PRESS RELEASE Contact (media inquiries only): Brigid Quinn Maria V. Hernandez 703-305-8341 March 28, 2001 #01-14

USPTO WEB SITE AMONG ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE'S TOP 100 The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) web site (www.uspto.gov) has been named to Entrepreneur Magazine's Third Annual "Top 100 Best Sites." USPTO's web site is one of seven government sites recognized. The sites are recognized for the money and time saving values they offer those who own their own businesses. USPTO's award-winning site is featured in the April 2001 issue of the magazine. USPTO is an agency of the Department of Commerce. "USPTO is committed to e-government," noted acting director of USPTO, Nicholas Godici. "The comprehensive array of patent and trademark information and services we offer online, translate into savings in time and money for both the agency and its customers." USPTO's web pages get 30 million visits a month. Anyone with Internet access can file a patent or trademark application online at www.uspto.gov. The site also offers electronic access to over 6 million U.S. patents and more than 2 million U.S. trademarks. Certain patent applications and all trademark filings may also be viewed or searched at the web site. In addition, the site has a comprehensive collection of patent and trademark information and rules and regulations. USPTO administers patent and trademark laws protecting intellectual property and rewarding individual effort. Intellectual property is a potent force in the competitive free enterprise system. By protecting intellectual endeavors and encouraging technological progress, USPTO seeks to preserve the United States' technological edge, which is a key to our current and future competitiveness. USPTO also disseminates patent and trademark information that promotes an understanding of intellectual property protection and facilitates the development and sharing of new technologies worldwide. Over 6 million patents have been issued since the first patent in 1790 and more than 2.3 million trademarks have been registered since the first in 1870. Last year USPTO issued 182,223 patents and registered 127,794 trademarks. # # #