[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16474-16475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing 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 QualityApplications_Comments@uspto.gov. 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
PatentPractice@uspto.gov.
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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