Efs-Web Announcements Archive 2018

Advisory (19DEC2018)EFS-Web and Private PAIR authentication change: PKI termination date  

EFS-Web and Private PAIR users will no longer be able to authenticate using PKI certificates as of February 15, 2019. There is now a new, simpler, and safer login method. The USPTO is moving from using PKI certificates for two-factor authentication because the software will no longer be supported.

Creating an account

If you or your support staff do not already have USPTO.gov accounts, you and each of your staff will need to create one and opt in for two-step authentication. 

Migrating an existing account

If you are a registered practitioner or independent inventor with an existing PKI digital certificate, use the Migration Tool with these step-by-step instructions to link your new USPTO.gov account to your current PKI digital certificates. The Migration Tool will no longer be available as of March 1, 2019.

Sponsoring support staff

Registered practitioners can use the Sponsorship Tool to sponsor their support staff to work on their behalf. Please follow these step-by-step instructions. Once support staff are successfully sponsored, they will be able to sign in using their own USPTO.gov accounts and select the registered practitioner on whose behalf that they are working.

Using your new account

Use these new URLs for EFS-Web and Private PAIR when signing in with your USPTO.gov account. You will need to update any bookmarks you may have:

More Information

Please review the Patent Electronic System Access Document for additional information on authentication, sponsorship, and verification for accessing patent electronic systems.

We invite you to register for multiple information sessions related to this authentication change, because new information will be added as it becomes available. 

For more information, visit Authentication Change for EFS-Web and PAIR.

If you need assistance creating your USPTO.gov account, please call the USPTO Contact Center (UCC) at 800-786-9199. For assistance with migration, sponsorship, or signing into EFS-Web and PAIR, please contact the Patent Electronic Business Center at ebc@uspto.gov or 866-217-9197.

 

 Advisory (01NOV2018): EFS-Web and Private PAIR authentication change: Sponsorship tool now available

All EFS-Web and Private PAIR users now have a new, safer, and simpler login. The USPTO is moving from using PKI certificates for two-factor authentication because the software will no longer be supported.

The Sponsorship Tool is now available for existing registered practitioners to sponsor their support staff to work on their behalf. Please follow the step-by-step instructions to sponsor support staff. Once support staff are successfully sponsored, they will be able to sign in using their own USPTO.gov account and select the registered practitioner that they are working on behalf of. Please review the Patent Electronic System Access Document for additional information on authentication, sponsorship, and verification for accessing patent electronic systems.

Creating an account

If you or your support staff do not already have USPTO.gov accounts, each of your will need to create one and opt-in for two-step authentication. 

Migrating an existing account

If you are a registered practitioner or independent inventor with an existing PKI digital certificate, use our migration tool with these step-by-step instructions to link your new USPTO.gov account to your current PKI digital certificate.

Using your new account

There are new URLs for EFS-Web and Private PAIR when signing in using your USPTO.gov account. You will need to update any bookmarks you may have:

More Information

Please review the Patent Electronic System Access Document for additional information on authentication, sponsorship, and verification for accessing patent electronic systems.

We invite you to register for multiple information sessions related to this authentication change, because new information will be added as it becomes available. 

For more information, visit Authentication Change for EFS-Web and PAIR.

If you need assistance creating your USPTO.gov account, please call the USPTO Contact Center (UCC) at 800-786-9199. For assistance with migration, please contact the Patent Electronic Business Center at ebc@uspto.gov or 866-217-9197.

Advisory (02OCT2018): Authentication Changes

EFS-Web and Private PAIR users may now log-in through the new, simpler, and safer USPTO.gov account. The Migration Tool is now available for Registered Practitioners and Independent Inventors to link their existing PKI certificate with their USPTO.gov account following a step-by-step process. Support staff using the PKI certificate of a Registered Practitioner should not migrate; please continue to sign-in with PKI certificates until the Sponsorship Tool becomes available in November.

Important: USPTO.gov accounts must be opted in to two-step authentication before migrating.

Advisory (30AUG2018): Alternative Electronic Filing Method

Applicants who filed a patent application between August 15 and August 23, 2018, other than by EFS-Web or EFS-Web Contingency, may now request a refund of the non-electronic filing fee. Please see Federal Register NoticeFiling Patent Applications Electronically During Designated Significant Outages of the United States Patent and Trademark Office Electronic Business Systems.

A USPTO form, PTO/SB/448, should be used and is available at https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sb0448.pdf. When attaching the form, please use EFS-Web document description "Refund Request for Papers Filed During a Designated Outage”.

>>Information for completing alternative electronic filing and requesting a refund


If you need assistance with electronic filing, please contact the Patent Electronic Business Center at ebc@uspto.gov or 866-217-9197. For legal or policy questions about the procedure, please contact the Office of Patent Legal Administration at 571-272-7701.

 

Advisory (27AUG2018)Authentication Changes

EFS-Web and Private PAIR users will have a new, safer, and simpler log-in through a USPTO.gov account beginning in October 2018. The new method saves time by granting access to multiple USPTO systems with one consolidated sign-in, and eliminates shared credentials by providing practitioner and support staff with their own.

Getting a USPTO.gov account is quick and easy.

If you don’t have a USPTO.gov account, all you have to do is follow these simple steps:

  1. Visit https://account.uspto.gov/profile/create-account?domain=efsweb
  2. Select “Create an account.”
  3. Enter the email address you will use to sign in, as well as other necessary account information, and follow the prompt.
  4. Opt-in to two-step authentication
  5. Once the tools are available, set up migration and sponsorship

If you use Financial Manager, you already have a USPTO.gov account.

  • Just opt-in to two-step authentication.
  • Once the tools are available, set up migration and sponsorship.

For additional information, please visit https://www.uspto.gov/AuthenticationChange

If you need any assistance creating your USPTO.gov account, please call the USPTO Contact Center (UCC) at 800-786-9199. For assistance with migration and sponsorship when the tools are available, please contact the Patent Electronic Business Center at ebc@uspto.gov or 866-217-9197

 

Advisory (21AUG2018): USPTO System Maintenance

Due to system maintenance starting on Tuesday, August 21 at 10:00 PM ET, EFS-Web for Registered eFilers and Private PAIR will be unavailable. We anticipate that they will be back online tomorrow morning.

During the maintenance period, applicants may file new applications, except for National Stage applications under 35 U.S.C. 371, via EFS-Web for Unregistered eFilers or EFS-Web Contingency.

If you need to file a National Stage application under 35 U.S.C. 371 or a follow-on submission to an existing application during the maintenance period, please use an alternative filing method.

Additional information and updates will be posted on the USPTO Systems Status and Availability at http://www.uspto.gov/blog/ebiz/

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

Advisory (6FEB2018)General Advisory on Issue Fee Amounts

The issue fee amount is based on the Notice of Allowance date, except for international (Hague) design applications as discussed separately below.  A Notice of Allowance dated prior to January 16, 2018 specifies an issue fee amount based on the previous fee schedule and only that amount is due.  Issue fee amounts based on the current USPTO Fee Schedule apply to applications having a Notice of Allowance dated on or after January 16, 2018.

Notices of Allowance mailed between January 16, 2018 and January 18, 2018 may display an incorrect fee amount (the pre-January 16, 2018 amount).  Corrected Notices of Allowance will be mailed in those applications for which the issue fee has not already been paid.  Applicants will need to respond to the Corrected Notice of Allowance as specified therein.  Applicants may pay the correct issue fee at any time during the period set forth in the Notice of Allowance or in the Corrected Notice of Allowance. 

For international design applications, the issue fee amount is based on the international registration date.  The issue fee amount due for an international design application having an international registration date before January 16, 2018 will be the amount specified in the previous fee schedule (where the issue fee is paid directly to the USPTO).  The issue fee amount due for an international design application having an international registration date on or after January 16, 2018 will be the amount specified in the current USPTO Fee Schedule (where the issue fee is paid directly to the USPTO).  Notices of Allowance that were created between January 17, 2018 and February 2, 2018 may display an incorrect fee amount (the higher amount associated with an international registration date of January 16, 2018 or later).  Corrected Notices of Allowance will be mailed in those applications.  Applicants will need to respond to the Corrected Notice of Allowance as specified therein.

For questions regarding Issue Fee amount calculation, please contact the Application Assistance Unit at 888-786-0101 or HelpAAU@uspto.gov .

For assistance with PAIR or EFS-Web, please contact the Patent EBC at 1-866-217-9197 or ebc@uspto.gov

Advisory(1FEB18): PDF ePetition Retirement

Effective Feb. 1, 2018,  PDF-based ePetitions are no longer available. Please use the Web-based ePetition version for these petitions:

  • Petition to Make Special based on Age (37 CFR 1.102) and
  • Petition to Accept Unintentional Delayed Payment of the Maintenance Fee (37 CFR 1.378(b)).

 

Advisory(12Jan18): Changes to ePetitions:

Effective Feb. 1,  the USPTO is retiring the PDF-based ePetitions for the Petition to Make Special based on Age (37 CFR 1.102) and the "Petition to Accept Unintentional Delayed Payment of the Maintenance Fee (37 CFR 1.378(b)). The web-based version of these ePetitions, which provide enhanced functionality, will continue to be available for both types of petitions. For more information on ePetitions, see the ePetitions Resource page.