Technology Center 2600 Customer Partnership Meeting

Register to attend the Technology Center (TC) 2600 Customer Partnership Meeting on March 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. The event is free, open to the public, and will be webcast.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Receive examiner updated training on 35 USC 101, 102 and 103
• Learn about TC improvements on quality and pendency
• Share your ideas and experiences with attendees and TC 2600 management
• With your feedback, help the Technology Center continue to improve our work product

For inquiries, more information, and accessibility requests, please contact:

• TC2600CustomerPartnership@USPTO.GOV
• Ernestine McCombs at 571-272-3265
• Katara Singletary at 571-272-5637

Patents Customer Partnership Meetings (CPMs) like this one provide an opportunity for our customers to meet directly with technology center representatives in a collaborative forum to share ideas, experiences, and insights and discuss examination policies and procedures, mutual concerns, and solutions to common problems. Visit the CPM web page on the USPTO website to learn more.

U.S. lawyers: Beware of foreign solicitations asking to use your information

USPTO have learned that U.S. attorneys are receiving emails from people in China and perhaps elsewhere, offering to pay to use their information in trademark filings. These solicitations appear to be an attempt to circumvent the proposed U.S.-counsel rulemaking.

Agreeing to such arrangements would likely be aiding unauthorized practice of law and violating federal rules, including the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct, 37 C.F.R. Part 11. Attorneys who violate these rules may receive discipline, including exclusion or suspension from practice before the USPTO, reprimand, censure, or probation. Attorneys disciplined by the USPTO may also be reciprocally disciplined by their state bar.    

We'd like to know about these solicitations. If you receive a solicitation asking to use your information, please forward it to TMFeedback@uspto.gov.

Inventor Info Chat

Join the next USPTO Inventor Info Chat webinar, "Trademark: Live demonstration of how to file a trademark application," on February 21 from 11 a.m. to noon ET. Through this live demonstration, you will learn how to effectively file your trademark application using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS). You will also have an opportunity to ask questions by emailing inventorinfochat@uspto.gov.

To register, visit the Inventor Info webinar event page on the USPTO website.

Proposal to require foreign-domiciled trademark applicants and registrants to use a U.S.-licensed attorney

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a proposal to change federal trademark law  require foreign-domiciled trademark applicants, registrants, and parties to Trademark Trial and Appeal Board proceedings to use an attorney who is licensed to practice law in the United States.

The requirement applies to trademark applicants, registrants, and parties whose permanent legal residence or principal place of business is outside the United States. The proposed changes would require these applicants, registrants, and parties to hire an attorney licensed to practice law in the United States to represent them at the USPTO.

In addition to the above proposed change, U.S.-licensed attorneys representing anyone before the USPTO in trademark matters would be required to confirm they are an active member in good standing of their bar and provide their bar membership information.

To learn more about the proposal to change federal trademark law or to submit comments about it, visit our page on the USPTO website. We will accept comments from the public until March 18, 2019.

Invention Promoters/Promotion Firms Complaints

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 12, 2019)]

[Notices]

[Pages 3417-3418]

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[FR Doc No: 2019-01948]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

Invention Promoters/Promotion Firms Complaints

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on a 
proposed extension of an existing information collection: 0651-0044 
(Invention Promoters/Promotion Firms Complaints).
 
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 15, 2019.
 
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Email: InformationCollection@uspto.gov. Include ``0651-0044 
comment'' in the subject line of the message.
    Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    Mail: NaThanya Ferguson, Supervisory Innovation and Development 
Program Specialist, Inventor Education and Outreach, United States 
Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to NaThanya Ferguson, Supervisory Innovation and 
Development Program Specialist, Inventor Education and Outreach, United 
States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 
22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-5517; or by email at 
Nathanya.Ferguson@uspto.gov with ``0651-0044 comment'' in the subject 
line. Additional information about this collection is also available at 
http://www.reginfo.gov under ``Information Collection Review.'

For detailed information please go to: 
SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on a 
proposed extension of an existing information collection: 0651-0044 
(Invention Promoters/Promotion Firms Complaints).
 
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 15, 2019.
 
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Email: InformationCollection@uspto.gov. Include ``0651-0044 
comment'' in the subject line of the message.
    Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    Mail: NaThanya Ferguson, Supervisory Innovation and Development 
Program Specialist, Inventor Education and Outreach, United States 
Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to NaThanya Ferguson, Supervisory Innovation and 
Development Program Specialist, Inventor Education and Outreach, United 
States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 
22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-5517; or by email at 
Nathanya.Ferguson@uspto.gov with ``0651-0044 comment'' in the subject 
line. Additional information about this collection is also available at 
http://www.reginfo.gov under ``Information Collection Review.'

For detailed information please go to: here

PKI authentication update

Due to recent technical issues, the PKI authentication and migration deadlines associated with the authentication change for EFS-Web and Private PAIR are no longer applicable until further notice. Currently, authentication using both USPTO.gov accounts and PKI certificates continues to be operational. We encourage you to use your USPTO.gov accounts to authenticate in preparation for the upcoming changes.

At this time, most users have successfully migrated and are using their USPTO.gov accounts to access EFS-Web and Private PAIR. If you have not done so, please create your USPTO.gov account, ensure it is opted in to two-step authentication, and use the Migration Tool to link your existing PKI certificate to your USPTO.gov account. Registered practitioners should use the Sponsorship Tool to sponsor their support staff to work on their behalf.

More information regarding updated deadlines is forthcoming.

PKI sign-in discontinued as of Feb. 15

As of February 15, EFS-Web and Private PAIR users will no longer be able to authenticate using PKI certificates. There is now a simpler and safer login method. Go to your USPTO.gov account (or create one) and opt in to two-step authentication. Next, use the Migration Tool (which will no longer be available as of March 1) to link your existing PKI certificate to your USPTO.gov account. Registered practitioners should use the Sponsorship Tool to sponsor their support staff to work on their behalf.

New users, or users who did not migrate prior to March 1, must obtain a verified USPTO.gov account to access EFS-Web and PAIR using the new verification process, which requires a notarized Patent Electronic System Verification Form. Prior to March 1, you can recover your PKI using your self-recovery codes.

For more information, visit Authentication Change for EFS-Web and PAIR or register for an information session.

Additional information

• Contact Center (UCC): Contact center for assistance creating your USPTO.gov account
• Patent Electronic Business Center: Contact center assistance with migration, sponsorship, verifying your USPTO.gov account, or signing into EFS-Web and PAIR
• EFS-Web Sign-In Link: EFS-Web when signing in with your USPTO.gov account
• Private PAIR Sign-In Link: Private PAIR when signing in with your USPTO.gov account
• Patent Electronic System Access Document: Additional information on authentication, sponsorship, and verification for accessing patent electronic systems
• Migration Guide: Instructions on how to migrate your PKI certificate
• Sponsorship Guide: Instructions on how to migrate your PKI certificate
• Patent Electronic System Verification Form: Form for new users to verify their USPTO.gov accounts to access EFS-Web and Private PAIR