USPTO launches new payment tools
The US Patent and Trademark Office is to launch two tools for paying fees online.
The two tools, Financial Manager and the Patent Maintenance Fees Storefront, will be launched tomorrow, April 9.
Financial Manager will enable customers to store and manage their payment methods online, assign secure user permissions, and create transaction reports, including monthly deposit account statements.
In the Patent Maintenance Fees Storefront, customers will be able to retrieve information on patent maintenance fees and upload bulk files to pay any number of maintenance fees at once.
“These new tools incorporate feedback from customers that we received through outreach efforts, including interviews, surveys, and user design sessions,” said chief financial officer Tony Scardino.
He added: “The result for users is increased efficiency, better information, and a workflow that is better streamlined to integrate with users’ business processes.”
Anyone attempting to pay a patent maintenance fee online will need to use the new Patent Maintenance Fees Storefront.
