The United States Patent and Trademark Office has announced that in order to reduce its workload in respect of carrying out International Searches on non-convention PCT applications, selected searches will be sub-contracted to the EPO to carry out the search. This may be done notwithstanding the fact that the applicant requested a search by the United States Patent and Trademark Office as the International Searching Authority. Such sub-contracting will be carried out only if the EPO is one of the jurisdictions designated in the international application.