Advisory (17DEC2009): Effective immediately, a PKI certificate holder is permitted to designate more than one employee to use the holder's PKI certificate under the direction and control of the holder in accordance with the revised PKI subscriber agreement and the rules and policies of the USPTO including the revised Legal Framework for EFS-Web posted on the USPTO Web site. Continued use of an existing PKI certificate to access EFS-Web and Private PAIR will constitute agreement to the revised PKI subscriber agreement by the current PKI certificate holder.
Please review updated information:
>> Revised Procedure for Public Key Infrastructure Certificates, Federal Register Notice 74 FR 66955 (December 17, 2009) [PDF]
>> Revised USPTO PKI Subscriber Agreement [PDF]
>> Legal Framework for Electronic Filing System - Web (EFS-Web)
Advisory (9DEC2009): Effective December 8, 2009, applicants may participate in the Green Technology Pilot Program by filing a petition to make special via EFS-Web. Please use form PTO/SB/420 [PDF, 159KB] and index it with the document description "Petition for Green Tech Pilot".
>>For program requirements, see Federal Register notice (74 FR 64666) [PDF, 55KB].
Advisory (9DEC2009): Following the 12/09/09 scheduled maintenance, users may receive the EntrustTrueApplet Security Warning shown below:
Choose "Run" to continue. You may also check "Always trust content from this publisher" to add the applet to your browser so that you will not be prompted with the Security dialog box in the future.
Advisory (1DEC2009): A new document description has been added to EFS-Web to support the Patent Application Backlog Reduction Stimulus Plan announced on Nov. 27. Please use the document description "Petition to make special by Exp Abandon Copend App" (petition to make special by express abandonment of a copending application) when filing a petition under this program.
>>see Federal Register notice (74 FR 62285) [PDF, 151KB]
Advisory (27OCT2009): A revision to the EFS-Web Legal Framework has been published as a Federal Register notice which provides additional benefits and clarifications to EFS-Web users (e.g., a PKI certificate holder may designate a single employee of a contractor to use the holder's certificate under the holder's direction and control). The Supplemental Information section of the notice summarizes the changes. Furthermore, the PKI Subscriber Agreement has also been revised accordingly, and the Frequently Asked Questions regarding EFS-Web will be updated in due course
Advisory (19OCT2009): 7.1.4, 8.1.7 and 9.2 can now be used to complete EFS-Web eForms (IDS, ADS, etc.). The following Acrobat and Reader versions are also compatible: 7.0.8, 7.0.9, 7.1.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 7.1.3, 8.1.1, 8.1.2, 8.1.3, 8.1.4, 8.1.5, 8.1.6, 9.0, 9.1, 9.1.1 and 9.1.2. Adobe software updates can be downloaded from the Adobe Web site at http://get.adobe.com/reader/otherversions.
Advisory (9OCT2009): USPTO has launched a redesigned USPTO.gov website. Please contact the EBC at 866-217-9197 if you need assistance with navigation or to report any problems with EFS-Web and PAIR related pages.
>>For EFS-Web navigation tips, see the Quick Start Guide on how to access EFS-Web [PDF, 188KB].
Advisory (24SEPT2009): Please do not enter any preceding spaces or tabs when entering an application number (or control number for a reexamination proceeding) on the initial EFS-Web screen. If a user does enter a preceding space or tab when filing a follow-on submission to an existing design application, provisional application, or reexamination proceeding, EFS-Web will present screens that contain only document descriptions and fee codes for utility applications (rather than those for the appropriate type of application or proceeding). This issue will be resolved in the next EFS-Web release.
Advisory (24SEPT2009):To ensure efficient processing, the document description "First Action Interview - Schedule Interview Request" should only be used as part of the First Action Interview (FAI) Pilot Program. To learn more about the FAI program, click here. To request an interview for applications which are not in the FAI program, use the document description "Letter Requesting Interview with Examiner".
Advisory (24AUG2009): When an eIDS (electronic Information Disclosure Statement) fillable form (PTO/SB/08a -- http://www.uspto.gov/ebc/portal/efs/US_IDS_Form__SB_08a.pdf) is filed via EFS-Web, citation information for the U.S. patents and U.S. patent application publications is automatically loaded to USPTO systems. Note that EFS-Web automatic processing is currently limited to one eIDS form per EFS-Web submission. To improve processing and ensure that examiners receive all references, all citations should be contained within one eIDS form when possible. An individual eIDS form may contain a listing of (1) a combined total of 50 U.S. patents and U.S. patent application publications, (2) 50 foreign patent documents, and (3) 50 NPLs. If more than one eIDS form is necessary, each additional eIDS should be filed as a separate follow-on submission in EFS-Web to enable automatic processing of the form. In a future release of EFS-Web, auto processing of multiple eIDS forms filed in a single submission will be provided.
Advisory (28JUL2009): Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 9.1.2, 8.1.6, and 7.1.3 can now be used to complete EFS-Web eForms (IDS, ADS, etc.). Currently supported versions remain compatible: Acrobat and Reader 7.0.8, 7.0.9, 7.1.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.1.1, 8.1.2, 8.1.3, 8.1.4, 8.1.5, 9.0, 9.1 and 9.1.1. Adobe software updates can be downloaded from the Adobe Web site.
Advisory (20JUL2009):Due to the recent Private PAIR and EFS-Web Portal environment upgrade, previous bookmarks linking directly to the Authentication page need to be recreated. We recommend that users go to the Portal Home page at http://portal.uspto.gov/external/portal/home; Right-click on the link to the appropriate application (i.e. Private PAIR or EFS-Web); Select 'Add to favorites' to create new bookmarks directly to the Private PAIR and EFS-Web Authentication page.
Advisory (30MAR2009): Starting April 1, 2009, please use "Transmittal Letter" as the document description for the letter that accompanies the IDS form. The "Information Disclosure Statement Letter" document description will not be available after April 6, 2009, in order to simplify and improve internal document processing.
Advisory (16JAN2009): Effective Jan 21, 2009 at 9:00 AM, the USPTO is making a change to its firewall protocol settings to comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. EFS-Web filers will need to check their web browser settings for SSLv3 and TLSv1. All EFS-Web compatible browsers (e.g. Microsoft IE 6.0, Firefox, Safari) support both SSLv3 and TLSv1. To check your browser settings in Microsoft IE 6.0 go to Browser menu bar and select Tools>Internet Options. Select the Advanced Tab on the far right. Find the Security section (near the bottom) and make sure the boxes labeled Use SSL 3.0 and TLS 1.0 are checked. The box labeled Use SSL 2.0 should be unchecked. See Steps to enable the SSL3 and TLS1 settings.