Patent and Trademark Office June 5, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (referred to as ``we'', ``us'', or ``our'' in this document) is proposing to adjust certain patent fee amounts to reflect fluctuations in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Also, we are proposing to adjust, by a corresponding amount, a few patent fees that track the affected fees. The Director is authorized to adjust these fees annually by the CPI to recover the higher costs associated with doing business. We are proposing to adjust the patent fees under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (Consolidated Appropriations Act), which revised certain patent fees, and provided for a search fee and examination fee that are separate from the filing fee, during fiscal years 2005 and 2006. Legislation has been introduced in the Congress that would extend the fee revisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act. If, for any period during fiscal year 2007, the fee revisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act are not in effect, then the fee adjustment would apply to the former fee amounts that were in place on October 1, 2004, to December 7, 2004, prior to the enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act.