PUBLIC ACCESS TO PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE INFORMATION.

SEC. 104. PUBLIC ACCESS TO PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE INFORMATION. (a) Repeal.—Section 4 of Public Law 99–607 (35 U.S.C. 41 note) is repealed. (b) Maintenance of Collections.—The Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks shall maintain, for use by the public, paper or microform collections of United States patents, foreign patent documents, and United States trademark registrations arranged to permit search for and retrieval of information. The Commissioner may not impose fees for use of such collections, or for use of public patent or trademark search rooms or libraries. Funds appropriated to the Patent and Trademark Office shall be used to maintain such collections, search rooms, and libraries. (c) Fees for Access To Search Systems.—Subject to section 105(a), the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks may establish reasonable fees for access by the public to automated search systems of the Patent and Trademark Office in accordance with section 41 of title 35, United States Code, and section 31 of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C. 1113). If such fees are established, a limited amount of free access shall be made available to all users of the systems for purposes of education and training. The Commissioner may waive the payment by an individual of fees authorized by this subsection upon a showing of need or hardship, and if such waiver is in the public interest.