[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 44 (Monday, March 9, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 10036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-4897]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No.: PTO-P-2008-0063]


Extension of Time for Comments on Deferred Examination for Patent 
Applications

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Request for comments; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 
conducted a roundtable to obtain public input on deferral of 
examination for patent applications, and invited the public to submit 
written comments on issues raised at the roundtable or on any issue 
pertaining to deferral of examination.
    Comment Deadline Date: The deadline for receipt of written comments 
is May 29, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Written 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, 
marked to the attention of Robert W. Bahr. Although comments may be 
submitted by mail, the USPTO prefers to receive comments via the 
Internet.
    The written comments and list of the roundtable participants and 
their associations 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 
via the USPTO Internet Web site (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 W. Bahr, Senior Patent Counsel, 
Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy, by 
telephone at (571) 272-8800, by electronic mail message at 
[email protected], or by mail addressed to: Mail Stop Comments--
Patents, Commissioner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-
1450, marked to the attention of Robert W. Bahr.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USPTO conducted a roundtable to 
determine whether or not there is support in the patent community and/
or the public sector for the adoption of some type of deferral of 
examination. See Request for Comments and Notice of Roundtable on 
Deferred Examination for Patent Applications, 74 FR 4946 (Jan. 28, 
2009), 1339 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 153 (Feb. 24, 2009) (notice). The 
USPTO also invited written comments by any member of the public on the 
issues raised at the roundtable, or on any issue pertaining to deferral 
of examination. See Request for Comments and Notice of Roundtable on 
Deferred Examination for Patent Applications, 74 FR at 4947, 1339 Off. 
Gaz. Pat. Office at 154. The USPTO Webcast the roundtable and a video 
recording of the roundtable is available on the USPTO's Internet Web 
site. The USPTO is extending the comment period to provide interested 
members of the public with an additional opportunity to view the 
Webcast before submitting comments to the USPTO.

    Dated: March 3, 2009.
John J. Doll,
Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting 
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
 [FR Doc. E9-4897 Filed 3-6-09; 8:45 am]
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