The USPTO makes much of the importance of receiving information in computer-readable formats. For example the USPTO has proposed to charge a $400 penalty to the patent applicant who would fail to provide the body of a patent application in Microsoft Word format. Why, then, does the USPTO so consistently fail to practice what it preaches? For example when the applicant provides issue-fee information (assignee name and attorney-agent-or-firm information) in computer-readable format, the USPTO discards the provided computer-readable characters and hand-keys it, often making mistakes (keying “Radom, Poland” as “Random, Poland” or keying my name “Oppedahl” as “Oppendahl”). The most recent glaring example of this has revealed itself in USPTO’s mishandling of incoming designations from international design applications, as I will describe. (These are the applications having application numbers in the series code “35”.) Continue reading “USPTO hand-keys Hague designation data ☹”
It is time to send in your numbers for the 2020 Tote Boards
The results are posted. See the tote board results.
I am grateful to the many loyal readers who have gently reminded me that I need to organize the 2020 Tote Boards. You can see the past Tote Boards here. These Tote Boards are part of a tradition that extends back to 2012 when I published the first Design Patent Tote Board. Please send in your numbers now. We will close the entries in two weeks, that is, on Friday, April 2, 2021. Here are the four Tote Boards for which your numbers are needed.
2020 US Plant Patent Tote Board. This will be the second annual plant patent toteboard. This is for granted US plant patents with issue dates falling in the range of January 7, 2020 to December 29, 2020. About 1398 US plant patents issued in 2020. How many of them have your firm name on the front page? A typical search string in the USPTO patents full-text database for plant patents might be:
APT/6 AND ISD/2020 and (lrep/oppedahl or lrep/oppendahl)
To send in your numbers for US plant patents, click here. We will close the entries in two weeks, that is, on April 2, 2021.
2020 US Design Patent Tote Board. This will be the ninth annual design patent toteboard. This is for granted US design patents with issue dates falling in the range of January 7, 2020 to December 29, 2020. About 34876 US design patents issued in 2020. How many of them have your firm name on the front page? A typical search string in the USPTO patents full-text database for design patents might be:
APT/4 AND ISD/2020 and (lrep/oppedahl or lrep/oppendahl)
To send in your numbers for US design patents, click here. We will close the entries in two weeks, that is, on April 2, 2021.
2020 US Utility Patent Tote Board. This will be the sixth annual utility patent toteboard. This is for granted US utility patents with issue dates falling in the range of January 7, 2020 to December 29, 2020. About 352000 US utility patents issued in 2020. How many of them have your firm name on the front page? Yes you may include granted reissues in this total if you wish. A typical search string in the USPTO patents full-text database for utility patents might be:
APT/1 AND ISD/2020 and (lrep/oppedahl or lrep/oppendahl)
To send in your numbers for US utility patents, click here. We will close the entries in two weeks, that is, on April 2, 2021.
2020 US Trademark Registration Tote Board. This will be the sixth annual trademark toteboard. This is for granted US trademark registrations with issue dates falling in the range of January 7, 2020 to December 29, 2020. About 283386 US trademark registrations issued in 2020. How many of them did your firm prosecute to registration? (It is not necessary that your firm filed the application, merely that your firm prosecuted the case to registration.)
To send in your numbers for US trademark registration certificates, click here. We will close the entries in two weeks, that is, on April 2, 2021.
Today is the day! Mexican Institute of Industrial Property joins DAS
As I reported to you (blog article) on September 15, 2020, today is the day that the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property joins DAS. It is both a Depositing Office and an Accessing Office.
Once again I note that the logo for IMPI is a Möbius strip!
IMPI is a Depositing Office for:
- patent applications
- utility model applications
- industrial design applications
In addition, RO/MX is a Depositing Office for purposes of PCT applications filed in RO/MX.
This offers a reminder that Mexico is one of the seventy-six Offices that provides utility model protection.
IMPI is an Accessing Office for:
- international design applications (Hague applications) filed at the IB
- industrial design applications
- patent applications
- utility model applications
Which intellectual property firm in Mexico is the most trendy, modern, and up-to-date? Send me four DAS access codes:
- a DAS access code for a Mexican patent application
- a DAS access code for a Mexican utility model application
- a DAS access code for a Mexican industrial design application, and
- a DAS access code for a PCT application filed in RO/MX.
I can then post Certificates of Availability (with a few digits of the application numbers blurred) for those four applications, and I will then be able to recognize your firm as the most trendy, modern and up-to-date intellectual property firm in Mexico.
Filing at the International Bureau and Daylight Saving Time
On October 25 I blogged that US filers filing documents at the International Bureau needed to pay extra close attention to what time it is in Switzerland. The reason is that in Switzerland, Daylight Saving Time stopped happening on October 25. But did not happen on that day in the US. Continue reading “Filing at the International Bureau and Daylight Saving Time”
Exchange rate gains from the International Bureau
Here’s a fun thing to notice. These days the USPTO is picking up an extra $27 from the IB with each inbound Hague designation. Continue reading “Exchange rate gains from the International Bureau”
Filing at the International Bureau and Daylight Saving Time
It’s that time of year again. The time of year when it is important to keep track of the fact that Daylight Saving Time is different in Switzerland from the way it is in the United States. This is important because you might be in the US, and you might be e-filing (or fax-filing) some document with the International Bureau of WIPO. Continue reading “Filing at the International Bureau and Daylight Saving Time”
Today is the day – Italy joins the DAS system
(Update July 12, 2023: Italy will soon likewise become an Accessing Office in the DAS system. See blog article.)
Yes, today is the day that Italy joins the DAS system as a Depositing Office. You can read about it here.
Who is the most trendy, modern and up-to-date Italian intellectual property firm? Be the first to provide to me an application number, filing date, and DAS access code for a design application, a patent application, a trademark application, a utility model application, and an RO/IT application, and I will recognize your status as the most trendy, modern and up-to-date in Italy. (I will blur part of the application number in the Certificates of Availability that I obtain and post.)
Today is the day for the Austrian Patent Office and DAS
Today is the day that the Austrian Patent Office commences participation in DAS. (I reported this to you in a blog post on July 21, 2020.) The APO is participating as an Accessing Office in every way that it is possible to participate:
- National industrial design applications
- National patent applications
- National trademark applications
- National utility model applications
The APO is participating as a Depositing Office in every way that it is possible to participate:
- National industrial design applications
- National patent applications
- National trademark applications
- National utility model applications
- PCT international applications filed with the office as a PCT receiving office
Who is the most trendy, modern and up-to-date Austrian intellectual property firm? Be the first to provide to me an application number, filing date, and DAS access code for a design application, a patent application, a trademark application, a utility model application, and an RO/AT application, and I will recognize your status as the most trendy, modern and up-to-date in Austria. (I will blur part of the application number in the Certificates of Availability that I obtain and post.)
How long it takes USPTO to issue a patent these days
I am gobsmacked to see how consistently quickly USPTO is issuing patents these days. Design patents are taking less than five weeks. Utility patents are taking less than six weeks. Continue reading “How long it takes USPTO to issue a patent these days”
Mexican Institute of Industrial Property joins DAS
Yet another intellectual property office has joined DAS. The Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) will become a Depositing Office and an Accessing Office in DAS on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
Only just now did I notice that the logo for IMPI is a Möbius strip!
IMPI will be a Depositing Office for:
- patent applications
- utility model applications
- industrial design applications
In addition, RO/MX will be a Depositing Office for purposes of PCT applications filed in RO/MX.
This offers a reminder that Mexico is one of the seventy-six Offices that provides utility model protection.
IMPI will be an Accessing Office for:
- international design applications (Hague applications) filed at the IB
- industrial design applications
- patent applications
- utility model applications
Which intellectual property firm in Mexico is the most trendy, modern, and up-to-date? Send me a DAS access code for a Mexican patent application, a DAS access code for a Mexican utility model application, a DAS access code for a Mexican industrial design application, and a DAS access code for a PCT application filed in RO/MX. I can then post Certificates of Availability (with a few digits of the application numbers blurred) for those four applications, and I will then be able to recognize your firm as the most trendy, modern and up-to-date intellectual property firm in Mexico.