A question for my readers: filling out 1449 (IDS) forms

One of my secretary’s biggest headaches is taking a pile of patents and from them generating an IDS (PTO-1449). While we use an IP forms program, it isn’t much more “automated” than a fillable PDF form.

The questions is…is there a better way of doing this? Are there other software options, preferably ones that take a list of patent numbers and automatically looks up the inventor name/issue date?

If not…would anyone find such a solution useful? (I have an idea…that could make it possible to create an IDS from a stack of patents in a matter of seconds…)

Thanks in advance for whatever insight you have.

Related Posts:

• How to detemine if a patent has been litigated over
• Question for my readers: Patent Drawings & Patent Attorney Names
• New USPTO IDS Regulations a Litigator’s Dream???????

Updated links to USPTO & FTC publications on invention promotion companies

Contact the USPTO Before You Get Burned (PDF) [Original] [Local copy]

FTC Consumer Alert: Spotting Sweet-Sounding Promises of Fraudulent Invention Promotion Firms (PDF) [Original] [Local Copy]

FTC Facts for Consumers: Invention Promotion Firms (PDF) [Original] [Local Copy]

Related Posts:

• Links to almost thirty USPTO FAQs
• S-Signatures (/John Doe/) and the USPTO
• Your daily dose of USPTO News Releases

Entrepreneur Quotes

An excellent list of quotes from entrepreneurs and/or on entrepreneurship: Top 20 Entrepreneurship Quotes.

Related Posts:

• Tech’s Next Boomtown…is Boise?
• Blawgers in the News
• New Magazine Covers Federal Circuit Patent Decisions

New IP Blog of Note - Securing Innovation

The folks at ip.com have ventured into the blogging world, starting the “Securing Innovation” blog. The blog touts itself as covering “managing intellectual property, patents, trademarks and trade secrets.”

A few recent posts of note:

• A short guide to defensive publication
• Writing technical disclosures
• Getting started with technical disclosures
• Solving business problems and managing risk with technical dislcosures

Impressive! I look forward to reading more.

Related Posts:

• New blog you should be reading…Guy Kawasaki’s “Let the Good Times Roll”
• Tips for prospective blawgers
• “Best [IP] blogs on the web”

Free CLE, ethics, electronic discovery

“Through December 12, 2007, PLI is giving away a free ethics course online that will count for CLE credit. The course is Ethics and Electronic Discovery 2007, which was recorded in August 2007.”  See:  PLI - Patent Blog–Ethics and Electronic Discovery 2007.

Related Posts:

• ABA Ethics vs. USPTO Ethics
• Patent prosecution conflicts
• Can a Patent Agent Prepare a Patent License or an Assignment?