Patent Cooperation Treaty Update

   The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property
Organization has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office,
that due to changes in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard
to the Swiss franc, the dollar amount of certain fees for international
applications filed in the United States Receiving Office will be
decreased, effective November 15, 2000. Due to currency exchange rates,
a new dollar amount was also established for the search fee required by
the European Patent Office, with effect from November 1, 2000.

The amount of these fees will be:

Basic fee (first 30 pages)                                          $382.00

Supplement per sheet over 30                                          $9.00

Designation fee (per country or region up to 8)                      $82.00

Handling fee                                                        $137.00

PCT-EASY reduction                                                 $-117.00

Search fee required by European Patent Office (EPO)
when acting as International Searching Authority                    $846.00

September 22, 1999                                        Q. TODD DICKINSON
                                            Under Secretary of Commerce for
                                  Intellectual Porperty and Director of the
                                  United States Patent and Trademark Office