Light Posting for Next Few Weeks

I have a trial coming up in 3 weeks…so expect lighter posting than usual during that timespan.

Related Posts:

• Post Deluge Coming…
• Advertising on blogs??
• New Kid on the Blawgk — Just a Patent Examiner

Reminder: PAIR Training Rescheduled

Via email from the USPTO:

Due to technical difficulties beyond our control with today’s streaming media event, the Private PAIR 7.0 webcast has been rescheduled for Wednesday, December 20th at 1 p.m. Eastern time. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

The following is important log-in information that will allow you to participate in the event. Please note that this information has changed from previous e-mails and you must use this new link to log-in to the event:

Date: Wednesday, December 20th
Time: 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific
Login URL:

http://webex.client.ninesystems.com/pair122006

Both the presentation and its accompanying audio will be streamed to you via the web.  You will not need to dial in to hear the audio as you have with previous training webinars.  You will need enabled speakers and a sound card and your volume control turned up.

This interactive event will provide you with an overview of Private PAIR and the new features added in the 7.0 release including:

• Customer Number Details Online Self-Administration
• Attorney Docket Number Online Self-Administration
• Pending Non-Published PCT Application Search
• Ordering of Certified Copies for Private Applications via Private PAIR
• XML Application Data Download
• Display References Tab will have two more sections of references

Also to be discussed in this event will be the announcement of the Electronic Priority Document Exchange.

They’ll release the presentation/audio/handouts after the presentation here (if you can’t make it today):  http://webex.client.ninesystems.com/pair122006

Related Posts:

• Pair 7.0 training coming
• Private PAIR improvements
• USPTO releases new Private Pair

Question for my readers: Patent Drawings & Patent Attorney Names

Someone asked me a question the other day I didn’t know the answer to…I’ll pose it to my readers:

Q.  Older patent drawings tend to include the inventor’s/patent attorney’s signature thereon.  Why and when did this practice stop?

Anyone have the answer to this piece of patent practice history?

Related Posts:

• Black History Month: Jack Johnson Patents
• A question for my readers: filling out 1449 (IDS) forms
• I Love Google! Google Patent Search goes live.

I Love Google! Google Patent Search goes live.

Big news!  Huge news!

Google has gone out and created a text index of ALL seven million plus US patents.  No longer is keyword searching limited to just 1974 onwards.  UNREAL!

It is called Google Patent Search.

Coverage:  “patents issued in the 1790s through those issued in the middle of 2006.”  But not (yet) “patent applications, international patents, or U.S. patents issued over the last few months…”

My initial thoughts: 

• The “advanced search page” provides a nice search interface for the database:  http://www.google.com/advanced_patent_search
• Doing a search also provides a list of forward (references cited) and backwards (cited by) patents.  Very useful!
• The images provided appear to be PNGs.  No PDF download option (yet?).  Of course, if you are looking for a free patent PDF, you could use one of the programs mentioned here.

[Thanks to those of you who send me emails pointing to this today]

Related Posts:

• The “Guide” to downloading has been updated
• Google Patents Now with Published Applications, and Green Tea Extract
• Googling for patents

Pair 7.0 training coming

Via an email:

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will host an online product launch and free training for the release of Private PAIR 7.0, the feature that allows patent filers to access materials and view the status of their applications, on December 19th at 1:00 p.m. (EST).

This 90 minute interactive event will provide you with an overview of Private PAIR and the new features added in the 7.0 release including:

• Customer Number Details Online Self-Administration
• Attorney Docket Number Online Self-Administration
• Pending Non-Published PCT Application Search
• Ordering of Certified Copies for Private Applications via Private PAIR
• XML Application Data Download
• Display References Tab will have two more sections of references

Register for this event at: http://websurveyor.net/l.dll/JGs5061E8E850lysD9U562111J.htm

Related Posts:

• Reminder: PAIR Training Rescheduled
• USPTO Announces New Private PAIR Feature: Outgoing Correspondence Notification
• Public PAIR/Recaptcha’s unintended consequences?

Acrobat 8…A Must Have Tool for IP Attorneys

I’ve mentioned before that I recently picked up a Fujitsu SnapScan scanner and love it.  I can’t imagine how I was able to get by as a patent attorney before I had the ability to scan documents to PDF on the fly (it comes with Acrobat Standard for free). 

Over time I’ve found myself using Acrobat more and more.  So much so that when Adobe released new version 8.0, I immediately installed it.  Version 8.0 is slick…very slick.  Almost like it was made for attorneys.  It gives you the ability to redact documents cleanly, integral Bates numbering, Document sharing (Adobe Document Center) and remote document control (this PDF will self destruct in 10 seconds), and (through Acrobat Connect) web conferencing.  A tech attorney’s dream. 

It seems silly, but I use Acrobat every day at work and can’t imagine having a computer without it…  I highly recommend you try it out:

• Acrobat 8.0 Professional Trial Download - http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatpro/tryout.html
• Adobe Document Center Free Trial - http://www.adobe.com/products/onlineservices/documentcenter/features.html
• Acrobat Connect Free Trial - http://www.adobe.com/go/freewebconferencing_2006
• Acrobat 8.0: What’s New for Legal Professionals OnDemand eSeminar (recording) - http://seminars.adobe.acrobat.com/p17441268/  
• Acrobat Online Legal Events - http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=list&loc=en_us&type=online_event&product=&interest=sol_legal  
• Adobe Solutions for Legal Professionals Website - www.adobe.com/go/legal
• Acrobat 8.0 Pro - New Features for Legal Professionals - http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/solutions/legal/productinfo/features/index.html  
• Acrobat 8.0 for Legal Professionals Whitepaper - http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/solutions/pdfs/Acrobat8_foLegalPros.pdf  
• Acrobat for Legal Professionals Blog - http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/  

Related Posts:

• Acrobat Tips/Tweaks
• Acrobat 8 for Lawyers
• Patent Lawyers, Engineers, CAD Files and Adobe Acrobat????

Patents are worthless

In a recent post, Guy Kawasaki made the statement that "the most valuable outcomes of a patent are often impressing your parents and filling up space in your MySpace profile."  Ouch.

Sadly, I partially agreed.  For instance, a colleague of mine recently snuck in the back door of a dog and pony roadshow a "big-law" IP firm was doing here in Boise.  During the presentation, a patent attorney for the firm told the audience "you must patent everything…must file a patent application on every invention you think of." 

Such a "one-size-fits-all"/"patent everything" mentality drives me nuts.  It reminds me of attorneys who like to milk it.  There are times when patents make sense, there are times when they don’t (particularly for independent inventors).  It is the attorney’s job to counsel their client’s accordingly.  As Abraham Maslow once said, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail."

Back to Guy…Matt/Doug/I took exception to Guy’s statement that unless you are a large corporation (or in biotech, chip design or medical devices) that patents are only good for "impressing your parents."  In response, we wrote a meme back to him that explained the other (non-offensive (litigation)) purposes of patents…a "counterpoint" response which Guy ended up publishing on his blog:  Counterpoint: Patents and Defensibility.  The post is a great explanation of the importance of having a patent strategy beyond just "patent everything."  In my biased opinion…it’s worth the read.

Related Posts:

• American Inventor…reviews mixed
• New blog you should be reading…Guy Kawasaki’s “Let the Good Times Roll”
• Another Invention Promotion Company Story

New Patent Download Tools

I’ve added two new patent downloading tools to my Guide to Downloading Patent Copies (PDF, TIFF)

• iFdIP
  "Search by just entering number and country code and get all available
  document types having said number. Download documents for free in PDF
  or several documents in ZIP. Coverage: world wide."
• ClearlyUnderstood.  Free.
  US Patents and Published US
  Patent Applications.  After registering, multiple patents or published
  patent applications may by requested at the same time.  The PDF is
  provided with no extraneous text or marking placed on the copies.

Related Posts:

• The Guide to Downloading Patent Copies has been updated
• Need a copy of a patent…the Guide has been updated
• Guide to Downloading Patent Copies (PDF, TIFF)

USPTO Video on its history & how it works

New USPTO Video Now Available for Viewing
“Promoting Innovation:  Today’s USPTO”
Come visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office without leaving your home.  With its foundation in the Constitution of the United States, our patent system is as old as the country itself. As its guardian, the USPTO has undergone many changes in its storied history.

“Promoting Innovation:  Today’s USPTO” is a video program about the agency’s history, what it does, how it works and why it is a vital part of our economy and culture.  You can view the 27-minute video now at the following links:

>>View Video [requires RealPlayer version 10 or later]
>>Video with Caption. [requires RealPlayer version 10 or later]
>>Download ZIP file of Video [ ZIP/70.4MB]
>>Viewing instructions

I just wish the USPTO wouldn’t force us to view videos on what PC World Magazine labeled as being "#2 in its list of the 25 worst products of all time."  Something else for me to add to our list of things we wish the USPTO would change about www.uspto.gov.

[note:  sorry for the light posting…been buried at work and have a trial approaching.  Bear with me.]

Related Posts:

• More on on-line viewing of pending patent applications (PAIR/IFW)
• Fax filing assignments
• Patent Reform 101…video and/or audio for you to download for free