1. Customer Partnership Meeting John Doll Commissioner for Patents

2. Notice of Proposed Rules Changes Claims Continuing Applications Information Disclosure Statements

3. Markush/Restriction practice Markush Practice Restriction/Divisional practice

4. Potential products for strategic plan include: Different Levels of Examination Deferred examination Accelerated examination Traditional examination Collaborative examination Alternative Examination Products

5. FY 2007 RoadShows Alternative Examination Products Patentee / Trade Organization / User Input Wants and Needs for IP Protection Different Levels of Examination / Protection Differed Examination Peer Review Collaborative Examination Markush / Generic Claims Notice of Proposed Rule Making Input on Potential Solutions

6. FY 2006 Results Improving Quality is our Highest Priority 2006 Goal2006 Result 4% allowance error3.5% allowance error 86% in-process compliance 90% in-process compliance

7. FY 2006 TC 1600 Results Improving Quality is our Highest Priority 2006 Goal2006 Result 5.0% allowance error 86% in-process compliance 88.7% in-process compliance

8. Current Quality Initiatives Interviews before First Action Second Pair of Eyes In Process Reviews Appeal Specialists Pre-Appeal Brief Conferences Appeal Conferences GS-12 Certification Exam Primary Examiner Recertification TC Targeted Areas of Review New Patent Examiner Training Academy

9. Allowance Error Rate

10. Allowance Rate

11. Error and Allowance Rates

12. Future Quality Initiatives Strategic Plan initiatives to improve quality include: Improving Search Quality Additional Examiner Resources for Search Peer Review Pilot Third Party Submission / Comment Develop Quality Metrics Seeking Input from Public External Validation Quasi-Governmental, Attorneys on Sabbatical, or an Independent Search Firm

13. UPR Applications Filed   FY 06 Goal 414,966   Actual 419,760   9.2% over 2005   1.2% over goal UPR is Utility, Plant and Re-Issue Applications

14. TC 1600 Filings   FY06 40,687 (prelim)   7% over 2005

15. 1600170021002600280036003700Total*Design New Applications 1 9/30/2005 62,64472,69776,529115,58594,42570,35483,225586,58024,534 New Applications 1 9/30/2006 62,66388,36284,139131,675107,19582,32496,963674,23325,817 Overall Pending Applications 2 9/30/2005 107,647120,767117,728167,721159,687117,045130,168932,30038,104 Overall Pending Applications 2 9/30/2006 114,112137,866129,573181,489174,758129,260147,651 1,036,875 39,430 TC Application Inventory 1 “ New Application inventory” is the number of new applications designated or assigned to a technology center awaiting a first action. 2 “ Overall Pending Application inventory” is the total number of applications designated or assigned to a technology center in an active status. Includes new applications; rejected awaiting response; amended; under appeal or interference; suspended; reexams and allowed applications awaiting grant publication. *Total inventory includes applications not assigned to a particular TC, awaiting processing either pre- or post-examination.

16. 161016201630164016501660 Total 1600 Total UPR New Applications 1 9/30/2005 62,644586,580 New Applications 1 9/30/2006 20,17411,32011,25912,9046,8051,20162,663674,233 Overall Pending Applications 2 9/30/2005 107,647932,300 Overall Pending Applications 2 9/30/2006 29,36519,15923,94424,52315,1861,935 114,1121,036,875 TC Application Inventory 1 “ New Application inventory” is the number of new applications designated or assigned to a technology center awaiting a first action. 2 “ Overall Pending Application inventory” is the total number of applications designated or assigned to a technology center in an active status. Includes new applications; rejected awaiting response; amended; under appeal or interference; suspended; reexams and allowed applications awaiting grant publication.

17. Technology Center Rework Stats * Rework first actions are those actions that are in a Continuing (CONs and CIPs), RCE, CPA or 129(a) applications (excludes Divisionals).

18. TC 1600 Rework Stats * Rework first actions are those actions that are in a Continuing (CONs and CIPs), RCE, CPA or 129(a) applications (excludes Divisionals).

19. Inventory by Art Area in TC 1600 High Inventory Art AreasMonths of Inventory* 1610 – Drugs, Bio-affecting and Body Treatment42 1620 – Organic Chemistry and Heterocyclic Compounds20 1631 - Bioinformatics20 1630 – Nucleic Acids, Gene Expression, Animal Cloning16 1640 – Antibodies and Immunology17 1650 – Microbiology, Recombinant Enzymes & Proteins13 1660 - Plants17 * The number of months it would take to reach a first action on the merits (e.g., an action addressing patentability issues) on a new application filed October 2006 at today’s production rate. Today’s production rate means that there are no changes in production due to hiring, attrition, changes to examination processing or examination efficiencies, and that applications are taken up in the order of filing in the given art unit/area. Of course, USPTO is taking aggressive steps to ensure changes that will significantly lower the inventory rates in high-inventory art areas.

20. Hires and Attritions 1600170021002600280036003700CorpsDesign FY 05 Hires101582251691849113195919 FY 05 Attritions4239939254555042510 FY 06 BOY Examiner Staff 470457694723871451511417781 FY 06 Hiring (10/1/06)9688259228226144152119325 FY 06 Attrits (10/1/06)535696849649765101 FY 07 Hiring Goal64160208304112176 120010 FY 06 New Hires as a Percent of Examiner Staffing in the TC 20%19%37%32%26%32%30%29%31%

21. TC 1600 Hires and Attrits 1610162016301640165016601600Corps FY 05 Hires1663330160101959 FY 05 Attritions51012104142425 FY 06 BOY Examiner Staff 67651241278164704177 FY 06 Hiring (10/1/06)221920 150961193 FY 06 Attrits (10/1/06)11813129053510 FY 07 Hiring Goal32166640641200 FY 06 New Hires as a Percent of Examiner Staffing in the TC 33%29%16% 19%0%20%29%

22. Contact Information John Doll Commissioner for Patents e-mail:john.doll@uspto.govjohn.doll@uspto.gov Phone: 571-272-8800

23. Thank you.