Category: PCT

Yesterday I posted a blog article asking readers to let me know which ePCT topics they want me to teach sooner than other topics.  I listed fifteen topics.  I provided a very long and tedious questionnaire by which readers could indicate their personal rankings of the fifteen topics, as “urgent” or “average urgency” or “not urgent”.  Fifty-four readers responded, for which I am quite grateful.  Here you can see what they said:  Continue reading “Which ePCT topics you want me to teach sooner than others!”

Update!  You can see the results here.

Hello dear readers.  How time flies!  It was a mere ¾ of a year ago that I announced (blog article) my plans to teach fifteen webinars on ePCT topics (as distinguished from PCT topics).  Now I really plan to get moving on these webinars.  I should mention that these webinars will be free of charge, thanks to sponsorship from WIPO.  Now what I ask is that readers please tell me which ePCT topics they want me to teach sooner than others.  Continue reading “Which ePCT topics do you want me to teach sooner than others?”

There are quite a few ways to set up two-factor authentication in ePCT.  Last week there was a problem with the SMS-type 2FA in ePCT, and users who had failed to set up a second type of 2FA found themselves unable to log in.  This offers a reminder that you should always have at least two types of 2FA set up with your WIPO user ID.   I am delighted to report that I have successfully gotten it set up so that I can use my EPO smart card as a form of 2FA in ePCT.  Continue reading “With ePCT, always have at least two kinds of 2FA”

From time to time I have commented upon nice things about ePCT.  Here is one more.  Continue reading “YANTAePCT (Yet Another Nice Thing About ePCT)”

Yes, today and tomorrow I will be speaking at the Annual Meeting and Conference of the National Association of Patent Practitioners in Denver, Colorado.  Continue reading “See and hear me at the NAPP Annual Meeting and Conference”

Hello dear readers.   It will be recalled that on April 26, 2022, 42 PCT patent practitioners from the PCT Listserv signed and sent a letter to USPTO Director Kathi Vidal.  The letter (click here to see it) has eight “asks” relating to the Patent Cooperation Treaty.  As you can see here, what was really quite encouraging was that a mere two minutes later, Director Vidal responded, saying:

Thank you for reaching out on this … .  I appreciate it.  I will review it shortly.  Kathi.

The part of the USPTO that is in charge of stuff like this is called International Patent Legal Administration (IPLA).  A couple of days ago, the phone rang and it was a very nice fellow named Stefanos Karmis, who is the acting director of IPLA.  He let me know that Director Vidal has asked him to be the point person on getting back to us on this letter.  He asked if I could meet with him by telephone to discuss our “asks”.  He and I have set a date of June 2 for a telephone call about this.  This is, obviously, an encouraging development and we will want to do what we can to make the most of this telephone call, and whatever might come after that.

Here are some of the things that have taken place as part of preparing for the June 2 telephone call.

We have set up a private listserv for the 42 signers of the letter, so that we can discuss and prepare.  

We have set up a Gotomeeting for May 26 for the 42 signers of the letter, so that we can discuss and prepare.

The other 900 or so members of the PCT Listserv who did not sign the letter (now I imagine some are wishing they had gotten off their behinds and signed the letter!) have been invited to get in touch with whichever of the 42 signers they are best acquainted with, to discuss and prepare.  There may also be discussions on the PCT Listserv itself for discussions as we lead up to the June 2 phone call.

On Tuesday, May 10, 2022, the European Patent Office will present a US-specific webinar on PCT topics.  Every US practitioner and paralegal who does PCT work should attend.  This webinar is free of charge.  Continue reading “EPO webinar on PCT for US paralegals and practitioners”

This morning an email message came in from a patent firm in a foreign country.  The email message was from a patent firm that we have not worked with before.  The email message told us that the patent firm has a client that filed a PCT application and is now interested in entering the US national phase.   The email message said:

Therefore, we would appreciate if you please provide your fees with a breakdown of firm’s fees and government fees, and any other fee that the client would incur, from the filing to registration as soon as possible.

I will tell you what I wrote back to this patent firm.  Continue reading “What I wrote to a potential client just now”

(Update:  we now have a phone call scheduled with the acting director of IPLA.  Read about it here.)

It was at 7:25 AM today (Eastern Time) that Forty-two Patent Practitioners wrote to Director Vidal, with eight “asks” relating to the Patent Cooperation Treaty, and sent a courtesy PDF copy of the letter by email.  Two minutes later, Director Vidal answered the email (see at right).  She wrote:

Thank you for reaching out on this … .  I appreciate it.  I will review it shortly.  Kathi.