Patent Cooperation Treaty Update

   The Assembly of he International Patent Cooperation Union (PCT
Union), in a meeting held in Geneva from September 25 to October 3,
2000, decided to reduce the maximum number of designation fees payable
for PCT international applications from 8 to 6. This reduction took
effect January 1, 2001.

February 20, 2001                                        NICHOLAS P. GODICI
                                                  Acting Under Secretary of
                                     Commerce for Intellectual Property and
                                        Acting Director of theUnited States
                                                Patent and Trademark Office