In continuing its efforts to improve patent examination quality and efficiency, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is exploring how to provide examiners with early access to information (e.g., prior art, search reports, etc.) from applicant’s other application(s) (e.g., domestic parent and foreign counterpart applications) having the same or substantially the same disclosure. Accordingly, the USPTO is hosting focus sessions to obtain public input on how the Office can better leverage applicant’s other applicants to provide examiners with relevant information as soon as possible. In addition to improving patent examination quality and efficiency, early access to this information by the examiner may reduce applicant’s burden to provide this information to the Office. The focus sessions will not explore whether or not applicants should be relieved of their duty of disclosure for information material to patentability not otherwise of record in the U.S. application. Please read more about the focus session here.
In addition, we will have a discussion on Global Dossier. The USPTO created the Office of International Patent Cooperation (OIPC) in March 2014 to Improve Global Patent Prosecution and Work Sharing. To achieve this, the organization is developing tools and initiatives that modernize existing systems. These benefit the user community by delivering cost savings, reduced prosecution time, increased quality, and the certainty of IP rights. One of these initiatives is Global Dossier. The Global Dossier Initiative is a set of business services being developed by the five IP (IP5) Offices (USPTO, EPO, JPO, KIPO, and SIPO) aimed at modernizing the global patent system and delivering benefits to all stakeholders through a single portal/user interface. Global Dossier makes it easier for patent applicants to quickly and easily view, monitor, and manage intellectual property (IP) protection around the world by providing access to the dossiers of related applications filed at the IP5 offices. Please read more about Global Dossier and the Office of International Patent Cooperation here. The session will provide an overview of Global Dossier, a demo of the tool, and discussion on upcoming features and enhancements.
Focus session participation is limited and requires advance registration. To register, please send an e-mail to PriorArtAccess@USPTO.gov with the date and location you would like to participate. You will receive a registration acknowledgment and additional information.
USPTO OIPC Contact: Ms. Jessica Patterson