Changes to the Time Period for Making Any Necessary Deposit of Biological Material

In a rulemaking to implement the Patent Business Goals, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) proposed a change to the time period within which a deposit of biological material (if needed) must be made. The Office held this proposed change in abeyance pending consideration of a study by the Comptroller General of the potential risks to the United States biotechnology industry relating to biological deposits as required by the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999. The Office is now, after consideration of this study, adopting a change to the time period within which a deposit of biological material (if needed) must be made and the depository information added to the specification.