U.S. Patent E-Filing Update

According to CNet's News.com on August 12, 2005, "The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office plans to overhaul its oft-maligned electronic patent filing process, starting with beta testing of a new, Web-based system in December and going live in March. . . . About 80 beta testers pulled from the public forums will begin trying out the system from Dec. 1 until March 16, 2006. The Web system is scheduled to be accessible to the public on March 17, 2006."

Acting Commissioner for Patents John Doll reportedly described the existing e-filing system at the August 12, 2005 Independent Inventor Conference on the USPTO's new campus as "cumbersome," "very difficult" and "dreadful." In fact, the U.S. Postal Service may be the only organization that likes the current system. Since paper copies of U.S. patent applications must be filed via Express Mail, the Patent Office is the "largest recipient of overnight mail in the world," said Margaret Focarino, Deputy Commissioner for Patent Operations.