Docketing PCT for US filers – the recording

On April 1, 2021 I presented a webinar entitled Docketing PCT for US filers.  (I publicized it in this blog article on March 23, 2021.)  More than 400 people attended.  Now a video recording of the webinar is available, an hour and 15 minutes in duration.  You can download the presentation materials here and you can watch the video recording here. 

This particular webinar was prepared specifically for US filers, with focus not only on general PCT docketing but also on aspects of PCT that relate to US practice. (Later I will offer another corresponding webinar for filers outside the US for docketing of PCT generally.)

What topics were discussed?  We discussed:

• docket events — things that happen over the life of a PCT application that prompt us to set and clear dockets
• best practices — best ways to carry out certain tasks to maximize chances of docketing success
• optimal use of online resources — for example best use of ePCT
• collaborative workflow opportunities — ways that members of a team can be providing a “second pair of eyes” for each other in the docket process
• cross-entity monitoring — how in-house corporate people can keep an eye on outside counsel for docket purposes

Who should watch this recording?  I am glad you asked that question.  Yes of course docket clerks who docket PCT filings should watch this recording.  Yes of course paralegals who manage PCT filings should watch this recording.

The reason I am glad you asked that question is that some attorneys seem to think that they get a free pass on having to know how to docket PCT filings because “my paralegal keeps track of that” or “my docket department keeps track of that”.  Such attorneys are mistaken.  Such attorneys should recall what they were taught in their law school ethics class, and what they have been told in every malpractice-avoidance CLE class they have ever attended:

the attorney is professionally responsible for all work carried out by the non-attorneys whom they supervise. 

This means that the attorney who does PCT work needs to know how to docket PCT.  How else could the attorney know whether the paralegal or docket clerk whom they supervise is doing the docketing correctly?  This means that the attorney should watch this recording. 

Patent agents who do PCT work should also watch this recording, for similar reasons.

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