(31)              Closing of the Patent and Trademark Office
                         on Friday, December 26, 1997

   In view of the official closing of the Federal government offices, 
including the Patent and Trademark Office, on Friday, December 26, 1997, 
by Executive order of the President, the Patent and Trademark Office 
will consider December 26, 1997, as a "Federal holiday within the District 
of Columbia" under 35 U.S.C.    21 and 37 C.F.R.      1.6, 1.7 and 1.9. 
Any action or fee due on that day will be considered as timely for the 
purposes of, e.g., 35 U.S.C. 119, 120, 133 and 151, if the action is taken, 
or the fee paid, on the next succeeding business day on which the Patent 
and Trademark Office is open, that is, Monday, December 29, 1997.
   37 C.F.R.    1.6(a)(2) provides that correspondence deposited as
Express Mail in accordance with 37 C.F.R.    1.10 will be considered
filed on the date of its deposit. This will occur even though the date
of deposit date is a Saturday, Sunday or Federal holiday within the
District of Columbia.
   Information regarding whether or not the Office is officially closed
on any particular day may be obtained by calling 1-800-786-9199 or
703-308-4357.

December 18, 1997                                           BRUCE A. LEHMAN
                                        Assistant Secretary of Commerce and
                                     Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks

                                 [1206 OG 650]