EFSWeb

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EFS-Web
Don Levin Program Manager e-Commerce
Initiatives United States Patent Trademark
Office Don.Levin_at_uspto.gov
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Agenda

• EFS-Web Overview
• Patent eCommerce Today
• What Filers are Saying about EFS-Web
• New EFS-Web 1.1 Functionality
• Requested Enhancements
• EFS-Web and the new Accelerated Exam program
• QA

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Patent E-Commerce Today
Private/Public PAIR systems are mature systems
supporting the IP Community Pilot Testing of
Outgoing Electronic Correspondence begins Winter
2006 PCT International Applications Available
for view Winter 2006
Publicly available on March 16, 2006 Created
and developed with in-depth user feedback
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EFS-Web Goals
420,000 Patent Applications Goal In FY06
308,000 (75)
FY08 Goal for EFS-Web Applications
205,000 (50)
FY07 Goal for EFS-Web Applications
59,000 (14)
Actual EFS-Web Applications Received
FY06 Goal for EFS-Web Applications
42,000 (10)
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What Filers Are Saying
EFS-Web Satisfaction SurveyUSPTO Responsiveness
to Patent Filers
Nearly 91 of respondents felt that USPTO is
responsive or extremely responsive to patent
filers in creating EFS-Web.
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What Filers Are Saying
EFS-Web Satisfaction SurveyCustomer Confidence
in EFS-Web
Seventy-four percent of respondents indicate they
are confident or very confident in EFS-Web.
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What Filers Are Saying
EFS-Web Satisfaction SurveyTime Involved using
EFS-Web
Eighty-five percent of respondents indicate they
are very or somewhat satisfied with the time
involved in filing.
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What Filers Are Saying
EFS-Web Satisfaction SurveyEase of Filing using
EFS-Web
Ninety-one percent of respondents indicate they
are very or somewhat satisfied with ease of
filing.
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Filing Policies
57 of respondents have no overall policy or
allowed for individual discretion for in-house
counsel use EFS-Web.
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Why use Patent eCommerce What Others Are Saying
Intellectual Property Technology Law Journal
No more rushing to the post office You'll
receive a serial number immediately No more
PTO lost files. The electronic file is the
official PTO copy of the patent application. For
that matter, no more papers lost by the post
office.
Electronic Patent Filing the USPTO finally
gets it right
July 2006 Edition Electronic Filing Top 10 Wish
List Allen E. Hoover, Banner Witcoff (Chicago)
May2006 Edition Roy Rosser
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Achieving the Goal
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How EFS-Web 1.1 Works

• New Application
• Design
• Utility
• Provisional
• 371
• International Application
• Existing Application
• Petition

Choose Filing Type
User Accesses USPTO Portal

• New Application
• Design
• Utility
• Provisional
• 371
• International Application
• Existing Application
• Pre-Grant Publication
• Petition
• My Workplace
• Saved Submissions
• Last 20 EFS receipts

Choose Filing Type
Pay then Submit
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EFS-Web 1.1 Functionality

• New Types of Applications Accepted
• Online submission of International applications
  filed in the US Receiving Office
• Acceptance of PCT-SAFE .ZIP files or PDF version
  Form RO 101
• Pre-Grant Publications under 37 CFR 1.211 1.221
• New File Types Accepted
• Text files (.TXT)
• Computer program listings
• Bio-sequence listings
• Mega tables
• .ZIP files from PCT-SAFE

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New EFS-Web 1.1 Functionality

• New Petition Accepted
• Online submission of Petition to Accept
  Unintentionally Delayed Payment of a Maintenance
  Fee in an Expired Patent under 37 CFR 1.378(c)
• New Fillable Forms Available
• Accelerated Exam fillable form
• Request for Continued Examination (RCE) fillable
  form
• Petition to Accept Unintentionally Delayed
  Payment of a Maintenance Fee in an Expired Patent
  under 37 CFR 1.378(c)
• Automated Quality Control Infrastructure changes

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Requested Enhancements Under Development

• Fillable issue fee form
• Fillable petition forms
• Automated provisional cover sheet
• Dual payment options (e.g. pay with credit card
  and allow for charges to deposit account on one
  screen)
• Integration with document management systems
• Integration with assignments
• Dual Customer Number
• Corporate PKI or Administration PKI
• Merging of PAIR and EFS-Web functionality to
  address many needs

efsfeedback_at_uspto.gov
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Accelerated Examination Available Only via
EFS-Web

• New AE process allows applicants to obtain a
  final decision on an application within 12 months
• USPTO examined its current process to identify
  bottlenecks in the workflow that would need to be
  overcome
• Requires USPTO and IP practitioners to take on
  new responsibilities
• Details of the new Accelerated Examination
  program will be announced during a webinar on
  November 2
• https//websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/39376/AccExamAnnEn
  rollmentForm.htm

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What Cannot be Filed Using EFS-Web 1.1?

• Credit Card Authorization Form - PTO-2038
• Maintenance Fees
• New Plant Applications or Color Plant Drawings
• Documents related to Registration Practice
  Disciplinary Proceedings
• Certified Copies (Ribbon Copies)
• Reexamination and Reissue (this includes new and
  follow-on papers)
• Secrecy Order Applications and/or Documents
• Contested Cases at the Board of Appeal and
  Interferences
• Third party papers under 37 CFR 1.99
• Protests under 37 CFR 1.291
• Public use hearing papers under 37 CFR 1.292

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How To Contact EBC

• If you have questions or need technical
  assistance please contact our
• Electronic Business Center (EBC)
• Monday Friday (6am Midnight Easter)
• Sunday (October 15 Only) (10am 6pm Eastern)
• Phone [phone]
• Select option 2
• Fax [phone]
• Email EBC_at_uspto.gov

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Thank you for attending