eCommerce Modernization Browse Recent ideas

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?

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.

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 »

The format used for application numbers, dates and patent documents are inconsistent in PAIR, assignments, EFS, etc.. All areas of the office should utilize the same format for this data, or the software should be modernized to accept all of the common formats. e.g., 14/999,999 and 14999999 or

2015-01-23 and 1/23/2015 and 01/23/2015 etc.

Practitioners and their assistants who used EFS, PAIR, Assignment recording, Maintenance fee payments, Fees, Forms, etc. frequently have to navigate clicking and scrolling through the PTO web site to get to the locations we need. How about a practitioner tab or shortcut that takes us straight to the most common links used by attorneys/agents/staff. Then we could make a single bookmark that takes us to Private PAIR,... more »

I suggest modifying the first page of PTO communications to include the title of the invention. This can help attorneys and agents quickly and easily remember the nature of the invention in question, and also makes for easy reference in filling out PTO forms that include a space for the title. It also puts the title in front of the attorney so as to note any typos that need correction. It is practically free and may... more »

Currently, it seems there is only a Notice issued if no Declaration is submitted, or if the Declaration is not proper.

1) We have received a lot of these Notices when a Declaration HAS been proper, just not the supplied USPTO form.

2) There is no indication on the Notice whether a Declaration is faulty or missing entirely, which would be much more helpful. (For example, if the Notice were to state a Declaration was... more »

Sometimes waiting on hold for the PTO is quite infuriating. Considering the large volume of calls placed daily, could the PTO implement a digital VOIP to enable calls through a caller's computer that has a microphone and speaker? This could allow for useful on screen features, s.a. a time to available agent, call position in queue, and other stats, which could be displayed quietly in the background while the caller... more »

I think there needs to be an updated petition and docket management system, that allows for easy access to docket information and reports, as well as petition/decision tracking. There are too many choices such as PALM, IFW, eDAN, etc. One centralized system with automated notifiers would be great.

If the PTO could release a statement or update the rules to state that Certificates of Electronic Transmission and manual Fee Sheets, Transmittals for Applications, IDSs, etc. are no longer necessary, that would shave about an hour off of my day, every day. I stopped using these superfluous items years ago, but older attorneys only see where the rules say you "should" use them. I agree, back when paper filing was the... more »

Currently there are many variations in the placement of data (application no., file date, docket no., etc.) on a communication from the Patent Office. It would be helpful if all communications used exactly the same basic format for application data, etc. For example, the arrangement of data in a Notice of allowance is different from the arrangement of data on an Office Action. Decisions on petitions are somewhat free-form.... more »

I have a few small clients that would prefer to handle maintenance fees on their own They would like to just change the fee address, but that is not possible without a customer number. So, the customer number should be much easier to get (online - instant - which it should be anyway) so I can easily handle that for them, or the PTO should permit post issuance communication address to be changed to an regular address... more »

Allow law firms to optionally submit a Microsoft Word format document along with their PDF copy of the patent application filing to reduce the cost and errors associated with typesetting of patent applications.

Due to the advances in imaging technology, the patent office should encourage the submission of drawings in greyscale and color.