[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 114 (Tuesday, June 16, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28473-28474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-14154]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States Patent and Trademark Office

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


Additional Period for Comments on Deferred Examination for Patent 
Applications

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Request for comments; additional comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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. The USPTO is providing an 
additional comment period so that members of the public may submit 
additional comments on any issue pertaining to deferral of examination, 
and may also submit comments in reply to the comments on deferred 
examination that the USPTO has already received.

DATES: Comment Deadline Date: The deadline for receipt of written 
comments is August 31, 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 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 webcast the roundtable, and a video recording of the roundtable 
as well as the list of participants and their associations are 
available on the USPTO's Internet Web site at https://uspto.connectsolutions.com/p91717658 (video recording of the 
roundtable) and http://www.uspto.gov/main/homepagenews/2009feb09.htm 
(list of participants).
    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. This comment period was 
extended until May 29, 2009, to provide interested members of the 
public with

[[Page 28474]]

an additional opportunity to view the webcast before submitting 
comments to the USPTO. See Extension of Time for Comments on Deferred 
Examination for Patent Applications. 74 FR 10036 (Mar. 9, 2009), 1340 
Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 262 (Mar. 31, 2009) (notice). The USPTO has 
posted the comments received prior to May 29, 2009, on the USPTO's 
Internet Web site at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/comments/index.html.
    The USPTO is providing an additional comment period so that members 
of the public may submit additional comments on any issue pertaining to 
deferral of examination, and may also submit comments in reply to the 
comments on deferred examination that the USPTO has already received. 
Persons submitting written comments should note that the USPTO does not 
plan to provide a ``comment and response'' analysis of such comments as 
this notice is not a notice of proposed rule making.

    Dated: June 9, 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. E9-14154 Filed 6-15-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P