EFS-Web Announcements Archive 2016

EFS-Web and EFS-Web Contingency Maintenance (31OCT2016)

EFS-Web and EFS-Web Contingency will undergo maintenance and will be unavailable beginning at 12:01 a.m., Saturday, November 5 and ending at 6 a.m., Sunday, November 6 ET.

If you need to file a new application, follow-on submission, or fees during the maintenance period, please use an alternative filing method.

NOTE: Saved submission packages created prior to this maintenance period may not work properly afterward. To avoid potential loss of saved data, please submit saved submissions before 12:01 a.m., Saturday, November 5. If you have any questions, please contact the Patent EBC at (866) 217-9197 or EBC@uspto.gov 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight ET, Monday through Friday.

USPTO Systems Maintenance (18OCT2016)

Due to system maintenance in support of the new interim authentication method, EFS-Web, Private PAIR, and Digital Certificate Management tools will be unavailable Monday, October 24 starting at 12:01 a.m. ET, and ending by 6:00 AM ET.

When systems are available, notification will be posted on the USPTO Systems Status and Availability at http://www.uspto.gov/blog/ebiz/

EFS-Web Applicants

During the maintenance period, applicants may file new applications using EFS-Web for Unregistered eFilers or use an alternative filing method.

If you have questions, please contact the Patent EBC at 1-866-217-9197 or ebc@uspto.gov.

EFS-Web Payment System Update (17OCT2016)

All payments via EFS-Web will be processed using the "New USPTO Payment System". The legacy Payment System and old credentials (e.g., deposit account number and access code) have been removed. Deposit account customers must have Fee Payer permission to see their name on the list of authorized users. Learn more on the Fee Payment Quick Start Guide

Additional information is available in the EFS-Web Quick Start Guide to Fee Payments.

More information about Financial Manager can be found by visiting www.uspto.gov/financialmanager. For additional assistance, please send an email to feeshelp@uspto.gov or call 1-800-786-9199 and select option 3, then option 4.

EFS-Web: Interim Authentication Solution Update and Java Reminder (11OCT2016)

As a reminder, EFS-Web and Private PAIR users should have the latest Java 8 version, which is needed for the current authentication Java Applet.

On October 24^th, a new interim authentication method using Java Web Start will be available to provide access to EFS-Web and Private PAIR. You must have Java 8 to use the new Java Web Start authentication method. The interim authentication solution provides a new, plug-in-free option for users to authenticate, and will expand browser options until a new permanent solution is in place. While you can continue to authenticate using the existing method (Java Applet), you will be given an option to utilize the new method.

This interim solution uses Java Web Start technology, allowing users to authenticate into EFS-Web and Private PAIR utilizing their current digital certificate. The new option will provide users more flexibility in browser choice as it reduces the dependency on the Java Applet plug-in. Digital Certificate Management (DCM) tools will also be supported on Java Web Start in a subsequent release.

A new permanent authentication method is currently under development. For additional information regarding these authentication methods, please visit EFS-Web/PAIR System Requirements.

If you have questions, please contact the Patent EBC at (866) 217-9197 or send an email to EBC@uspto.gov. To provide feedback, please email us at eMod@uspto.gov, or you can visit our eCommerce Modernization web page.

Upcoming Changes to EFS-Web Payments for Deposit Accounts and EFTs (13SEPT2016)

On Oct. 17, EFS-Web customers who use a deposit account or EFT for paying fees must be using Financial Manager to store the payment method and to manage user access to the payment method. Deposit accounts and EFTs that are not stored in Financial Manager as of Oct. 17 will no longer be viable payment options for customers. In addition, customers must have established a uspto.gov account and be set-up with the Fee Payer permission in order to use the payment method.

Starting Oct. 17, the USPTO will process all EFS-Web payments via the new USPTO payment page only. All deposit accounts and EFTs must be stored in Financial Manager and customers must have Fee Payer permission in order to make a payment.

Customers will see a phased approach to this change beginning on Sept. 19, when deposit account customers who are not assigned the Fee Payer permission on the deposit account being used for payment will no longer see their name on the list of authorized users. Customers impacted by this change should contact their deposit account Administrator to be added as a Fee Payer before Oct. 17, when the ability to pay with old credentials (i.e. deposit account number and access code) will be completely removed as an option in EFS-Web.

EFT users must also store their EFT in Financial Manager and/or be assigned the Fee Payer permission on that EFT before Oct. 17, to avoid losing access to use the EFT as a payment method.

Get Familiar with the New Payment Page

Today, you can select the option to pay with "New USPTO Payment System." Additional information is available in the Introduction to the New USPTO Payment Page.

Financial Manager Payment Option Changes (11AUG2016)

Effective Monday, Aug 15, when paying in the new Financial Manager payment page, you will no longer be able to use a USPTO Deposit Account or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) account that is not stored in Financial Manager, i.e., you will not be able to type in your DA/EFT account number.

The existing EFS-Web payment process will continue to be available in the short-term to allow customers to transition to the new payment system, but will eventually be phased out. If you'd like to speak with a help desk representative regarding Financial Manager, you can send an email to FeesHelp@USPTO.gov or call the USPTO Contact Center at 1-800-786-9199 (select option 3, then option 4). – More Info

Migrate Existing Deposit Account and EFT Accounts

The deadline to move your existing USPTO deposit accounts and electronic funds transfers (EFT) to Financial Manager is Aug 5, 2016. Make sure your payment methods remain in good standing. If you'd like to speak with a help desk representative regarding Financial Manager, you can send an email to FeesHelp@USPTO.gov or call the USPTO Contact Center at 1-800-786-9199 (select option 3, then option 4). – More Info

Now Available (2June2016):

Customers can pay fees from EFS-Web using the USPTO’s new stored payment system, Financial Manager. With an uspto.gov account, you can save your credit/debit card, EFT, and/or deposit account info as a stored payment method, avoiding the need to enter detailed information for each transaction. Please visit the Financial Manager page to learn more about getting started.

NOTE: The existing EFS-Web payment process will continue to be available in the short-term to allow customers to transition to the new payment system, but will eventually be phased out. Additional details about retiring the existing EFS-Web payment process will be posted when available.

For guidance on how to pay fees from EFS-Web using a stored payment method through USPTO’s Financial Manager, please see the Quick Start Guide.

Advisory (09FEB2016):

Oracle recently announced that the Java plugin will be deprecated in version 9 of Java. Java 9 will be released in March 2017 with the Java plugin functionality still available. Users will be able to authenticate in EFS-Web and Private PAIR until Oracle removes the Java plugin in a future release. The USPTO is committed to ensuring that EFS-Web and Private PAIR are accessible to users. The USPTO is actively pursuing an alternative authentication technology that will not use the Java plugin.

If you have any questions, please contact the Electronic Business Center at 1-866-217-9197 or at ebc@uspto.gov.