USPTO EBC: Notice on Acceptable Patent Filing Software

Notice to Our Electronic Filing Customers:

The USPTO is committed to developing and offering quality products to promote electronic filing of patent applications and related documents. Presently, the USPTO supports the acceptance of patent applications authored using PASAT, EFS-ABX (in Beta until August 2004) and from our Electronic Filing Partners (EFPs).

It has come to our attention that USPTO customers have prepared and filed applications using other authoring software such as PCT-EASY, PatXML, and PCT-SAFE. Submissions prepared using software designed for other intellectual property offices, such as those products, run the risk of incorrect validation, parsing and/or rendering of the XML information at the USPTO. Additionally, EBC Customer Service Representatives provide electronic filing assistance only with EFS PASAT and EFS-ABX.

Electronic filing of patent applications at the USPTO is conditioned on adherance to the promulgated instructions for EFS see Electronic Filing System Available to Public, 1240 Off Gaz Pat Off 45 Nov 14, 2000. Application and other submissions prepared using other software could lead to delays or increases in the cost of prosecution before the USPTO. Further, filings prepared with other software, as stated above, may prove unreadable, resulting in a loss of filing date or other legal rights.

If you have any questions regarding USPTO's Electronic Filing offerings, please contact the Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC) at http://www.uspto.gov/ebc/ or (866)217-9197.