Patents e-Filing Update

1
Patents e-Filing Update

• Biotechnology/Chemical/Pharmaceutical
  Customer Partnership
• November 15, 2001

2
Todays Topics

• Patent Electronic Business Center
• Current Status and Whats New
• Application Data Sheets
• CD-ROM Submissions
• Future Electronic Services

3
Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC)

• Provides access to electronic business
  applications for patent customers
• Customer Number
• Required for PAIR and EFS
• Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
• Security software to support electronic commerce
• Required for PAIR and EFS

4
Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC)

• Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)
• Access to application status and history via the
  Internet
• Patent Electronic Filing System (EFS)
• Filing of patent applications via the Internet

5
Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC)
6
Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC)
7
Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC)
8
Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC)

• Electronic Business Center (EBC)
• Customer Service Center
• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Telephone [phone]
• e-Mail EBC_at_uspto.gov or EFS_at_uspto.gov
• Fax [phone]

9
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Patent Application Information Retrieval
10
Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)

• Increased customer access to Patent and Patent
  Application information
• Provides direct on-line access to application
  status and prosecution history
• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Saves customer and USPTO resources to process
  requests for status information

11
Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)
12
Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)
Private PAIR Requires Customer Number and PKI
Certificate
13
Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)
Application Number Search
14
PAIR Interface
NEW Continuity Data Parent and Child
15
PAIR Interface
Customer Number Search
16
Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)

NEW Bibliographic DataReview Screen Private
PAIR
17
Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)
Bibliographic DataReview Screen Request
Changes
18
Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)
Change Request Instructions
Changes That May NOT Be Requested
19
Domestic Publication of Patent Applications
Published Abroad
Bibliographic DataReview Screen Change
Request Receipt
20
Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)
PAIR Review of PTA Calculation

• Note The application must have been filed on
  or after 5/29/00, or have had a CPA entered
  therein on or after 5/29/00

21
Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)
Public PAIR
22
Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)
MaintenanceFees Public/Private PAIR
23
PAIR Interface
24
PAIR Benefits
25
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Patent Electronic Filing System
26
Electronic Filing System (EFS)
EFS facilitates electronic authoring and secure
submission of patent application documents to the
USPTO via the Internet.
27
EFS Customer Benefits

• File patent application submissions securely,
  24/7over the Internet
• First step to Electronic File Wrapper (EFW) and
  efficient electronic processing
• Immediate electronic Acknowledgement Receipt
• no delay while waiting for Postcard
• use Application Number for same day paper filings
• Expanded client service
• Automatic paragraph and claim numbering
  facilitates future amendments

28
EFS Filing Types

• EFS 2000
• 1. New Utility Applications
• 2. Pre-Grant Publication Requests
• 3. CRF Biosequence Listings for pending
  applications
• EFS 2001 adds
• 4. Provisional Applications
• 5. Multiple Assignments
• with a New Utility or as a separate submission

29
EFS Software

• Word processing tool
• Patent Application Specification Authoring Tool
  (PASAT)
• Type directly or copy text from source document
• Submission tool
• Electronic Packaging and Validation Engine
  (ePAVE)
• Automatically bundle, compress, encrypt, wrap,
  and securely transmit to the USPTO via the
  Internet

30
EFS Filing Statistics

• Current Filings 11/01/00 - 10/31/01
• 2045 Total Filings
• 1884 New Utility
• 153 Pre-Grant
• 8 Biosequence
• Goal 80 of all patent filings by 2006

31
Application Data Sheets

• New option use ePAVE to create for electronic
  or paper filings
• Check web for guidelines www.uspto.gov/web/office
  s/pac/dapp/sir/doc/patappde.html

32
CD-ROM Submissions

• Computer Program Listings
• CD required for over 300 lines
• CD optional for less than 300 lines
• Sequence Listings
• CD is optional
• Optional CRF submission via ePAVE
• Tables
• CD optional if over 50 pages
• Paper required for less than 50 pages
• See 37 CFR 1.52, 1.58, 1.96(c), and 1.821(c)

33
CD-ROM Submissions

• EFS
• CD required for over 10MB
• Use Group 4 compression on TIFF images to
  minimize
• 2 copies plus Transmittal required
• Must be CD-ROM or CD-R
• See 37 CFR 1.52(e) for details

34
Future Electronic Services

• December 2001
• Ability to file Provisionals
• Ability to file Multiple Assignments
• Improved network compatibility
• Ability to attach Appendix Data (e.g. computer
  program listings, large tables) as described in
  the Specification
• Early 2002
• 50 customer requested enhancements to PASAT

35
Future Electronic Services

• Early 2002
• WIPO pilot of PCT e-filing
• Spring 2002
• USPTO pilot for implementation of international
  application and e-filing protocol
• Fall 2002
• Full implementation of international e-filing
  standards
• Author once, submit national and international
• PALM integration
• Electronic transactions for increased efficiency

36
Future Electronic Services

• EFS December 2001 Software and Documentation
• From web www.uspto.gov
• click on Online Business
• click on Patent Electronic Business Center
• click on Electronic Filing System
• Request mailing of CD
• EBC Customer Support Center at EFS_at_uspto.gov
• EFS Training Classes
• Contact sylvia.phan_at_uspto.gov
• [phone]