USPTO Launches Public Image File Wrapper System

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has launched its public Image File Wrapper system as part of its new and improved Patent Application Information Retrieval website. The public IFW system allows you to view and download images of file histories for U.S. patents and published applications by just entering a serial number, patent number, or publication number, and then clicking on the "image file wrapper" tab. According to Carl Oppedahl's posting to the PAIR Listserv, it includes all cases filed on or after June 28, 2003, as well as some cases that were pending on that day and that were later scanned into electronic files.

For a sample file history, enter 2003-0223231 for the pblication numer here.