eCommerce Modernization Browse Recent ideas

Would you prefer filing text-based PDF documents (contain searchable text), instead of image-based PDF documents?

In addition to collecting text information from applicants, the USPTO would also like to send and display patent application documents in a text format. If your application documents are provided to you in text, will that help you in future electronic filings?

If there is an online chat available to communicate with the Patent Electronic Business Center, would you use it?

Would you prefer filing documents to the USPTO in a .docx file format

USPTO is planning to automate the following administrative tasks through Private PAIR 1) New Customer Number Request, 2) Change Correspondence/Maintenance Fee Address, 3) Change Entity Status. Would you find these new functionalities beneficial? Please share what other routine tasks you would like to see automated.

In addition to being notified of new outgoing correspondence, would you like to be notified when there is other activity on an application – either via email or possibly within PAIR? Please share what other types of activities you are interested in receiving notification.

Need to be able to search the text of an Office Action and all other documents mailed by the USPTO.

When paying PTO fees, we have to re-enter the credit card info, address, etc., separately for each filing. Why not enable registered filers to save the credit card info under a login name and password so that multiple filings could be paid for without repeated entries of personal info.

Get with Carnegie Mellon University and get in line to use their Captcha methodology to correct some of the horrendous typos found in some of the image-to-text conversions that have been done.

We would love to have the ability to search our entire patent portfolio to get a snapshot of ongoing matters. Of course, having criteria in place to filter (narrow or expand) search results would be useful. In addition, having the option to generate reports in different formats (xls, pdf, etc.) would be another useful option for applicants (large and small).

The side menu bar, for me, takes up screen real estate that seems so unnecessary. I feel that having those shortcuts are important to have,I certainly use them all the time, but I think that maybe they can just be combined with the top menu (Home, Patents, Trademarks etc,) that is already there. Some of the shortcuts are already there anyway and it's a little redundant. I think it they could just add the few other ...more »

At our firm, our staff is the one that logs in on behalf of the attorney (we do the certification thing) and they do the uploading and submitting of any filings. One of the biggest complaints among the staff is having to log in as one attorney, submit their filing, and then log out/in when they have a filing for another attorney so that they can submit it under the different attorney's certificate. I feel that there ...more »

Allow registered practitioners that are associated with a customer number (CN) used as the correspondence address (CA) to authorize communications with the Office via email pursuant to MPEP 502.03 upon filing via EFS-Web. Although the MPEP indicates that authorization is from the applicant, the CN practice allows for practitioners associated with the CN used for the CA to access unpublished applications. These practitioners ...more »

Something that attorneys/staff are constantly worried about having to deal with is when their digital certificate expires. There doesn't seem to be a clear and easy way to renew your digital certificate after it has expired. In the past, I have had to fill out a form, mail it in, and wait an undisclosed amount of time for approval. Or I have had to sit on hold for over 20 minutes just to talk to someone to figure out ...more »

Modernize the USPTO and its electronic offerings by offering easily electronically filed and received applications for a utility model patent. Some examiner input would be required, but the process could result in grants in 2 - 3 weeks and be vitally important for the growth of our economy.