(For the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration statement of organization, see the Federal Register of Feb. 13, 1978, 43 FR 6128] The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was formed on October 3, 1970, by Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970 (5 U.S.C. app.). Its principal functions are authorized by title 15, chapter 9, United States Code (National Weather Service); title 33, chapter 17, United States Code (National Ocean Survey); and title 16, chapter 9, United States Code (National Marine Fisheries Service).

The Administration's mission is to explore, map, and chart the global ocean and its living resources and to manage, use, and conserve those resources; to describe, monitor, and predict conditions in the atmosphere, ocean, Sun, and space environment; to issue warnings against impending destructive natural events; to assess the consequences of inadvertent environmental modification over several scales of time; and to manage and disseminate long-term environmental information.

The Administration is responsible for reporting the weather of the United States and its possessions and provides weather forecasts to the general public;

issuing warnings against such destructive natural events as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and tsunamis; and providing services in support of aviation, marine activities, agriculture, forestry, urban airquality control, and other weathersensitive activities. The Administration also monitors and reports all non-Federal weather modification activities conducted in the United States.

The Administration conducts an integrated program of management, research, and services related to the protection and rational use of living marine resources and their habitats, and protects marine mammals and endangered marine species. It prepares and issues nautical and aeronautical charts, provides the Nation's precise geodetic surveys, and conducts broad research programs in marine and atmospheric sciences, solar-terrestrial physics, and experimental meteorology, including weather modification. The Administration also predicts tides, currents, and the state of the oceans; conducts research and development aimed at providing alternatives to ocean dumping; and develops sound national policies in the areas of ocean mining and energy. It provides Federal leadership in promoting wise and

folk, VA 23510-1624.

816-426-2050

804-441-6864

3328.

303-497-6370

206-526-6026

NOAA CORPS OPERATIONS

CENTERS

Atlantic Marine Center

98115-0070.

804-441-6776

[For the National Telecommunications and Information Administration statement of organization, see the Federal Register of June 5, 1978, 43 FR 24348]

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) was established in 1978 pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1977 (5 U.S.C. app.) and Executive Order 12046 of March 27, 1978 (3 CFR, 1978 Comp., p. 158), by combining the Office of Telecommunications Policy, Executive Office of the President, and the Department of Commerce's Office of Telecommunications to form a new agency reporting to the Secretary of Commerce. Its functions are detailed in the National Telecommunications and

Information Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 901 et. seq.).

The Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) was transferred to NTIA in 1979 from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare pursuant to the Public Telecommunications Financing Act of 1978 (47 U.S.C. 390 et seq.), to take advantage of NTIA's technical and policy expertise. Also, NTIA administers the National Endowment for Children's Educational Television under title 47 United States Code, section 394.

The Administration's principal responsibilities and functions include: -serving as the principal executive branch adviser to the President on

telecommunications and information

policy;

-developing and presenting U.S. plans and policies at international communications conferences and related meetings;

-prescribing policies for and managing Federal use of the radio frequency spectrum, in accordance with Executive Order 12046, issued under section 305 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (47 U.S.C. 305); -serving as the principal Federal telecommunications research and engineering laboratory, through NTIA's Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), headquartered in Boulder, Colorado;

-providing grants through the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program for planning and demonstration projects to promote the goals of the development and widespread availability of advanced telecommunications technologies, to

enhance the delivery of social services and generally serve the public interest, to promote access to government information and increase civic participation, and to support the development of an advanced nationwide telecommunications and information infrastructure;

-providing grants through the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program to extend delivery of public

telecommunications services to U.S. citizens, to increase ownership and management by women and minorities, and to strengthen the capabilities of existing public broadcasting stations to provide telecommunications services; and

-monitoring grants awarded through the National Endowment for Children's Educational Television to enhance the creation and production of educational television programming for children to develop fundamental intellectual skills.

[For the Patent and Trademark Office statement of organization, see the Federal Register of Apr. 14, 1975, 40 FR 16707)

The patent system was established by Congress"... to promote the progress of... the useful arts. . ." under Article I, section 8, U.S. Constitution (title 35, United States Code: Patents). The registration of trademarks is based on the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution (title 15, United States Code, chapter 22: Trademarks). The Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) grants patents and registers trademarks to qualified applicants.

The Office examines applications for patents to determine if the applicants are entitled to patents under the law and grants the patents when they are so entitled. The patent law provides for the granting of patents in three major

categories: utility patents, design patents,

and plant patents. The term of a design patent is 14 years from the date of grant. The term of utility and plant patents is 20 years measured from the earliest effective U.S. filing date, if the application for patent was filed on or after June 8, 1995.For utility or plant patents that were in force on June 8, 1995, or that result from an application filed prior to June 8, 1995, the term shall be the longer of 17 years measured from the date of grant or 20 years measured from the earliest effective U.S. filing date.

All utility patents are subject to the payment of maintenance fees. Effective June 8, 1995, applicants may file provisional applications for patents in the PTO. Provisional applications are available for utility and plant inventions but not design inventions. Provisional applications are not examined and will

become abandoned by operation of law within one year of the filing date of the provisional application. The provisional application itself cannot mature into a patent. However, if applicants wish to obtain a patent on the invention disclosed in a provisional application, applicants must file a nonprovisional application not later than 12 months from the filing date of the provisional application.

The Office also issues Statutory Invention Registrations, which have the defensive but not the enforceable attributes of a patent. It also processes international applications for patents under the provisions of the Patent Cooperation Treaty as an International Searching Authority under Chapter I of the Treaty and as an International Preliminary Examining Authority under Chapter II of the Treaty.

Over 114,500 patents providing inventors with exclusive rights were issued for the fiscal year of 1995. Effective January 1, 1996, patentees have the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the U.S. or importing the invention into the U.S. during the term of their patent. Patents and trademarks may be reviewed and searched in the PTO and in over 78 patent and trademark depository libraries throughout the country. The patent system fosters innovation, investment in developing and marketing inventions, and prompt disclosure of technological information.

About 67,000 trademarks were registered for fiscal year 1995, and 6,785 trademark registrations were renewed. A trademark includes any distinctive word,

name, symbol, device, or any combination thereof adopted and used, or intended to be used, by a manufacturer or merchant to identify his goods or services and distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others. Trademarks, registered for 10 years, with renewal rights of equal term, are examined by the Office for compliance with various statutory requirements to prevent unfair competition and consumer deception. In addition to the examination of patent and trademark applications, issuance of patents, and registration of trademarks, the Patent and Trademark Office:

-sells printed copies of issued patents and trademark registrations;

-records and indexes documents transferring ownership;

-maintains a scientific library and search files containing over 30 million documents, including U.S. and foreign patents and U.S. trademarks;

-provides search rooms for the public to research their applications;

-hears and decides appeals from prospective inventors and trademark applicants;

-participates in legal proceedings involving the issue of patents or registration of trademarks;

-advocates strengthening intellectual property protection worldwide;

-compiles the Official Gazettes, a weekly notice of patents issued and trademarks registered by the Office, including other information; and

-maintains a roster of patent agents and attorneys qualified and recognized to practice before the Office.

Technology Administration

The Technology Administration was established by Congress in 1988 (15 U.S.C. 3704) and consists of the Office

of Technology Policy (OTP), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National