[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 48136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-18478]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No. 2002-C-002]


Notice of Change in Publication Format for the Official Gazette 
of the United States Patent and Trademark Office--Patents

AGENCY: Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the United States Patent and 
Trademark Office (USPTO) will discontinue the publication of the paper 
version of the Official Gazette of the United States Patent and 
Trademark Office--Patents. Electronic publication via CD-ROM and 
Internet versions (the eOG:P) will replace the printed copy.

DATES: The last publication of the paper version will be September 24, 
2002. The electronic publication of the CD-ROM will commence October 1, 
2002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The USPTO has published the Official Gazette of the United States 
Patent and Trademark Office--Patents since 1872 and it has historically 
served as the official notification of patent issuance. The Official 
Gazette--Patents is published weekly in conjunction with the issuance 
of patents. Entries in the Official Gazette--Patents contain patent 
bibliographic information such as inventor name(s), assignee name (if 
applicable), patent number, patent title, and classification. The entry 
also contains a representative claim and drawing (if applicable). Each 
weekly issue also includes an alphabetical index of patentees.

Explanation and Advantages of Change

    In view of the widespread access to computers and the Internet and 
in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the USPTO will 
discontinue the printed copy distribution of the Official Gazette--
Patents, effective October 1, 2002. Weekly electronic publication via 
CD-ROM and Internet versions (the eOG:P) will replace the paper. 
Beginning with the July 2, 2002, issue, the eOG:P and printed copy will 
be published on a concurrent basis until the paper version is 
discontinued.
    The information provided by the electronic products will be 
unchanged from the traditional printed copy. Users will continue to 
browse patents by classification or patent type. However, the 
advantages offered by an electronic format will enable easier access to 
the information. Some of these advantages include: A cumulative 
patentee and assignee index regardless of patent type, in addition to 
the standard separate patentee indexes by patent type; direct links 
from the patentee index entry to the image of the patent; the addition 
of patentees by country to the geographical index by state; direct 
links to the patents by state or country; direct links to the patent 
from classification; and the addition of plant patent images. The 
electronic information can be easily printed or saved for future use.
    The eOG:P on CD-ROM will be published and distributed close to 
issue date. The CD-ROM product will be available from the Information 
Products Division, Chief Information Officer, United States Patent and 
Trademark Office, as an annual subscription for $300 per year and as 
single copies for $15 per issue.
    The eOG:P will also be available on the USPTO Web site at 
www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/ each Tuesday, beginning July 2, 2002.
    The USPTO will continue paper publication of the Official Gazette--
Trademarks, the Official Gazette Notices and the Consolidated Listing 
of Official Gazette Notices.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information Products Division at 703-
306-2600.

    Dated: July 16, 2002.
James E. Rogan,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 02-18478 Filed 7-22-02; 8:45 am]
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