By Christopher P. Singer --
The USPTO sent out an "e-Commerce e-Alert" by e-mail on August 14, 2007. The e-Alert discussed several issues relating to the Patent Office's electronic commerce initiatives, including updates concerning the e-Office Action Pilot Program; New Document Description for a Letter Accompanying an Information Disclosure Statement; International Application Filing Standards; Terminal/Statutory Disclaimer Fee Payment; Upcoming e-Commerce Events; and Document Indexing Hints.
e-Office Action Pilot Program:
This program has been ongoing for some time, and is approaching "Phase IV" on August 31, 2007. The USPTO is offering open enrollment in the upcoming phase of the program to a limited number of new participants. If interested, contact the USPTO by e-mail at [email protected]. [Author's note: several months ago, I talked to someone about the e-Office action program. Unfortunately (for me), the program is based on a practitioner's customer number(s), meaning that any application associated with that customer number will become part of the program.]
e-Filing Tips:
• IDS Letter Document Description: A new document description is now available on the EFS-Web for practitioners filing letters along with an Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) form. Such letters should be described as follows: under the "category" drop-down menu, choose "IDS/References," and under the "document description" drop-down menu, choose, "Information Disclosure Statement Letter." The Office asks that you DO NOT use "Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) Filed" from the document description menu when filing these letters.
• International Application Filing Standards: When filing any International or PCT Application using EFS-Web, all the documents in that application and associated with the filing should be formatted and sized for A4-sized paper (8.27 x 11.69 inches).
• RCE Indexing: As a helpful tip, the EBC noted that proper indexing of the Request for Continued Examination (RCE) fillable form (SB30; http://www.uspto.gov/web/forms/sb0030_fill.pdf) as "Request for Continued Examination" under the document description tab will help expedite processing. That description can be found under either the "Amendment" or "Petition" categories.
• Terminal/Statutory Disclaimer Fee Payment: When paying a Disclaimer fee, practitioners should use the correct fee code (1814) under "Statutory Disclaimer" located in the "Post Issuance and Post Allowance Fees" section of fee calculation page on EFS-Web. Currently, the Large Entity Statutory Disclaimer fee is available when filing a follow-on submission. The Small Entity fee option will be made available through follow-on submissions once EFS-Web version 1.2 is released (expected later this year). Until that time, the Office suggests that small entity filers submit a fee transmittal form indicating their deposit account number as a substitute for paying the fee through EFS-Web. In order to pay by credit card, the Office requests that you send the fee transmittal form along with the Credit Card Payment Form (Form PTO-2038) by fax to the Central Fax (571-273-8300) after the Disclaimer document is filed via EFS-Web, or alternatively by Express Mail to Commissioner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450. The Office asks practitioners to refrain from using EFS-Web to file the credit card authorization form.
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