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H.R. 4972Became Law

A bill to authorize appropriations for the Patent and Trademark Office in the Department of Commerce, and for other purposes.

(House agreed to Senate amendments with amendments)

Title I: Patent and Trademark Office Authorizations - Authorizes appropriations to the Patent and Trademark Office for FY 1989 through 1991.

Prohibits the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks from increasing or establishing additional patent and trademark fees during FY 1989 through 1991. Allows cost-of-living adjustments according to the Consumer Price Index. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to report to the Congress regarding patent and trademark fee expenditures and collections, budget plans, and surplus fees.

Repeals the prohibition against the imposition of a fee for the use of public patent and trademark search rooms and libraries.

Directs the Commissioner to make U.S. patent and trademark information (and foreign patent documents) available for public search and retrieval. Prohibits the Commissioner from imposing fees for the use of such collections or for the use of public patent trademark search rooms or libraries. Authorizes the Commissioner to establish fees for public access to automated search systems of the Patent and Trademark Office. Provides for a limited amount of free access to all users of such systems for education and training purposes. Authorizes the Commissioner to waive fee payments by individuals upon a show of need or hardship if such waiver is in the public interest.

Authorizes the Patent and Trademark Office to use fee revenues for its activities.

Prohibits the Commissioner from: (1) entering during FY 1989 through 1991 into any agreement for the exchange of items or services related to automatic data processing resources; or (2) continuing existing agreements for such exchange after the date of enactment of this Act, except an agreement with a foreign government or an international intergovernmental organization.

Title II: Patent Misuse Reform - Amends Federal patent law to permit a patent holder to: (1) refuse to license or use any rights to a patent; or (2) condition the license of any rights to the patent or its sale on the acquisition of the licensing rights in another patent or the purchase of a separate patent, unless, in the circumstances, the patent owner has market power in the relevant market for the patent or patented product on which the license or sale is conditioned.

Became Public Law No: 100-703.

Rep. Kastenmeier, Robert W. [D-WI-2](D-WI)Sponsor
1 cosponsor1 R
1cosponsors2committees30actions1amendments26subjects
  • Public LawNov 20, 1988
  1. PresidentE40000

    Became Public Law No: 100-703.

  2. BecameLaw36000

    Became Public Law No: 100-703.

  3. PresidentE30000

    Signed by President.

  4. BecameLaw36000

    Signed by President.

  5. FloorE20000

    Presented to President.

  6. President28000

    Presented to President.

  7. Floor

    Measure Signed in Senate.

  8. ResolvingDifferences

    Senate agreed to the House to the Senate amendment by Voice Vote.

  9. NotUsed20500

    Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House to the Senate amendment by Voice Vote.

  10. ResolvingDifferencesH41610

    House Concurred, in Senate Amendments , with Amendments by Unanimous Consent.

  11. NotUsed19500

    Resolving differences -- House actions: House Concurred, in Senate Amendments , with Amendments by Unanimous Consent.

  12. Floor

    Message on Senate action sent to the House.

  13. Floor

    Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.

  14. Floor17000

    Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.

  15. Floor

    Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

  16. Discharge

    Senate Committee on Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.

    Judiciary Committee
  17. Committee14500

    Senate Committee on Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.

    Judiciary Committee
  18. IntroReferral

    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

    Judiciary Committee
  19. IntroReferral

    Received in the Senate.

  20. FloorH37100

    Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.

  21. Floor8000

    Passed/agreed to in House: Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.

  22. FloorH30000

    Called up by House Under Suspension of Rules.

  23. CommitteeH19000

    Ordered to be Reported (Amended).

    Judiciary Committee
  24. CommitteeH15000-B

    Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

    Judiciary Committee
  25. CommitteeH25000

    Subcommittee on Courts, Civil Liberties, and the Administration of Justice Discharged.

    Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee
  26. CommitteeH21000

    Subcommittee Hearings Held.

    Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee
  27. CommitteeH11000

    Referred to Subcommittee on Courts, Civil Liberties, and the Administration of Justice.

    Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee
  28. IntroReferralH11100

    Referred to House Committee on The Judiciary.

    Judiciary Committee
  29. IntroReferralIntro-H

    Introduced in House

  30. IntroReferral1000

    Introduced in House

Oct 20, 198840
(House agreed to Senate amendments with amendments)

Title I: Patent and Trademark Office Authorizations - Authorizes appropriations to the Patent and Trademark Office for FY 1989 through 1991.

Prohibits the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks from increasing or establishing additional patent and trademark fees during FY 1989 through 1991. Allows cost-of-living adjustments according to the Consumer Price Index. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to report to the Congress regarding patent and trademark fee expenditures and collections, budget plans, and surplus fees.

Repeals the prohibition against the imposition of a fee for the use of public patent and trademark search rooms and libraries.

Directs the Commissioner to make U.S. patent and trademark information (and foreign patent documents) available for public search and retrieval. Prohibits the Commissioner from imposing fees for the use of such collections or for the use of public patent trademark search rooms or libraries. Authorizes the Commissioner to establish fees for public access to automated search systems of the Patent and Trademark Office. Provides for a limited amount of free access to all users of such systems for education and training purposes. Authorizes the Commissioner to waive fee payments by individuals upon a show of need or hardship if such waiver is in the public interest.

Authorizes the Patent and Trademark Office to use fee revenues for its activities.

Prohibits the Commissioner from: (1) entering during FY 1989 through 1991 into any agreement for the exchange of items or services related to automatic data processing resources; or (2) continuing existing agreements for such exchange after the date of enactment of this Act, except an agreement with a foreign government or an international intergovernmental organization.

Title II: Patent Misuse Reform - Amends Federal patent law to permit a patent holder to: (1) refuse to license or use any rights to a patent; or (2) condition the license of any rights to the patent or its sale on the acquisition of the licensing rights in another patent or the purchase of a separate patent, unless, in the circumstances, the patent owner has market power in the relevant market for the patent or patented product on which the license or sale is conditioned.

Oct 5, 198836
(Measure passed House, amended)

Authorizes appropriations to the Patent and Trademark Office for FY 1989 through 1991.

Prohibits the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks from increasing or establishing additional patent and trademark fees during FY 1989 through 1991. Allows cost-of-living adjustments according to the Consumer Price Index. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to report to the Congress regarding patent and trademark fee expenditures and collections, budget plans, and surplus fees.

Repeals the prohibition against the imposition of a fee for the use of public patent and trademark search rooms and libraries.

Directs the Commissioner to make U.S. patent and trademark information (and foreign patent documents) available for public search and retrieval. Prohibits the Commissioner from imposing fees for the use of such collections or for the use of public patent trademark search rooms or libraries. Authorizes the Commissioner to establish fees for public access to automated search systems of the Patent and Trademark Office. Provides for a limited amount of free access to all users of such systems for education and training purposes. Authorizes the Commissioner to waive fee payments by individuals upon a show of need or hardship if such waiver is in the public interest.

States that not more than 30 percent of amounts available to the Patent and Trademark Office for automated data processing for FY 1989 through 1991 may be from collected user fees. Directs the Commissioner to notify certain congressional committees of proposed reprogrammings which would alter the amount of appropriations expended for automatic data processing resources.

Authorizes the Patent and Trademark Office to use fee revenues for it activities.

Prohibits the Commissioner from: (1) entering during FY 1989 through 1991 into any agreement for the exchange of items or services related to automatic data processing resources; or (2) continuing existing agreements for such exchange after the date of enactment of this Act, except an agreement with a foreign government or an international intergovernmental organization.

Jun 30, 198800

Authorizes appropriations to the Patent and Trademark Office for FY 1989 through 1991. Authorizes the Office to use fee revenues to support its operations and activities.

Prohibits the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks from increasing patent and trademark fees more than once during FY 1989 through FY 1991. Cites certain Consumer Price Index fluctuations as the guideline for such fee adjustments.

Repeals the prohibition against the imposition of a fee for the use of public patent and trademark search rooms and libraries.

Directs the Commissioner to make U.S. patent and trademark information (and foreign patent documents) available for public search and retrieval. Prohibits the Commissioner from imposing fees for the use of such collections. Authorizes the Commissioner to establish fees for public access to automated search systems of the Patent and Trademark Office. Provides for a limited amount of free access to all users of such systems.

Repeals the Commissioner's mandate to report to certain congressional committees regarding implementation proposals for a master automation plan. Repeals the proscription against incurring new obligations for such master plan.

A bill to authorize appropriations for the Patent and Trademark Office in the Department o… — Informed