PATENT EXAMINING CORPS
BRUCE A. LEHMAN, Commissioner
LAWRENCE J. GOFFNEY Jr., Assistant Commissioner for Patents
NICHOLAS P. GODICI, (Acting) Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Patents
STEPHEN G. KUNIN, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Patent Policy
Phone number New Case
PATENT EXAMINING GROUPS Area Code 703 Date*
CHEMICAL EXAMINING GROUPS
GENERAL METALLURGICAL, INORGANIC, PETROLEUM AND
ELECTRICAL CHEMISTRY, ENGINEERING AND
DESIGNS, GROUP 1100-THEODORE MORRIS, Director 308-0661 01/11/96
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, DRUG, BIO-AFFECTING AND BODY
TREATING COMPOSITION, GROUP 1200-JOHN E.
KITTLE, Director 308-1235 06/25/96
SPECIALIZED CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES AND CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING, GROUP 1300-RICHARD V. FISHER,
Director 308-0651 07/29/96
HIGH POLYMER CHEMISTRY, PLASTICS, COATING,
PHOTOGRAPHY STOCK MATERIALS AND COMPOSITIONS,
GROUP 1500-MARY LEE, Director 308-2351 05/27/96
BIOTECHNOLOGY, GROUP 1800-JOHN J. DOLL, Director 308-0196 11/23/95
ELECTRICAL EXAMINING GROUPS
INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS, PHYSICS AND RELATED
ELEMENTS, GROUP 2100-STEWART LEVY, Director 308-1782 11/13/95
SPECIAL LAWS AND ADMINISTRATION, GROUP 2200-
ROBERT E. GARRETT, Director 308-0511 04/26/96
COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER APPLICATION,
GROUP 2300-JOSEPH J. ROLLA, Director 305-3900 04/26/96
SPECIAL COMPUTER APPLICATIONS: COMPUTER GRAPHICS,
BUSINESS PRACTICES, & DIAGNOSTIC TESTING,
GROUP 2400-GERALD GOLDBERG, Director 305-3900 12/21/95
ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL SYSTEMS AND DEVICES,
GROUP 2500-JANICE A. HOWELL, Director 308-0956 11/12/96
TELECOMMUNICATIONS, GROUP 2600-
JIN F. NG, Director 305-3900 09/14/95
DESIGN, GROUP 2900-JOHN E. KITTLE, Director 305-3293 06/28/96
MECHANICAL EXAMINING GROUPS
HANDLING AND TRANSPORTATION MEDIA, GROUP 3100-
JOHN F. TERAPANE, JR., Director 308-1113 12/14/95
MATERIAL SHAPING, ARTICLE MANUFACTURING AND TOOLS,
GROUP 3200-ETHEL CROSS, Director 308-1148 03/11/97
MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS, DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT AND
TREATMENT DEVICES; SURGERY AND SURGICAL
SUPPLIES; AMUSEMENT AND EXERCISING DEVICES;
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; SPORTING GOODS; TOBACCO
PRODUCTS AND MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT; AND
PRINTING, GROUP 3300-J.J. LOVE, Director 308-0858 02/07/96
SOLAR, HEAT, POWER, AND FLUID ENGINEERING DEVICES,
GROUP 3400-DONALD G. KELLY, Director 308-0861 02/13/96
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION, PETROLEUM AND MINING
ENGINEERING, GROUP 3500-A.L. SMITH, Director 308-2168 02/04/97
*A communication from the examiner should have been received in most
applications filed prior to this date.
Patents will Expire as Follows:
(1) The term of any utility or plant patent that is in force on or
results from an application filed before June 8, 1995 is the greater of
the 20 year term provided in 35 U.S.C. 154(a)(2) or 17 years from
grant subject to any terminal disclaimers. 35 U.S.C. 154(c)(1).
(2) All utility and plant patents granted on applications having an
actual United States filing date on or after June 8, 1995 are granted for
a term which begins on the date on which the patent is granted and
ends 20 years from the date on which the application was filed in
the United States. If the application contains a specific reference to
an earlier application under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121 or 365(c), the patent term
ends twenty years from that date on which the earliest application was
filed. 35 U.S.C. 154(a)(2).
(3) All design patents are granted for a term of 14 years from the
date of the grant.
However, the term of any patent may have been curtailed by disclaimer
under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 153, have lapsed due to failure to pay
maintenance fees, or have been extended under the provisions of 35 U.S.C.
154, 155, or 156. Thus, if more reliable information is needed with
respect to a particular patent, then the specific patent file should be
reviewed to determine the actual date of patent expiration.