Hello PCT enthusiasts! Who would like to participate in a day of Patent Cooperation Treaty (and ePCT) training? It will take place this coming Tuesday, October 28, in the Detroit patent office. I am one of the faculty members for this training. For more information, or to register, click here.
PCT training in Dallas this Friday
Hello PCT enthusiasts! Who would like to participate in a day of Patent Cooperation Treaty (and ePCT) training? It will take place this coming Friday, October 24, in the Dallas patent office. I am one of the faculty members for this training. For more information, or to register, click here.
Why outgoing correspondence from the Patent Office is so slow

(Note: this blog article is the first in a series of articles that will describe recent changes within the USPTO that have big effects upon applicants and upon people within the USPTO.)
For decades it has been the case that when a primary Examiner submits a piece of outgoing correspondence, the applicant would receive it soon after — typically within a couple of days. But within recent months, it has been commonplace to see long delays before the applicant receives the outgoing correspondence. How bad are the delays, and what is the cause of the delays? Continue reading “Why outgoing correspondence from the Patent Office is so slow”
USPTO fixes a bug in Patent Center

Users of Patent Center are familiar with the Patent Center Tickets web site. It lists bugs in Patent Center, and it lists Patent Center feature requests, and it has a special section entitled Good things about Patent Center. I am delighted to report that the USPTO has fixed one of the bugs in Patent Center! Continue reading “USPTO fixes a bug in Patent Center”
Every USPTO system relating to assignments is broken today
Every USPTO system relating to assignments is broken today.
Continue reading “Every USPTO system relating to assignments is broken today”
What is an “I Want” song?
From time to time I will become aware for the first time of some element of popular culture that most other people already know about. Today’s example is a term for a kind or category of song, namely the “I Want” song. There is a particular song that is very popular right now, all around the world, and it turns out that this particular song falls into the (apparently well-known) category of “I Want” songs. Today is when I learned that there is this category of song.
What is the definition of an “I Want” song? What is this particular song that is right now very popular all around the world that falls into the category of being an “I Want” song? Continue reading “What is an “I Want” song?”
And a reception after the Dallas PCT seminar
What could be more fun than a full day of PCT training? The answer, of course, is a full day of PCT training followed by a reception. Continue reading “And a reception after the Dallas PCT seminar”
Upcoming opportunity for Madrid Protocol docketing training
As a reminder, folks, there is an upcoming opportunity for training on Madrid Protocol docketing, at which I am the presenter.
-
- National Docketing Association annual meeting, San Diego (brochure page):
- Tuesday, October 7, 2PM PT – Madrid Protocol Docketing (60 minutes)
- National Docketing Association annual meeting, San Diego (brochure page):
Four upcoming opportunities for PCT and ePCT training
As a reminder, folks, there are four upcoming opportunities for PCT and ePCT training, all of which will include me as a presenter.
-
- National Docketing Association annual meeting, San Diego (brochure page):
- Monday, October 6, 3:15 PM PT – Making Best Use of ePCT for PCT Docketing (75 minutes)
- Tuesday, October 7, 1PM PT – Mastering PCT Docketing (60 minutes)
- Friday, October 24, Dallas Patent Office (brochure page) – Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and ePCT seminar (full day)
- Tuesday, October 28, Detroit Patent Office (brochure page) – Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and ePCT seminar (full day)
- National Docketing Association annual meeting, San Diego (brochure page):
Reduction In Force at the USPTO
An article just now in The Guardian says:
In a memo seen by the Guardian, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a “reduction in force” (RIF) program of layoffs at the agency on Wednesday, the first reported agency to do so.
“Approximately one percent of the USPTO workforce will be affected by this RIF,” wrote Valencia Martin Wallace, acting commissioner for the USPTO, wrote to employees at the agency. The USPTO did not respond to a request for comment