Status of Office of Public Records Services The Office of Public Records (OPR) processes and fills orders for both certified and uncertified copies of Patent and Trademark Office documents and records assignments and other documents related to title. This is an update of actual processing time for orders/requests filled during the month of October 1999: Document Services Certified Documents Goal Actual Processing Time Patent Application-As-Filed, 7 days 5 days Expedited Patent Application-As-Filed, 17 days 8 days Regular Patent Related File Wrapper 25 days 45 days* Patent Copy 10 days 5 days Patent Assignments 10 days 6 days Trademark Application-As- 7 days 5 days Filed, Expedited Trademark Application-As- 17 days 8 days Filed, Regular Trademark Related File 25 days 27 days* Wrapper Trademark Assignments 10 days 7 days Trademark Registration, 5 days 5 days Expedited Trademark Registration, 14 days 7 days Regular Uncertified Documents Goal Actual Processing Time Express Patent Copies 3 hours 1 hour Special Patent Copies 24 hours 20 hours Regular Patent Copies 3 days 3 days Plant Patents 3 days 2 days Patent Assignments 10 days 5 days Patent Related File Wrapper 25 days 17 days* Express Trademark Copies 3 hours 0 hours Special Trademark Copies 24 hours 18 hours Regular Trademark Copies 3 days 2 days Trademark Assignments 10 days 2 days Trademark Related File Wrappers 25 days 19 days* * Includes turnaround times for files on official search and file reconstruction. During the month of October 1999, a total of 18,550 public orders (29,643 copies) were filled and closed, or 7,147 orders more (9,459 copies less) than the FY-00 planning number of 11,403 orders (39,102 copies) to be closed for this month. The average turnaround times for products remain in expected ranges. Due to varying availability of media, customers will not be advised when orders are not delivered within the published goal periods. However, customers will be advised if any unexpected delay in their order has been identified. Customers should use the above actual days to mail for each product as a guide as to when they can expect their orders. In determining expected delivery times, the day an order is received in the Office is calculated as "day zero." The next business day is "day one." Delivery of any specific copy will vary based on the availability of scanned images, microfilm products, and/or file accessibility. On June 10, 1997, the Office published an Official Gazette Notice entitled "Changes in Practice in Supplying Certified Copies and Filing Receipts" (1199 OG 39) which advised customers who place orders for certified copies of patent applications-as-filed not to request them until the official filing receipt is received; images and related bibliographic data are not available to Certification Division until the filing receipt is generated by the Office of Initial Patent Examination. Customers are encouraged to fax orders for copies directly to Dissemination Support Division at (703) 308-9759 and to pay by PTO Deposit Account, MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover. Information on the status of pending orders may be obtained by calling (703) 308-9726 or 1 (800) 972-6382 (outside the Washington, DC Metro area), or via E-mail: certdiv@uspto.gov. Assignment Services The Assignment Division is currently mailing recordation notices for documents received in the Office of Public Records on September 1, 1999. The cycle time to process, record, and mail notices is 60 calendar days. November 3, 1999 WESLEY H. GEWEHR Administrator for Information Dissemination