As of today, there are fourteen seats left for USPTO’s Design Day 2016. For more information about Design Day and to learn how to register, click here.
USPTO continues to fail to provide up-to-date web security
It’s been many years since I first tried to nudge the USPTO in the direction of providing up-to-date web security for its customers. Up-to-date web security includes at least three measures:
- HTTPS connections for all e-commerce web sites
- PFS (perfect forward secrecy) for all HTTPS web sites
- DNSSEC (Domain Name System security) for all domain names
I’m not the only one trying to nudge the USPTO in the right direction. No less an authority than the White House has also tried to nudge the USPTO in this direction, by means of presidential executive order:
- In 2008, the White House directed all US government agencies (including the USPTO) to implement DNSSEC on all of their domain names (memorandum M-08-233).
- In 2015, the White House directed all US government agencies (including the USPTO) to implement HTTPS on all of their web sites (memorandum M-15-13).
A White House CIO web page explains to US government agencies how to implement HTTPS on their web sites. The web page says:
Federal websites that do not convert to HTTPS will not keep pace with privacy and security practices used by commercial organizations, and with current and upcoming Internet standards. This leaves Americans vulnerable to known threats, and may reduce their confidence in their government.
In August of 2014 I urged the USPTO to implement HTTPS on its servers (“USPTO needs to implement SSL and PFS on all servers“). I pointed out that TESS, TEAS, EPAS, ETAS, AOTW, PATFT, and TSDR all lacked HTTPS and PFS. I pointed out that EPO and WIPO have PFS on their servers that have HTTPS.
What progress has USPTO made since August of 2014 when I nudged the USPTO? What progress has USPTO made since June of 2015 when the President nudged the USPTO? Continue reading “USPTO continues to fail to provide up-to-date web security”
Radio controlled wristwatches
I was reminded today of one of the benefits of a radio controlled wristwatch.
A radio controlled wristwatch contains a sensitive AM radio receiver that picks up radio transmissions from a government time standard such as WWVB. WWVB transmits digitally coded time signals on 60 kHz. A watch or clock equipped to receive the WWVB signal can synchronize itself to the government time standard and thus can be consistently quite accurate.
Such a wristwatch is designed to check the WWVB signal in the middle of the night, because night-time conditions in the ionosphere permit such signals to propagate much further than during the day.
There are similar government time standard radio stations in China, Japan, Great Britain, and Germany. The watch in the photograph picks up the Chinese and German signals as well as the US signal.
Which brings us to the fun thing about radio controlled watches. A radio controlled watch automatically corrects for daylight saving time changes. At 2:00 AM this morning, this watch automatically “sprang forward”. There was no need to manually adjust this wristwatch for daylight saving time.
Paying attention to Daylight Saving Time and RO/IB for the next two weeks
Most PCT filers know that there are always a minimum of two Receiving Offices (and sometimes more than two) available to any PCT applicant that is entitled to use the Patent Cooperation Treaty. For example for a US-based PCT applicant, the ROs available are (at a minimum) at least RO/US and RO/IB. And most PCT filers also know that there can sometimes be very good reasons to use RO/IB rather than RO/US. Indeed there are some fact situations where it is tantamount to malpractice to fail to use RO/IB rather than RO/US.
Given all of this, it is very important to keep in mind that for the next two weeks, the drop-dead time of day for filing in the RO/IB will be different than it is for most of the year.
Normally the drop-dead time of day for filing in the RO/IB is 4:00 PM (for filers in the Mountain Time Zone). That is, the time in Switzerland is eight hours different from the time in Denver.
But for the next two weeks, the drop-dead time of day for filing in the RO/IB will be 5:00 PM (for filers in the Mountain Time Zone). Said differently, for the next two weeks you could file in the RO/IB an hour later than usual and still receive a same-day filing date.
Status of PPH backlog in Office of Patent Petitions
I’ve blogged here and here and here about the sorry state of the backlog of PPH pet
itions in the Office of Patent Petitions (OPP). OPP is just now getting around to deciding PPH petitions filed last August. Here are actual figures for forty-nine PPH petitions filed last August.
Continue reading “Status of PPH backlog in Office of Patent Petitions”
How long a trademark Request to Divide takes?
If you are an active trademark practitioner before the USPTO, the E-Trademarks listserv is a good place to hang out. Here is a question that a listserv member posted to the discussion group:
Does anybody have an idea of how long it takes to process a request to divide? That last one I filed took about 2 days, but that was some time ago. I am currently waiting on one I filed over three weeks ago. Does anybody know the standard timeline these days?
How long do you suppose it takes for the Trademark Office to act upon a Request to Divide?
Continue reading “How long a trademark Request to Divide takes?”
Trump files three more trademark applications for “Make America Great Again”
Last summer I blogged here and here about Donald Trump’s first US trademark application for “Make America Great Again”. That one registered in July of 2015 (US trademark registration number 4773272).
Now Mr. Trump has filed three more trademark applications for the same mark:
- US application number 86716074 – opposition period closes March 17, 2016
- US application number 86724213 – opposition period closes March 17, 2016
- US application number 86724115 – opposition period closes March 24, 2016
USPTO’s Design Day 2016 will sell out
As I mentioned here yesterday, registration opened yesterday for USPTO’s Design Day 2016 which will take place on Tuesday, April 19, 2016.
The event opened with 350 seats available. As of right now, 150 seats are taken. There are only 200 seats left. It’s likely the event will sell out well before April 19.
One of the industry speakers at this event will be Brian Kelleghan, president of Bison Designs in Longmont, Colorado. Bison Designs is a leading designer and manufacturer of accessories including carabiners and bottle openers. Brian’s company was obtaining and making use of design patents long before recent events made it fashionable to get design patents. Attendees at this event will get to see striking, even astonishing examples of patented designs and will get to hear from Brian about ways that design patents have benefited his company.
Design day offers a unique opportunity for practitioners and members of industry alike to learn from USPTO people, from experienced practitioners, and from people like Brian. Don’t miss it!
To register, click on the link above.
Register now for Design Day 2016 at the USPTO
Registration is now open for Design Day 2016 at the USPTO. This will be Tuesday, April 19, 2016 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It will be at the USPTO in Alexandria, Virginia. The agenda includes:
- Developments at the USPTO including training of new design patent examiners, and the new ID5 initiative
- Updates on U.S. implementation of the Hague system from WIPO’s perspective
- Best practice tips and pitfalls of design patent prosecution from a panel of experienced practitioners and USPTO examiners
- Learn from industry leaders about how to take a design from concept to patenting to enforcement
- Updates and changes to the MPEP and the effect on design practice
- Important design patent decisions over the past year, as summarized in the popular case law wrap-up
To register, click here.
A classy inexpensive fountain pen
I like fountain pens. I’ve always liked fountain pens. Many fountain pens are expensive. And many fountain 
pens are heavy and bulky because they are thick. I’ve just stumbled upon this elegant and inexpensive pen made mostly of aluminum. It writes well and costs just $18. Continue reading “A classy inexpensive fountain pen”