		       Patent Cooperation Treaty Update

   The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organiza-
tion has informed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that, due to 
changes in the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss franc, the dollar
amount of the international fees for international applications filed in
the United States Receiving Office will increase, effective February 1,
1997.
  Effective February 1, 1997, the amount of the international fees for 
international applications filed in the United States Receiving Office
will be:

Basic fee (first 30 pages)                                         $590.00
Basic supplemental fee (for each page over 30)                      $12.00
Designation fee (per country or region up to 11)		   $143.00
Handling fee							   $180.00

December 26, 1996  				           BRUCE A. LEHMAN
				       Assistant Secretary of Commerce and   
				    Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks			


		       Patent Cooperation Treaty Update

			      Accession by Ghana

   The United States Patent and Trademark Office received notification
from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that Ghana
deposited its instrument of accession of the PCT on November 26, 1996.
Ghana will become a Contracting State of the PCT on February 26, 1997.
Consequently, nationals and residents of Ghana are entitled to file 
international applications under the PCT on and after February 26, 1997,
and from the same date it is possible to file international applications
designating and electing Ghana (country code: GH).

  Since Ghana is a member of the Harare Protocol with the framework of
ARIPO, Ghana will be able to be designated for a patent granted by ARIPO.
As of February 26, 1997, any designation in an international application
for an ARIPO patent will automatically include the designation of Ghana 
for that purpose.

			Listing of PCT Member Countries

   					Date of Deposit	   Entry into
Country                	Instrument      of Instrument      Force1

(1) Central African 	
    Republic2 		Accession       15 September 1971  24 January 1978
(2) Senegal2            Ratification    08 March 1972      24 January 1978
(3) Madagascar          Ratification    27 March 1972      24 January 1978
(4) Malawi5             Accession       16 May 1972        24 January 1978
(5) Cameroon2           Accession     	15 March 1973      24 January 1978
(6) Chad2             	Accession       12 February 1974   24 January 1978
(7) Togo2             	Ratification    28 January 1975    24 January 1978
(8) Gabon2             	Accession       06 March 1975      24 January 1978
(9) United States 
    of America          Ratification 	26 November 1975   24 January 1978
(10) Germany3         	Ratification    19 July 1976       24 January 1978
(11) Congo2         	Accession       08 August 1977     24 January 1978
(12) Switzerland3       Ratification    14 September 1977  24 January 1978
(13) United Kingdom3    Ratification    24 October 1977    24 January 1978
(14) France3         	Ratification    25 November 1977   25 Feb 1978
(15) Russian Federation Ratification   	29 December 1977   29 March 1978
(16) Brazil         	Ratification    09 January 1978    09 April 1978
(17) Luxembourg3 	Ratification    31 January 1978    30 April 1978
(18) Sweden3 		Ratification    17 February 1978   17 May 1978
(19) Japan 		Ratification	01 July 1978 	   01 October 1978
(20) Denmark3 		Ratification 	01 September 1978  01 Dec 1978
(21) Austria3 		Ratification  	23 January 1979    23 April 1979
(22) Monaco3 		Ratification    22 March 1979 	   22 June 1979
(23) Netherlands3 	Ratification 	10 April 1979 	   10 July 1979
(24) Romania 		Ratification    23 April 1979 	   23 July 1979
(25) Norway 		Ratification    01 October 1979    01 January 1980
(26) Liechtenstein3 	Accession      	19 December 1979   19 March 1980
(27) Australia 		Accession       31 December 1979   31 March 1980
(28) Hungary 		Ratification    27 March 1980 	   27 June 1980
(29) Democratic 
     People's Republic 
     of Korea
     (North Korea) 	Accession    	08 April 1980 	   08 July 1980
(30) Finland 		Ratification    01 July 1980 	   01 October 1980
(31) Belgium3 		Ratification 	14 September 1981  14 Dec 1981
(32) Sri Lanka 		Accession       26 November 1981   26 Feb 1982
(33) Mauritania2 	Accession  	13 January 1983    13 April 1983
(34) Sudan5 		Accession       16 January 1984    16 April 1984
(35) Bulgaria 		Accession	21 February 1984   21 May 1984
(36) Republic of Korea	    					
     (South Korea)	Accession 	10 May 1984        10 August 1984
(37) Mali2 		Accession       19 July 1984 	   19 October 1984
(38) Barbados 		Accession	12 December 1984   12 March 1985
(39) Italy3 		Ratification    28 December 1984   28 March 1985
(40) Benin2 		Accession      	26 November 1986   26 Feb 1987
(41) Burkina Faso2 	Accession       21 December 1988   21 March 1989
(42) Spain3 		Accession      	16 August 1989 	   16 Nov 1989
(43) Canada 		Ratification    02 October 1989    02 January 1990
(44) Greece3 		Accession 	09 July 1990 	   09 October 1990
(45) Poland 		Accession      	25 September 1990  25 Dec 1990
(46) Cote d'Ivoire2 	Ratification    31 January 1991    30 April 1991
(47) Guinea2 		Accession       27 February 1991   27 May 1991
(48) Mongolia 		Accession	27 February 1991   27 May 1991
(49) Czech Republic 	Declaration4 	18 December 1992   01 January 1993
(50) Ireland3 		Ratification    01 May 1992 	   01 August 1992
(51) Portugal3 		Accession       24 August 1992 	   24 Nov 1992
(52) New Zealand 	Accession 	01 September 1992  01 Dec 1992
(53) Ukraine 		Declaration4    21 September 1992  25 Dec 1991
(54) Viet Nam 		Accession	10 December 1992   10 March 1993
(55) Slovakia 		Declaration4 	30 December 1992   01 January 1993
(56) Niger2 		Accession      	21 December 1992   21 March 1993
(57) Kazakstan  	Declaration4    16 February 1993   25 Dec 1991
(58) Belarus 		Declaration4    14 April 1993 	   25 Dec 1991
(59) Latvia 		Accession      	07 June 1993 	   07 Sept 1993
(60) Uzbekistan 	Declaration4    18 August 1993 	   25 Dec 1991
(61) China 		Accession       01 October 1993    01 January 1994
(62) Slovenia 		Accession	01 December 1993   01 March 1994 
(63) Trinidad and 
     Tobago		Accession	10 December 1993   10 March 1994
(64) Georgia 		Declaration4    18 January 1994    25 Dec 1991
(65) Kyrgyzstan 	Declaration4    14 February 1994   25 Dec 1991
(66) Republic of 
     Moldova 		Declaration4    14 February 1994   25 Dec 1991
(67) Tajikistan 	Declaration4    14 February 1994   25 Dec 1991
(68) Kenya5 		Accession	08 March 1994 	   08 June 1994 
(69) Lithuania 		Accession	05 April 1994 	   05 July 1994
(70) Armenia 		Declaration4    17 May 1994 	   25 Dec 1991
(71) Estonia 		Accession      	24 May 1994 	   24 August 1994
(72) Liberia 		Accession      	27 May 1994 	   27 August 1994
(73) Swaziland5		Accession	20 June 1994 	   20 Sept 1994
(74) Mexico 		Accession       01 October 1994    01 January 1995
(75) Uganda5 		Accession       09 November 1994   09 Feb 1995
(76) Singapore 		Accession	23 November 1994   23 Feb 1995
(77) Iceland 		Accession      	23 December 1994   23 March 1995
(78) Turkmenistan 	Declaration4    01 March 1995 	   25 Dec 1991
(79) The former 
     Yugoslav Republic
     of Macedonia 	Accession 	10 May 1995 	   10 August 1995
(80) Albania		Accession	04 July 1995	   04 October 1995
(81) Lesotho5		Accession	21 July 1995	   21 October 1995
(82) Azerbaijan		Accession	25 September 1995  25 Dec 1995
(83) Turkey		Accession	01 October 1995	   01 January 1996
(84) Israel		Ratification	01 March 1996	   01 June 1996
(85) Cuba		Accession	16 April 1996	   16 July 1996
(86) Saint Lucia	Accession	30 May 1996	   30 August 1996
(87) Bosnia and 	Accession	7 June 1996	   07 Sept. 1996
     Herzegovina
(  ) Ghana5		Accession	26 November 1996   26 February 1997

1Although the PCT entered into force on January 24, 1978, the Assembly of
the PCT Union fixed June 1, 1978, as the date from which international
applications could be filed and demands for international preliminary
examination could be submitted.

2Members of African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) regional
patent system.

3Member of European Patent Convention (EPC) regional patent system.

4Declaration of continued application.

5Member of African Regional Industrial Property Organization (ARIPO) 
regional patent system.

December 26, 1996	         		           BRUCE A. LEHMAN
				       Assistant Secretary of Commerce and
				    Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks

