Similar to Steve Martin and John Candy’s calamitous odyssey in the classic 1980s film Planes, Trains and Automobiles, patent practitioners are experiencing their own misadventures when filing applications in the DOCX format. As of January 17, 2024, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) mandated submitting all specification, claims and abstracts of non-provisional applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) in DOCX format or incurring a $400 surcharge (non-discounted). The DOCX mandate came after thousands, and likely tens of thousands, of practitioners, directly or indirectly, communicated their significant procedural, technical, legal, ethical, professional liability, and financial concerns to the USPTO.
Recent Posts
- Commerce Department Announces NIST and USPTO Actions on AI
- FCC Restores Net Neutrality Regime Amid Criticism
- Other Barks and Bites for Friday, April 26: World Intellectual Property Day Celebrated Around the Globe; China Tops List for AI Patents Granted; EPO Releases Cleantech Study on World IP Day
- Celebrating World IP Day: Is the Innovative Future Sustainable?
- The Rise of IP Lawsuits When Posting Images: How to Navigate and Avoid Copyright Infringement Issues