The Future of Electronic Filing at the United States Patent and Trademark Office Presented by:
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Transcript of The Future of Electronic Filing at the United States Patent and Trademark Office Presented by:
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The Future of Electronic Filing at the
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Presented by:William StryjewskieCommerce DivisionSIRA, USPTO
June, 2005
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Why eFiling?
Problem• The continued growth in
USPTO workload cannot be effectively managed in the current paper-based environment.
Solution• Implementation of an
eGovernment strategy that includes electronic
– receipt,
– processing,
– reporting, and
– Publication21st Century Strategic Plan
FY2006 Goal: 10% of Patent Applications filed via EFS
FY2006 Goal: 10% of Patent Applications filed via EFS
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History of eFiling
• EFS Pilot Program established in 1999• ePave began receiving submissions in 1999• Began receiving PASAT submissions in 2000
• EFS Production Release occurred in October 2000• EFS gained two more submission types in 2001• Supported ability to file eIDS’s in May 2002• Annex F Compliant in January 2003• Pilot 11/02 ePhoenix (aka Image File Wrapper or IFW)• IFW in Production in July 2003• ePAVE interface updated May 2004• PASAT replaced with EFS-ABX August 2004
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eFiling Today
• USPTO Supplied Software, EFS-ABX & ePAVE allow Applicants to eFile:– New Utility Patent Applications– Provisional Patent Applications– Pre-Grant Publications– Electronic Assignments– Information Disclosure Statements– CRF Bio-Sequence Listings
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EFS-Web
• Why Web? Why Now?– USPTO Software and File Format unfamiliar and
difficult to work with– Low eFiling volume– e-Filing Forum Feedback
• Make it Simple• Make it Safe• Make it Happen
– Other Successful USPTO Web Initiatives– Align with USPTO Future Initiatives
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EFS-Web: Timeline
• September 2004 – First e-Filing Forum• March 2005 – e-Filing Forum Returns to
Discuss Scope, Focus, & Direction • May 25, 2005 – e-Filing Forum to new
audience• July 21, 2005 – Docketing System Meeting
(tentative)
• Winter 2005 – Deploy Beta Version• Spring 2006 – Deploy Production Version
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EFS-Web: e-Filer Experience
• EFS-Web Will Provide Choices and Options to the e-Filer to Match Their Business Processes and Environments
Multiple PDF Creation Tools
Multiple Browsers & Operating Systems
Multiple Authoring Tools
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EFS-Web: e-Filer Authoring Experience
• Specifications, Drawings, and Forms May be Created With a Variety of Commercially Purchased Products, as Well as With Freeware / Shareware Available on the Internet
User defined format and
content for PDF File Creation
• Your Software, Your Format
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EFS-Web: e-Filer PDF Creation Experience
• Preliminary USPTO Standard:– Licensed & Embedded
Fonts– PDF Version X.X and
Higher Compatible– No Password Encryption– No Virus or Embedded
Code – No Object Linking and
Embedding (OLE)• Sound, Movies,
Executables USPTO PDF Standard
Any PDF Authoring Tool That Can
Conform to USPTO Defined PDF Standard
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EFS-Web: e-Filer Browser Experience
• E-Filer Connects to Internet Using Their Existing Browser– Simple– Safe & – Secure
EFS Web Sign on
• Compatible With Multiple Web Browsers and Operating Systems
– Internet Explorer,
– Mozilla Firefox, Safari
– Mac, Windows, UNINetscape,
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EFS-Web: e-Filer Security Experience
• Low Level Security = Simple SSL Connection
• High Level Security = USPTO Issued PKI Certificate
EFS Web e-File
Low Level Security for Initial Filings
High Level Security for Initial Filings and
Follow-on Papers
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EFS-Web: e-Filer Web Filing Experience
• EFS-Web Will Provide an Intuitive and User Friendly Interface to Facilitate the e-Filing Experience
• Simple Steps Lead to Successful e-Filing
Private PAIR
Sign OnSelect Filing Type
Enter Basic Bibliographic Data
Attach PDF Files/FormsPay Fees
e-FileObtain e-Filing
Acknowledgement Receipt
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New Submission with Low Level Sign-In
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Enter Application Information
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Attach and Review Documents
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Pay Fees Associate with New Filing
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Confirm and Submit
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Acknowledgement Receipt
(New Application Filing)
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Follow-On Submission Using Digital Certificate
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Review Application Information and Attach Documents
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Pay Fees Associated with New Filing
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Confirm and Submit
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Save Submission
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Acknowledgement Receipt
(Follow-On Submission)