PRESS RELEASE Contact: Maria V. Hernandez at 703-305-8341 maria.hernandez2@uspto.gov September 28, 2001 #01-39 USPTO ANNOUNCES PATENT FEE CHANGES The Department of Commerce's United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), a fully fee-funded agency, announces that new patent fees will take effect October 1, 2001. Fees are being increased to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index over the last twelve months. Basic filing fees for utility patents will go from $710 to $740, while utility filing fees for small entities will increase from $355 to $370. Issue fees for utility patents will increase from $1,240 to $1,280 and for small entities from $620 to $640. A list of all patent fees can be found at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/qs/ope/1999/fee20011001.htm. More information about the fee increase can be found on the federal register notice at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/revpatfee2002.html. USPTO accepts credit card payment for all fees and services. 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. # # #