Filing Patents Online: A Professional Guide

by Sarfaraz K. Niazi

Overview

The average cost of an uncomplicated patent application filing is about $10,000. This high cost can leave thousands of inventors out in the cold. Filing Patents Online: A Professional Guide is a complete manual that walks inventors through each step of filing and prosecuting the patent online at a fraction of the cost. The online filing system recommended in the book allows continuous monitoring of the review status and for a much faster approval than the traditional route. Drawing from the many years of the author's experience as both an inventor and a patent agent, this guide teaches the methods of research, planning, and the art of writing winning claims that will result in commercially valuable patents.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780849316241
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/28/2003
Pages:	464
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 — The Patent Filing Systems — Introduction — A Brief History of the Internet — U.S. Laws and Systems — International Patent Laws, Processes, and Systems — The Paris Convention — Patent Cooperation Treaty — European Patent Convention — Online and Electronic Filing Requirements — Chapter 2 — Patent Application Essentials — Introduction — Key Definitions — Misconceptions — Introduction to Patent Practice — Purpose of Patent — Laws Governing Patents — Important Dates — Parts of a Patent — Drawings (35 USC 113) — Specification (35 USC 112) — 112 f1 Requirement: Description, Enablement, and Best Mode — 112 |2 Requirement: Parts of a Claim — Reading a Claim — Punctuation of Claim — Definiteness of Claim — Narrowing of Claim — Dependent Claims (§112 f3-4) — Multiple Dependent Claims (§112 |5) — Dominant-Subservient Claims — Means-Plus-Function Clauses (§112 |6) — Process Claims — Step-Plus-Function Clauses — Ranges — Negative Limitations — Relative and Exemplary Terminology — Markush Group — Markush Alternates — Jepson-Type Claims, Improvement Claims — Mixed-Class Claims — Product-by-Process Claims — Novelty and Loss of Right to Patent: §102 — Date of Invention — Status of Invention — Types of §102 Events — §102(a) — §102(b) — §102(c) — §102(d) — §102(e) — §102(f) — §102(g) — §102 Special Forms — Obviousness /Nonobviousness (§103) — §103(a) — Manner of Invention — Graham v. John Deere: Fundamental Inquiry — Prima Facie Obviousness — Prima Facie Requirements — §102(e), (f), and (g) Events as §103 Prior Art — Admission as Prior Art under §103 — Rights and Procedures under the Patent Cooperative Treaty (PCT) — Definitions — Strategies — PCT Process — PCT Application — Significant §102(e) Issues — Pre-AIPA (Filed November 29, 2000 or Earlier) — Post-AIPA (Filed November 29, 2000 or Later) — Chapter 3 — Online Patentability Search — Introduction — Anatomy of a Patent — Patentability Search Online — Patent Office Resources — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office — Keyword Selection and Searching — Patent Images — Published Application Search — Patent Classification Search — Searching with Classification — Patent Classification Example — Searching the Gazette — The European Patent Office — The World Intellectual Property Organization — Canadian Patent Office — Internet Search Engines — Technical Databases — Patent Searches and IP Services — Patent Copies and Search Facilities — Chapter 4 — Online Filing Basics — Introduction — USPTO — Obtain a Customer Number — Associate Customer Number with Patent Application(s) — Request a Digital Certificate — Obtain Access Codes — Set Up the Software — WIPO — PCT-EASY Registration — PCT-EASY Installation — PCT-SAFE — EPO — Chapter 5 — USPTO EFS Overview — EFS Purpose — EFS Software Overview — What EFS Supports — What EFS Does Not Support — Basic Steps to Using EFS — Getting Started — Word Processing and Imaging Programs — File Preparation — Obtain Specification Authoring Tools — Obtain Submission Software — Obtain PTO Direct Security™ — Technical Issues — Setup — EFS Software on Multiple Computers — Use of EFS Software on a Network — File Management — Web Browser — Operational Issues — General — Specification Authoring — Figures, Drawings, Chemical Structures, and Mathematical Equations — Additional Application Data — View /Print — Transmitting to the USPTO — Receipt of Filing — Fees /Payment — Troubleshooting /Errors — Chapter 6 — USPTO EFS Scenarios — Introduction — Terminology — Patent Application Publication Process and EFS Submissions — New Utility Application — The Applicant — The USPTO — Preparation for Authoring — Specification — Viewing — Submission Folder — Submission — Notes — EFS Filing Scenario with Compact Disc — The Applicant — The USPTO — New Utility Application with Assignment — Provisional Application — 18-Month Publication — The Applicant — The USPTO — Voluntary Pre-Grant Publication — Amended Publication as First Pre-Grant Publication by the USPTO — Redacted Publication Submission as First Pre-Grant Publication — by the USPTO — Redacted Publication Submission after Initial Publication — Corrected Publication Due to Error — Computer Readable Format Biotechnology Sequence Listing — for Pending Paper Application — Filing an Assignment Recordation for a Previously Filed Patent — Application Using EFS — Application Data Sheet — Case Study for a New Utility Application — Overview — Background — Preparation for Authoring the Patent Application Specification Document — Authoring the Patent Application Specification Document — Creating Necessary Transmittals and the Cover Sheet — Tracking Down the Application — Chapter 7 — USPTO: PASAT — Introduction — Getting Started — Creating New Specifications — Importing Specifications — Loading Specifications — Interface Features — Menus and Menu Options — Toolbars — Shortcut Keys — Office Assistant — Status Bar — Disabled Microsoft Word Features — Editing Specifications — Changing Tag and Entity Display — Using the Specification Map — Managing Selections — Managing Paragraphs — Adding Paragraphs — Splitting Paragraphs — Deleting Paragraphs — Renumbering Paragraphs — Managing Claims — Adding Claims — Adding Claim-Text Elements — Indenting Claim-Text Elements — Splitting Claim-Text Elements — Deleting Claim-Text Elements — Splitting Claims — Deleting Claims — Renumbering Claims — Managing Claim Dependencies — Creating Claim Dependency References — Redefining Reference Targets — Deleting Claim Dependency References — Formatting Text — Copy, Cut, and Paste — Paste Paragraphs — Paste Claims — Removing Double Emphasis Tags — Nonbreaking Spaces and Hyphens — Smart Quotes, Apostrophes, Fractions, and Double Hyphens — Reversing Operations — Managing Complex Work Units — Converting Equations, Formulae, Symbols, and Tables — to TIFF Images — Changing the Browser Display Font — Managing Tables — Managing Figures — Adding Figures — Reordering Figures — Removing Figures — Managing Special Characters — Inserting Custom Characters — Replacing Unknown Symbols — Deleting Special Characters — Entering Biological Deposit Data — Spell Check — Spell Check in Real-Time — Spell Check in Batch Mode — Finding and Replacing Content — Validating and Previewing Specifications — Validate Specification — Previewing Specifications — Saving and Exporting Specifications — Saving Specifications — Exporting Specifications — Chapter 8 — USPTO TSA — Introduction — Macro Setup — Template Setup Procedures — Overview of WordPerfect XML Template — The Template Environment — EFS Toolbars — Keyboard Shortcuts — Overview of EFS Tagging — The Display Codes View — Copy and Paste from Text Files — Paste and Tag Paragraphs — Insert Special Characters — Methods of Tagging — Resolving Tagging Errors — Correcting a Text Insertion Error — Correcting a Missing Tag Error — Correcting an Attribute Error — Using Undo to Correct an Error — Using Redo to Correct an Error — Authoring a Specification — Create a New Specification — Select Specification Sections — Add MPEP Recommended Section — Remove MPEP Recommended Section — Create a New Section — Title of Invention (Required) — Cross-Reference to Related Applications (Optional) — Continuity Data — Referenced Applications and Patents — Copyright Statement (Optional) — Federal Research Statement (Optional) — Compact Disc Appendix (Optional) — Background of Invention (Optional) — Summary of the Invention (Optional) — Brief Description of the Drawings (Conditional) — Brief Description of Sequences (Conditional) — Detailed Description of the Invention (Required) — Deposit of Computer Program Listings (Optional) — What Is Claimed (Required) — Basic Claim Tagging — Additional Claims — Indented Sections — Dependent Claim Reference — Display Claims — Abstract of the Disclosure (Required) — Figures (Optional) — Preparation for Attaching Figures — Attaching Figures — Formatting Images -