[Patentcenter] Requirement that USPTO's electronic filing system be "user friendly"

[Randall Svihla]

Hi, all

The original law authorizing the USPTO to develop an electronic filing system required the system to be "user friendly":

Electronic Filing and Processing of Patent and Trademark Applications
Pub. L. 107-273, div. C, title III, §13103, Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1899<https://uscode.house.gov/statviewer.htm?volume=116&page=1899>, provided that:
"(a) Electronic Filing and Processing.-The Director [of the Patent and Trademark Office] shall, beginning not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 2, 2002], and during the 3-year period thereafter, develop an electronic system for the filing and processing of patent and trademark applications, that-
"(1) is user friendly; and
"(2) includes the necessary infrastructure-
"(A) to allow examiners and applicants to send all communications electronically; and
"(B) to allow the Office to process, maintain, and search electronically the contents and history of each application.
"(b) Authorization of Appropriations.-Of amounts authorized under section 13102 [set out as a note under section 42 of this title], there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out subsection (a) of this section not more than $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003, 2004, and 2005. Amounts made available pursuant to this subsection shall remain available until expended."
I wonder if the "user friendly" requirement was later dropped, or if the USPTO is free to ignore the users' protest that Patent Center is not "user friendly."

Best regards,

Randall S. Svihla
NSIP Law
Washington, D.C.

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