(68)                           Unpaid Fee Checks

   Beginning Dec. 1, 1987, the Office will change the procedure for
handling fee checks of attorneys and agents that are returned to 
the Office unpaid. Presently, when a check submitted as payment for 
an application, a processing, an issue or any other fee is returned 
to the Office unpaid, the Office of Finance sends a letter to the 
attorney or agent who represents the applicant, or to the applicant 
if unrepresented by an attorney or agent, enclosing the check and calling
attention to the fact that the check was returned unpaid. Beginning 
Dec. 1, 1987, the Office of Finance will send a copy of its letter to 
the applicant if the letter is addressed to an attorney or agent. 
The prohibition of 37 CFR      1.33 and 2.18 against double correspondence
is waived in view of the submission of a check that is returned 
unpaid to the Office.
   A registered patent attorney or agent who repeatedly submits checks
that are returned unpaid through no fault of the bank may expect to have
the matter referred to the Office of Enrollment and Discipline.

Oct. 5, 1987                                            DONALD W. PETERSON
                                                       Deputy Commissioner

                                [1083 OG 44]