<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
</head>
<body>
<p>Agreed.</p>
<p>And query whether it really does serve the shared goals
(encouraging innovation, protecting IP) to encourage applicants to
proceed <i>pro se</i>. There are really a lot of things that
would need to happen (that have not yet happened) for a <i>pro se</i>
filing approach to be anything other than a likely disaster for
the applicant.</p>
<p>Think of every time that a potential new client has come to you,
11 months after they filed a <i>pro se</i> provisional patent
application, and you see the inadequacy of that provisional. To
the extent the USPTO succeeds in getting applicants to drink the <i>pro
se </i>koolaid, it will mean that <i>pro se </i>non-provisional
applications will get filed that are no better than the <i>pro se</i>
provisionals that we all see.<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 4/8/2024 10:10 AM, Richard Schafer
via E-trademarks wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:SA1PR05MB798372FF142F18F6FC361C658E002@SA1PR05MB7983.namprd05.prod.outlook.com">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<meta name="Generator"
content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]-->
<style>@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}@font-face
{font-family:"Goudy Old Style";
panose-1:2 2 5 2 5 3 5 2 3 3;}@font-face
{font-family:Garamond;
panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3;}@font-face
{font-family:"Avenir Next";}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;}a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;
color:#1F497D;}.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ligatures:none;}div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}</style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1027" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D">The
reputational cost to the PTO for the poor quality of their
IT systems is immense.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D">While
practitioners can at least advise the client on how to work
around the issues, U.S. clients may see this is yet another
way in which the federal government is failing. Foreign
clients will see these errors as another example of how the
PTO is failing to achieve its primary function.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D">The
PTO expends countless resources on encouraging pro se
applicants and designing their systems to make them more
usable by pro se applicants, but those IT systemic failures
are no doubt driving those same pro se applicants away from
pursuing protection for their inventions and trademarks.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN">Best
regards,<br>
<b>Richard A. Schafer | Schafer IP Law</b></span><span
style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN"><br>
</span><span
style="font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN">P.O.
Box 230081 | Houston, TX 77223<br>
M: 832.283.6564 | </span><span
style="font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D"><a
href="mailto:richard@schafer-ip.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span style="color:#0563C1">richard@schafer-ip.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div
style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
E-trademarks
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com"><e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com></a>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Carl Oppedahl via E-trademarks<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, April 7, 2024 9:42 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> For trademark practitioners. This is not for
laypersons to seek legal advice.
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com"><e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com></a><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Carl Oppedahl <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:carl@oppedahl.com"><carl@oppedahl.com></a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [E-trademarks] [EXT] TEAS is broken?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p>Thank you for posting. Yes imagine what an impression this
makes for your foreign client.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>I am now in a position where I did eventually succeed in
finishing the application that I was trying to create. And I
sent the link to my client.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>I worry that when my client clicks on the link, the client
might see such a worthless error message. If so, it would
make a bad impression for the client.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">On 4/7/2024 8:30 PM, Alex Butterman
wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082">I
have a client in China that tried to sign a new
application we sent her company and she complained about
the same error about a few minutes before your email. She
showed her screen as:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" />
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" />
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:492pt;height:103.5pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:left;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:line;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page' o:allowoverlap="f">
<v:imagedata src="mailbox:///C:/Users/co/AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/ud34fid8.default-release/Mail/business41.web-hosting.com/Inbox?number=83515&header=quotebody&part=1.1.2&filename=image001.png" o:title="" />
<w:wrap type="square" anchory="line"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img
style="width:6.8333in;height:1.4375in"
src="cid:part1.W24ALi7z.Hs0ph40s@oppedahl.com"
v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2" class="" width="656"
hspace="12" height="138" align="left"><!--[endif]--><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082">Hopefully,
this is now permanently fixed since I suggested she try
again on Monday morning their time.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Alex
Butterman</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Partner<b>
</b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-family:"Avenir Next";color:#37428A">DUNLAP </span></b><b><span
style="font-family:"Avenir Next";color:#616A73">BENNETT </span></b><b><span
style="font-family:"Avenir Next";color:#37428A">& LUDWIG</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><i><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">211
Church St., SE; Leesburg, VA 20175</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">T:
703-777-7319</span><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">
–
</span><span
style="color:#156082;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a
href="https://www.dbllawyers.com/attorney/alex-butterman/"
moz-do-not-send="true"><b><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">BIO</span></b></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><span
style="color:#156082"><img
style="width:1.7395in;height:.5104in"
id="Picture_x0020_4"
src="cid:part2.4vBF5Ja8.aYiSNSx3@oppedahl.com"
alt="A blue and white logo
Description automatically generated" class="" width="167" height="49"
border="0"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">This
electronic message contains information from Dunlap
Bennett & Ludwig PLLC and may be confidential or
privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, any
disclosure, copying, or use of the contents is
prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error,
please notify us and delete the message without copying
or disclosing it.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#156082"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<div
style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
E-trademarks
<a
href="mailto:e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com></a>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Carl Oppedahl via E-trademarks<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, April 7, 2024 04:54 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> for trademark practitioners <a
href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com"
moz-do-not-send="true">
<e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com></a><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Carl Oppedahl <a
href="mailto:carl@oppedahl.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><carl@oppedahl.com></a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [EXT] [E-trademarks] TEAS is broken?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>I tried to file a trademark application just now. Here is
the rather unhelpful error message that TEAS provided:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><img style="width:5.3854in;height:1.9062in"
id="Picture_x0020_1"
src="cid:part3.4d0AKvRd.aHjZey3H@oppedahl.com" class=""
width="517" height="183" border="0"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Then I tried again, and the error message changed to this:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><img style="width:5.2916in;height:1.7395in"
id="Picture_x0020_2"
src="cid:part4.JbI3taLS.7pLAJiiF@oppedahl.com" class=""
width="508" height="167" border="0"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p>I checked the USPTO system status page and it did not list
any planned outage for today at this time. Those two USPTO
failures happened when I was using Chrome. Then I tried the
same thing in Edge, and this was the error message:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><img style="width:6.1458in;height:2.5729in"
id="Picture_x0020_3"
src="cid:part5.r1ToUZoO.OmdrC0JR@oppedahl.com" class=""
width="590" height="247" border="0"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p>I wonder if anybody is able to file a trademark application
just now?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset class="moz-mime-attachment-header"></fieldset>
</blockquote>
</body>
</html>