[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16474-16475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-06013]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No. PTO-P-2011-0046]


Extension of the Period for Comments on the Preparation of Patent 
Applications

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Request for comments; extension of the comment period.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 
published a request for comments on the preparation of patent 
applications, seeking input on potential practices that applicants can 
employ at the drafting stage of a patent application in order to 
facilitate examination and bring more certainty to the scope of issued 
patents. The USPTO has received several requests for additional time to 
submit comments on the preparation of patent applications. Accordingly, 
the USPTO is extending the comment period to provide interested members 
of the public with additional time to submit comments to the USPTO.

DATES: Comment Deadline Date: To be assured of consideration, written 
comments must be received on or before April 15, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent by electronic mail 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 Nicole D. Haines. Although comments may be 
submitted by postal mail, the USPTO prefers to receive comments via 
electronic mail because sharing comments with the public is more easily 
accomplished.
    The comments will be available for public inspection on the USPTO's 
Web

[[Page 16475]]

site at http://www.uspto.gov, and will also be available at the Office 
of the Commissioner for Patents, currently located in Madison East, 
Tenth Floor, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia. Because comments 
will be made available for public inspection, information that the 
submitter does not desire to make public, such as an address or phone 
number, should not be included in the comments. Parties who would like 
to rely on confidential information to illustrate a point are requested 
to summarize or otherwise submit the information in a way that will 
permit its public disclosure.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicole D. Haines, Legal Advisor, at 
(571) 272-7717; Kathleen Kahler Fonda, Senior Legal Advisor, at (571) 
272-7754; or Matthew J. Sked, Legal Advisor, at (571) 272-7627, of the 
Office of Patent Legal Administration, Office of the Deputy 
Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy. General patent practice 
inquiries may be directed to the Office of Patent Legal Administration, 
by telephone at (571) 272-7701, or by electronic mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 15, 2013, the USPTO published a 
notice requesting comments from the public on potential practices that 
applicants can employ at the drafting stage of a patent application in 
order to facilitate examination and bring more certainty to the scope 
of issued patents. See Request for Comments on Preparation of Patent 
Applications, 78 FR 2960 (January 15, 2013). Specifically, the USPTO 
requested input on whether adoption of a variety of potential practices 
by applicants early in the patent preparation process would assist the 
public in determining the scope of claims as well as the meaning of 
claim terms in the specification after a patent is granted. The notice 
invited the public to submit written comments on the potential 
practices on or before March 15, 2013. The USPTO has received several 
requests for additional time to submit comments, and is now extending 
the period for submission of public comments until April 15, 2013.

    Dated:--March 11, 2013.
Teresa Stanek Rea,
Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting 
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2013-06013 Filed 3-14-13; 8:45 am]
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