internet via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. See the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal Web site (http://www.regulations.gov) for additional 
instructions on providing comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
    The Green Paper is available on the USPTO's Internet Web site 
(http://www.uspto.gov).
    The comments will be available for public inspection at the Office 
of the Commissioner for Patents, located in Madison East, Tenth Floor, 
600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia, and will be available through 
anonymous file transfer protocol (ftp) via the Internet (address: 
http://www.uspto.gov). Because comments will be made available for 
public inspection, information that is not desired to be made public, 
such as an address or phone number, should not be included in the 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert A. Clarke, Senior Legal 
Advisor, Office of Patent Legal Administration, Office of the Deputy 
Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy, by telephone at (571) 272-
7735, by mail addressed to: Mail Stop Comments--Patents, Commissioner 
for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA, 22313-1450, or by facsimile 
to (571) 273-7735, marked to the attention of Robert A. Clarke, or 
preferably via e-mail addressed to: [email protected].

    Dated: August 1, 2005.
John J. Doll,
Commissioner for Patents.
[FR Doc. 05-15506 Filed 8-4-05; 8:45 am]
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