[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 167 (Monday, August 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 59200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20700]



[[Page 59200]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No. PTO-P-2016-0025]


Third Annual USPTO Cooperative Patent Classification Meeting With 
Industry Users

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is 
hosting its third annual Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) 
meeting with industry users at its Alexandria Campus. CPC is a 
bilateral classification system jointly developed by the USPTO and the 
European Patent Office (EPO). CPC is jointly managed and maintained by 
both offices, and is available for public search for classification. 
The upcoming meeting is open to the public and will inform attendees on 
the latest and upcoming developments concerning the CPC. The meeting 
also will be an opportunity for attendees to share their views about 
the CPC.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, September 19, 2016, 
beginning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), and ending at 5:00 
p.m. EDT.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the USPTO in the Madison 
Auditorium on the concourse level of the Madison Building located at 
600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.

FOR MEETING REGISTRATION: There is no fee to register for the meeting 
and registration will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Early 
registration is recommended because seating is limited. Registration on 
the day of the meeting (September 19, 2016) will be permitted on a 
space-available basis beginning at 8:30 a.m. EDT.
    To register, please provide your name and phone number to 
[email protected]. Registrants also may choose to identify 
their company or organization, and their position thereat, so that a 
workshop to be held during the meeting may be best tailored to meet the 
attendees' needs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Kim, Director of 
Classification Quality and International Coordination Division (CQIC), 
Office of International Patent Classification (OIPC), by telephone at 
571-272-7980, or by electronic mail message at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CPC is a detailed classification system 
in effect at the USPTO and based on the International Patent 
Classification scheme. The CPC incorporates best classification 
practices from both the U.S. and European systems.
    The USPTO and the EPO designed the CPC to enable patent examiners 
and patent system users worldwide to conduct more efficient prior art 
searches. It provides an increased number of breakdowns compared to the 
U.S. Patent Classification System, allowing for targeted searches with 
more focused results. The CPC also was designed to encourage work 
sharing initiatives focused on enhancing efficiency by reducing 
duplicative work. Additionally, revisions to the CPC system can be made 
by both Offices on a regular basis, allowing for a rapid response to 
filing trends and emerging technologies.
    At the September 19, 2016 meeting, key USPTO executive staff and 
project managers will brief attendees on the progress of the CPC, 
including recent changes and updates to the CPC. Attendees will receive 
information concerning external user interaction, accessibility, and 
outreach related to the CPC. In addition, a workshop will be held to 
provide training on the use of the CPC. Similar informational meetings 
have been held in Europe.
    For further information about the CPC and the September 19, 2016 
meeting, including the agenda for the meeting, please visit 
www.cpcinfo.org.

    Dated: August 23, 2016.
Russell Slifer,
Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy 
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2016-20700 Filed 8-26-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-16-P