Somehow it got put on the back burner, but finally I have sorted and published the results for the 2016 US Utility Patent Tote Board and the 2016 US Trademark Tote Board. You can see all of the Tote Boards here.
Japan and PDX and October 1
Do you sometimes file a US patent application that claims priority from a Japanese patent application? Do you sometimes give instructions to Japanese counsel to file a Japanese patent application that claims priority from a US patent application? In either case, you need to know about something important that will change on October 1, 2017. Continue reading “Japan and PDX and October 1”
Upcoming opportunities to learn about PCT
There are quite a few upcoming opportunities to learn about the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
Of course a very good way to learn of upcoming learning opportunities about PCT is to check the PCT Seminar Calendar at the web site of WIPO. WIPO updates this calendar frequently.
Upcoming programs include:
- PCT Seminar, September 21-22, Cary, NC. (North Carolina Bar Association, yours truly among the faculty.)
- PCT Seminar “Essential PCT”, October 3, Atlanta, GA. (PCT Learning Center, yours truly among the faculty.)
- Advanced PCT Seminar and Symposium on International Authorities, October 5, Washington, DC. (PCT Learning Center, yours truly among the faculty.)
- The Essential PCT, October 19, Milwaukee, WI. (PCT Learning Center.)
- ePCT Training Seminar, October 30, Irvine, CA. (PCT Learning Center.)
- ePCT Training Seminar, November 1, San Francisco, CA. (PCT Learning Center.)
- PCT Seminar, November 1, Boston, MA (Boston Patent Law Association.)
- PCT Boot Camp, November 2, Seattle, WA (PCT Learning Center.)
- ePCT Training Seminar, November 3, Seattle, WA. (PCT Learning Center.)
- PCT lecture within the framework of the “Patent Administration: A Foundation for Success” course, November 8-9, Philadelphia, PA. (Patent Resources Group, yours truly presenting.)
Some PCT enthusiasts in the Gaslamp District
Here is a delightful dinner during a several-day program on the Patent Cooperation Treaty. These are some of the attendees at a Patent Resources Group course in San Diego.
SSL web site protection free of charge
We know the many reasons why it is good for a web site to be SSL protected (see the padlock in the purple oval at right). Reasons include:
- an eavesdropper cannot see the information flowing back and forth
- Search engines such as Google give higher page rankings
(I have blogged about the importance of SSL protection here and here and here.) Why doesn’t everyone secure every web site with SSL? One reason might be cost. To secure a web site with SSL, it is necessary to obtain an SSL certificate from a Certificate Authority. The company we have traditionally used for obtaining SSL certificates charges $56 per year for a basic SSL certificate.
I was astonished, however, to learn recently that there is a free-of-charge Certificate Authority! Our firm operates quite a few web sites, and I am delighted that we will save some money in recurring costs by using the free-of-charge CA. Continue reading “SSL web site protection free of charge”
ISA/SG fee to increase on November 1, 2017
The fee that ISA/SG charges per invention to carry out a PCT search will increase on November 1, 2017. The fee charged in US dollars will increase from $1552 to $1645. Continue reading “ISA/SG fee to increase on November 1, 2017”
Speaking of dinosaurs …
I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but something about the previous blog post made me think of this card that I received today from United Airlines, showing that I have now reached “million mile” status.
This reminds me of that old joke about a pie-eating contest. “Second prize, you get to eat more pie. First prize, you don’t have to eat any more pie.”
Dinosaur found near OPLF office
Many readers may have followed with interest the news of a recently discovered triceratops fossil. I note that the dinosaur was found about seven miles east of the Westminster, Colorado office of Oppedahl Patent Law Firm LLC.
So far as I am aware there is no connection between these places other than mere geographic proximity.
USPTO doing well lately with PPH petition timeliness
At various times in the past, the USPTO has accumulated sizeable backlogs in its not-yet-handled PPH petitions. But these days USPTO has been keeping up quite well.
We try to track this pretty closely. The most recent half dozen PPH petitions that we filed at the USPTO were all acted upon at the USPTO within about six or seven weeks of filing.
Kudos to the USPTO for being timely these days with PPH petitions!
Why you probably can’t send international faxes any more
A couple of weeks ago I had the great honor to visit at WIPO with the heads of some of the PCT processing teams. These are the people at the International Bureau who interact with callers (applicants and patent practitioners) who have questions and problems relating to PCT. One of the things that they mentioned to me, that I found puzzling when I first heard it, is that in recent months they have received ever-increasing numbers of complaints from people who call to report that they try to send faxes to the International Bureau and are unable to do so. Upon reflection I now realize the likely cause of this problem. And it is definitely not that there is some recent malfunction in WIPO’s fax machines.
Continue reading “Why you probably can’t send international faxes any more”