By Christopher P. Singer --
In a notice published on February 13, 2008, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced that it is enhancing the priority document exchange program (PDX) with the European Patent Office (EPO) and Japan Patent Office (JPO). Specifically, in an effort to streamline and simplify the requirements of the program, the USPTO has modified its Declaration form (PTO/SB/01) to include a checkbox which provides the applicant with the option to preauthorize the EPO and JPO to access its US application(s). Essentially, this updated Declaration form bypasses the need to file a separate form PTO/SB/39. Prior to the modified Declaration form, the PTO/SB/39 form had to be completed properly in order to permit the JPO and/or the EPO to have access to, and request copies of, the priority U.S. application(s). The PTO anticipates that the new Declaration form will be used in U.S. applications with a likelihood of having corresponding applications filed in Europe and/or Japan.
For additional information regarding this topic, please see:
• "USPTO e-Commerce Update and Public PAIR Verification System," January 16, 2008
• "USPTO e-Commerce Update," December 5, 2007
• "e-Commerce e-Alert," August 28, 2007
• "JPO-USPTO Priority Document Exchange Update," August 2, 2007
• "USPTO and JPO Launch Electronic Priority Document Exchange," July 31, 2007
• "JPO to Join USPTO and EPO in Priority Document Exchange Program," July 11, 2007
• "Patent Office Announces Simplification of Priority Document Exchange," June 7, 2007
• "USPTO's Advice Concerning Priority Document Exchange (PDX) Program," April 24, 2007
• "EFS-Web Document Indexing and Priority Document Exchange," January 30, 2007
• "Priority Document Exchange Update," January 19, 2007
• "USPTO Implements Priority Document Exchange," January 18, 2007
• "Private PAIR 7.0 and PDX Presentation," December 20, 2006
• "$$$ in Applicants' Pockets!" November 24, 2006
Comments