USPTO Systems Status and Availability

Wednesday Oct 03, 2012

Current Status

Multiple AIS Outages

USPTO is experiencing intermittent network issues that may affect all systems. We are working to resolve this matter as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.


EFS-Web, Public PAIR, and Private PAIR users

EFS-Web, EFS-Web Contingency, Public PAIR and Private PAIR are experiencing intermittent problems. We are aware of the problem and will continue to work on the issue until it is resolved.

Applicants may file new applications, national stage submissions under 35 U.S.C. 371 submitted with the basic national fee necessary to enter the national stage, and reexamination requests, by hand-delivery to the USPTO, or ‘‘Express Mail’’ from the United States Postal Service (USPS) in accordance with 37 CFR 1.10, to establish the filing date or national stage entry date. See Revised Legal Framework for EFS-Web http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/New_legal_framework.jsp . New applications, national stage submissions under 35 U.S.C. 371 submitted with the basic national fee necessary to enter the national stage, and reexamination requests cannot be submitted by facsimile transmission, and certificate of mailing procedures under 37 CFR 1.8 do not apply to these items.

Applicants may file follow-on documents or follow-on fee payments by:

  1. Facsimile transmission,
  2. First class mail with a certificate of mailing in accordance with 37 CFR 1.8,
  3. hand- delivery to the USPTO, or
  4. ‘‘Express Mail’’ from USPS in accordance with 37 CFR 1.10. Documents that are required to establish the filing date of an application (e.g., a missing drawing figure or page of the specification) cannot be submitted by facsimile transmission, and certificate of mailing procedures under 37 CFR 1.8 do not apply to these documents.

If you have any questions, contact the Patent EBC by phone at 866-217-9197 or by email at ebc@uspto.gov.