Thursday, September 18, 2008

Peer-to-Patent Program

The USPTO has launched a new program that may reduce patent litigation. The Peer-to-Patent program uses a limited number of volunteer applicants who have applications in the computer arts field. The applications will be posted on a Peer-to-Patent website to be analyzed by members of the public. This will help determine whether an invention already exists or is obvious. For a discussion of this new program, see the USPTO's statement and a CNN article.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Changes in Selected Patent Forms

[Federal Register: September 8, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 174)] [Notices] [Page 52028]

The complete comment request is available at: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2008_register&docid=fr21au08-33

. . . The USPTO is revising the Power of Attorney and Correspondence Address Indication Form (PTO/SB/81) to include revocations of power of attorney and to eliminate the need for the separate form Revocation of Power of Attorney With New Power of Attorney and Change of Correspondence Address (PTO/SB/82). Consequently, Form PTO/SB/81 will be renamed ``Power of Attorney or Revocation of Power of Attorney With a New Power of Attorney and Change of Correspondence Address'' and Form PTO/SB/82 will be deleted from this collection.

The USPTO is revising another form in this collection, Request for Withdrawal as Attorney or Agent and Change of Correspondence Address (PTO/SB/83), to allow the practitioner requesting withdrawal to certify that proper notice has been given to the client and that all papers and property to which the client is entitled have been delivered. The USPTO is deleting two additional items from this collection. The electronic power of attorney forms that were previously included in this collection are being deleted due to the retirement of the USPTO's previous electronic filing system (EFS) software in favor of a new Web-based online submission system (EFS-Web). The Customer Number Upload Spreadsheet for PCT Applications is being deleted from this collection because it is no longer in use. Applicants seeking to associate an established PCT application with an existing Customer Number may submit a Request to Update a PCT Application With a Customer Number (PTO-2248).

Affected Public: Individuals or households, businesses or other for-profits, and not-for-profit institutions.
Frequency: On occasion.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, (202) 395-3897.

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained by any of the following methods:
  • E-mail: Susan.Fawcett@uspto.gov. Include ``0651-0035 copy request'' in the subject line of the message.
  • Fax: 571-273-0112, marked to the attention of Susan Fawcett.
  • Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Customer Information Services Group, Public Information Services Division, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent on or before October 8, 2008 to David Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room 10202, New Executive Office Building, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.