Patent Electronic Business Center Overview Revised 03/15/02.

Patent Electronic Business CenterOverview

Revised 03/15/02

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Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC)

Provides access to electronic business applications for patent customers

Customer Number Registration forms Required for PAIR and EFS

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Registration forms Security software to support electronic commerce Required for PAIR and EFS

Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) Access to application status and history via the internet

Electronic Filing System (EFS) Filing of patent applications via the internet

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How do I get there?

Click on:Online

Business

Go to:www.uspto.gov

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Click on:Patent Electronic Business Center

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Click On: New Users

Is this your first visit to the EBC?

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United States Patent and Trademark Office

Customer Number

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What is a Customer Number?

Customer Number

Assigned to multiple patent applications

Customer NumberAddress

Single

Multiple

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Changing addresses using Customer Number

Customer Number

OLD PROCESSRequires one correspondence

per application

NEW PROCESSRequires only one

correspondence for all applications

Customer Number

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1) Download the Customer Number Form

How do I apply for a Customer Number?

2) Fill in the form

3) Mail to:US Patent & Trademark OfficeBox EBCWashington, DC 20231

or Fax to: (703) 308-2840

Customer Number

Correspondence Address

Practitioners of Record

Point of Contact

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Customer NumberBarcode Labels

Initial supply of labels are issued to customers when the Customer Number is created

Labels should be used on correspondence with the USPTO in place of physical address or when listing practitioners of record (see previous slide)

An electronic version of the labels is available via request to the EBC to use with electronic forms

If you have inserted this into an electronic copy, fax or email a copy for us to verify that the barcode will scan properly

Contact the EBC Customer Support Center at (703) 305-3028; fax (703) 308-2840

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PATENT TRADEMARK OFFICE

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Customer NumberUse Customer

Number to Associate a

Group of Attorneys

Use Customer Number to

Associate an Address

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Customer Number

1) Download the Customer Number Update Template

How do I change the address on myapplications to my customer number?How do I change the address on my

applications to my customer number?

3) Mail your disk to:US Patent & Trademark OfficeBox EBCWashington, DC 20231

4) You will receive an address update report from USPTO

2) Fill in the Excel

spreadsheet

Correspondence Address + PAIR Access

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Customer NumberCustomer Number Update Template RulesCustomer Number Update Template Rules

Submit in format provided - no additional information needed (e.g., attorney docket numbers)

Provide cover letter with information including contact person’s name, telephone number and email address; must include the signature of one Registered Practitioner associated with the customer number

At least 2 of the following 4 columns must be included to upload successfully

Patent Number Application Number Patent Date Filing Date

EBC staff will review addresses and will contact you regarding any discrepancies in correspondence address before completing the upload

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Customer Number

What advantages does the Customer Number provide?

1) Access to PAIR

2) Necessary for EFS

3) Single paper provides address and attorney changes to all applications

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Customer Number & PAIR Access

The PKI certificate and Customer Number tie

the person to the group of applications

The PKI certificate and Customer Number tie

the person to the group of applications

Customer Number

PKI

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Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

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Security of patent application and related data U.S. National Patent Law, 35 USC 122

E-Commerce interaction with customers requires: Confidentiality Authenticity Access Control Integrity Non-Repudiation

USPTO serves as a Certificate Authority and issues digital certificates to our customers

Required for PAIR and EFS access

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1) Download the Certificate Action Form

How do I apply for a PKI certificate?How do I apply for a PKI certificate?

2) Fill in the form

3) Mail to:US Patent & Trademark OfficeBox EBCWashington, DC 20231

4) When you receive security keys from USPTO, download and setup Entrust

software

Note: Document must contain an original signature and be notarized by a notary public

X

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AuthCode

Ref Num

E-mail

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Click to download USPTO Direct (PAIR)

software

Click to download USPTO Direct (PAIR)

software

NEW: Release 6.0

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Electronic Business Center (EBC)

Install softwareDouble-click on download file

Follow instructions to complete installation

Icon will be placed on your desktop

Double-click on desktop icon

Follow instructions to set up profile using reference number and authorization code provided by the USPTO

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Electronic Business Center (EBC)

Each PKI certificate may be used by the certificate holder plus one person under the direction and control of the holder Reference Number and Authorization Code can only be used to create your profile one time

Attempting to reuse Reference Number and Authorization Code will disable your certificate

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PKI Certificate Renewal

Certificate renews one year from date of issue

The renewal is automatic and is not noticeable unless the certificate has been copied onto multiple computers

If the certificate has been copied, it will be renewed on the first PC that logs into PAIR on the first day following the one year anniversary

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PKI and PAIR

ProxyServer

Publ

ic

Priv

ate PTO NetVirtual

Vault

FIREWALL

Re-direct

Outside

Inside

EntrustProxy

NetscapeProxy PALM DATA

SERVER

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Patent Application Information Retrieval

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PAIR Features

Quick, easy and secure access to Patent and Patent Application information via direct access to PALM information 24 hr access to PALM information Access to real-time information

Two ways to access PAIR Public Private

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PAIR FeaturesPublicPublic

Requires NO PKI software Review Patented &

Published Application Information Prosecution History Status and Location

PrivatePrivate Requires PKI software Requires Customer Number Review Pending & Patented

Application Information Prosecution History Status and Location Limited Bibliographic Data

USPTO Employee Directory

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PAIR Interface

Private PAIRRequires Customer

Number and PKI Certificate

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PAIR Interface

Application Number

Search

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PAIR Interface

Continuity Data

Parent and Child

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PAIR Interface

Customer Number Search

Private PAIR

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PAIR Interface

PublicPAIR

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PAIR Interface

MaintenanceFees

Public/Private PAIR

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PAIR Interface

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PAIR Benefits

Provide better customer service

Permits USPTO staff to focus on application processing

USPTO Direct electronic information

retrieval Real-time tracking of

application status

Customer

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Customer Number Details

Each geographically dispersed office of one business can have its own customer number

DC999999

New York999998

California999997

How many Customer Numbers do I need?

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Customer Number DetailsHow many Customer Numbers do I need?

Multiple individuals at one location can each

have their own customer numbers

999999

999998

999997

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Customer Number Details

Corp A Corp B Corp C

RemainingApplications

999996

999999 999998 999997

How many Customer Numbers do I need?

A firm can have different customer

numbers for each of its major clients

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Individuals must each have their own PKI certificate that will

access the same set of applications through a

common customer number

Customer Number

PKI PKI PKI PKI

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An individual can use a single PKI

certificate to view multiple customer

numbers Customer Number

PKI

Customer Number

Customer Number

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PKIPKIPKI

Customer Number

PKIPKI

PKI

Corp A Corp CCorp B Remaining Applications

Firm

Customer Number

Customer Number

Customer Number

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American Inventors Protection Act of 1999

Subtitle A – Inventor’s Rights Subtitle B – Patent and Trademark Fee Fairness Subtitle C – First Inventor’s Defense Subtitle D – Patent Term Guarantee Subtitle D – Requests for Continued Examination Subtitle E – Domestic Publication of Patent

Applications Filed Abroad Subtitle F – Optional Inter Partes Reexamination Subtitle G – Patent and Trademark Office Subtitle H – Miscellaneous Patent Provisions

43Implementation of Subtitle E – Domestic Publication of Patent Applications Published Abroad

Automation Implementation: Source of content for publication

Application as filed Since 1997, the Patent Application Capture & Review System

(PACR) has captured all applications as filed PACR images will be exported to a publishing contractor

for conversion into a composed electronic publication

Redacted, amended, voluntary and republication request Applicant must submit an XML document via the Electronic

Filing System (EFS) Publishing contractor will convert XML document into

a composed electronic publication

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Implementation of Subtitle E – Pre-Grant Publication (PGPub) Process

Publication format: Electronic

Front page, similar to US Patents (title, bibliographic data, abstract and figure(s)) IPC and US classifications

Two column arrangement for specification and claims Full text searchable Content will be based on application as filed (will include

translations supplied after filing) unless applicant submits a publication-ready document in electronic form via Electronic Filing System (EFS)

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Pre-Grant Publication -Confirmation Number

Each application will be assigned a confirmation number Assigned at application initialization

Format: 4 digits, 1000 to 9999

Used in combination with application number to confirm the accuracy of application number

Required for EFS PGPub filings

Recommended for all incoming submissions (paper & electronic)

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Each application will be assigned a confirmation number

Printed on filing receipt

Available via PAIR

Available via PALM intranet General Information Screen

Confirmation number mailed on all pending applications to Patent applicant or attorney in December 2000

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Automation Implementation: (continued)

Source of bibliographic data for publication Application as filed

The Patent Application Locating and Monitoring (PALM) system captures bibliographic data and will provide the data to the publishing contractor

Redacted, amended, voluntary and republication request Applicant must submit bibliographic data in the XML

document via the Electronic Filing System (EFS) which will be used for publication

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Automation Implementation: (continued)

Bibliographic data review The Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)

system will provide applicant with access to all bibliographic data to be used on the published front page for review

Applicant will have opportunity until 14 weeks prior to publication date to review bibliographic data and submit written request for corrections

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Pre-Grant Publication -PAIR Interface

Bibliographic DataReview Screen

Private PAIR

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Request Corrections

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Change Request Receipt

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Automation Implementation: Projected publication date:

The PALM system will calculate and print a projected publication date on filing receipts of all applications which have met the requirement for publication

If the projected publication date changes PALM will produce a notification to the applicant of the new projected publication date

PALM will track projected publication date and manage workflow for the publication cycle

At time of publication, PALM will produce a notice to applicant that his/her application has been published

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Implementation of Subtitle D – Patent Term Guarantee

Effective Date: May 29, 2000

An initial determination of PTA (Patent Term Adjustment) will be calculated by PALM and provided with the Notice of Allowance (NOA) PALM will calculate PTA earned from filing to NOA PALM will estimate issue date and project PTA

to Issue

Two weeks prior to issue, PALM will recalculate PTA based on actual issue date

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Applicant review of PTA calculation: Applicant can use PAIR to review PTA calculation

Review PALM paper entry dates Review actual calculation

Reconsideration requests (petitions) would be required prior to, or with, payment of the issue fee Must provide detailed explanation of where USPTO has

made errors in PTA calculation

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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

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Customer Support Center

Effective April 1, 2002, the EBC Customer Support Center will be available: 6am-12midnight Mon-Fri8am-8pm Sat-Sun at (703) 305-3028 or via e-mail at [email protected]

Customer Number

Business Rules Issuing New Customer Numbers Update Bulk Address Changes Customer Number Barcode Label Requests Customer Number Data Change Information Customer Number Application Information

PKI Certificates

Answer Business Aspects of Customer Questions Certificate Action Form Information Initial Review of Certificate Action Forms Troubleshoot End-User Problems

Electronic Filing System

Provide Customer Number Provide PKI Certificate Support Provide Support for Authoring Tool to End-User

Patent Application Information Retrieval

Registration Information Troubleshoot End-User Problems Troubleshoot Software Problems Handle Questions Related to Data

Patent Electronic Business Center Overview Revised 03/15/02.

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Transcript of Patent Electronic Business Center Overview Revised 03/15/02.