We are all accustomed to using “ping” as a way to test Internet connectivity and to measure the latency of an Internet connection. This post talks about a similar function for telephones, a function that can be very helpful in testing the configuration of a VOIP (voice over IP) telephone. Continue reading ““Ping” for telephones”
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 lecture within the framework of the “Patent Administration: A Foundation for Success” course, September 13-14, San Diego, CA. (Patent Resources Group, yours truly presenting.)
- PCT Seminar, September 14, Chicago, IL. (John Marshall Law School.)
- 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.)
A chance to save a little money on PCT search fees
Readers will recall (perhaps from my blog post of July 15) that the search fee for ISA/EP will increase (for US filers) on September 1, 2017. This offers an opportunity to save a little money. Continue reading “A chance to save a little money on PCT search fees”
Thailand joins Madrid Protocol
On August 7, 2017, Thailand deposited its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol at the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization. The Madrid Protocol will thus enter into force for Thailand on November 7, 2017. Continue reading “Thailand joins Madrid Protocol”
Does the Abstract matter any more?
The PCT rules and Applicant’s Guide talk about what should go into an Abstract. In the PCT system it is up to the International Searching Authority to enforce the rules about Abstracts. WIPO is inviting comments (see Circular PCT 1517) on whether the rules and guide should be revised. Such revisions, if they were to happen, would change what the ISA looks for when it reviews an Abstract.
Comments are due September 30, 2017. If you would like to participate in a listserv committee to prepare and file comments, join the PCT listserv (if you are not already a member) and join in the discussion there. What follows are a few thoughts about Abstracts. Continue reading “Does the Abstract matter any more?”
Easier getting through airport security
There’s a change in airport security at Dulles that makes it ever so slightly faster and easier to get through airport security. I’ve searched around in Google News and have not found anywhere that anyone has talked about this change. Continue reading “Easier getting through airport security”
Register for the AIPLA PCT Seminar
There are a few seats still available for the AIPLA PCT Seminar. This will be Monday and Tuesday, July 24-25, 2017 in Crystal City, Virginia.
Yours truly is among the presenters for this seminar.
For more information or to register, click here.
Search fee for ISA/EP to increase on September 1
The search fee for US applicants at the EPO will increase on September 1, 2017. The search fee is presently $1992 but will increase to $2099. Here is how the search fees will rank after the fee change: Continue reading “Search fee for ISA/EP to increase on September 1”
Seamless migration from analog phone lines to SIP trunks?
Let’s suppose you have made a plan to migrate your office telephone system from analog phone lines to VOIP trunks. Maybe you are doing this to reduce your monthly telephone bill to 85¢ as I blogged recently. But regardless of why you are migrating, clearly you will want to carry out the migration in a way that minimizes the risk of disruption of incoming or outgoing telephone service. In this article I describe a migration path that worked well for our firm, and along the way I explain a little bit more about SIP trunking and how it works. Continue reading “Seamless migration from analog phone lines to SIP trunks?”
Companies that you never heard of that make telephone calls possible – part 2
In a previous blog post I discussed two companies that you probably never heard of that make telephone calls possible — Neustar and iconectiv. These companies administer the NPAC database, which is a database that gets consulted each and every time that any one dials a telephone call to a US (non-toll-free) telephone number. A million times per day, a telephone call gets placed to a US telephone number, and a million times a day, a lookup happens to this NPAC database, without which the phone call would not be able to reach its destination. And if you are like me, you never heard of either company.
In this blog post I will discuss another group of companies that you probably also never heard of, that are responsible for a super important part of the way that telephone calls take place. This category of companies does not, so far as I know, have a name. I will call them “VOIP wholesalers”. Some of these companies are called Onvoy, Bandwidth, Paetec, Peerless, Level 3 Communications, XO Communications, and Aerialink. I had heard of Level 3 before, but I only knew them as an Internet company. The other three companies I had never heard of at all until very recently. What do VOIP wholesalers do, and why should you care? Continue reading “Companies that you never heard of that make telephone calls possible – part 2”