USPTO to release new patent filing system in 2018
The US Patent and Trademark Office is set to release a new “user friendly” electronic filing system for patent applications in 2018.
Commissioner for patents Drew Hirshfeld announced the office’s plans to launch a beta version of the “Patent Center” in early 2018, in a blog post published yesterday, December 14.
The system is expected to replace the USPTO’s patent filing and information retrieval systems in 2019.
New features will include the ability to upload multiple documents at a time, drag-and-drop documents, and save submissions at any time.
The office’s eCommerce Modernization Project (eMod) was launched in 2015, to improve the application process by modernising the USPTO’s filing and viewing systems.
“Our goals with eMod are to streamline and enhance our systems for an easier, faster and improved user experience,” said Hirshfeld.
In June, WIPR reported that the backlog of unexamined and pending patent applications at the office was lower than it’s been in more than a decade, according to Michelle Lee, the former director of the USPTO.
She stated that the backlog of unexamined applications had dropped by almost a third since its peak in January 2009, despite a 32% increase in applications over this time.
In November, the office announced it will increase some of its fees from January 2018, including a $6,500 increase to $15,500 for requesting an inter partes review.
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