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###### Department of Commerce

###### United States Patent and Trademark Office

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

# 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                         *AC6comments@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 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                         *robert.bahr@uspto.gov*, 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                           ( print 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]

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