[Patentcenter] Previewing an uploaded IDS form in Patent Center hides identifying information, unlike EFS-Web

Carl Oppedahl carl at oppedahl.com
Mon Nov 13 20:18:19 UTC 2023


I agree that the answer from the EBC person was ridiculous.

On 11/13/2023 1:08 PM, Richard Schafer via Patentcenter wrote:
>
> I have seen that before, but unfortunately was just too pressed for 
> time to try to pursue it with the EBC.
>
> That answer from the EBC is ridiculous. The whole point of preview in 
> that situation is to look at a file that you uploaded yourself. Why 
> should there be any restriction on that? Instead of being helpful, 
> this simply causes the person filing the document to waste their time 
> confirming in another way that something didn’t go wrong with their 
> upload.
>
> Best regards,
> *Richard A. Schafer | Schafer IP Law*
> P.O. Box 230081 | Houston, TX 77223
> M: 832.283.6564 | richard at schafer-ip.com <mailto:richard at schafer-ip.com>
>
> *From:* Patentcenter <patentcenter-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> *On 
> Behalf Of *Jeff Lindsay via Patentcenter
> *Sent:* Monday, November 13, 2023 1:29 PM
> *To:* users of Patentcenter <patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com>
> *Cc:* Jeff Lindsay <jeff at jefflindsay.com>; David Boundy 
> <DavidBoundyEsq at gmail.com>
> *Subject:* [Patentcenter] Previewing an uploaded IDS form in Patent 
> Center hides identifying information, unlike EFS-Web
>
> While filing an IDS on Saturday using the USPTO’s IDS 
> form,  PTO/SB/08a (02-18), when I previewed the uploaded file using a 
> Mac (the problem occurs both in Chrome and Firefox browsers), the 
> fields with identifying information in the upper right hand corner of 
> the IDS form appeared completely blank. I checked the file, uploaded 
> it again, and had the same result. I was about to redo it in EFS-Web 
> but recalled something related in listserv comments, so instead of 
> using the ‘Preview” feature, I downloaded the file I had uploaded and 
> saw that what the USPTO had was OK. Still a time-waster and definitely 
> not a confidence builder.
>
> I called the EBC to ask about this today. They said it’s not a bug but 
> a feature. The “feature" is that preview in PatCenter allegedly 
> provides the PUBLIC view, so it’s necessary to hide confidential 
> information like names. Such information hiding is not consistently 
> applied to other forms such as a power of attorney or a provisional 
> cover sheet. Why would IDS info be treated this way?
>
> I told the EBC customer service rep that the EFS does not hide 
> information on a document a patent practitioner has just uploaded. 
> Forcing a public view filter seems improper. Preview should let us 
> quickly confirm that what was uploaded looks OK. It’s a useful feature 
> of EFS that is not properly implemented in the Patent Center. I asked 
> if the public view is applied to other documents. The customer service 
> rep told me they did not know and that I would have to contact the 
> developers (emods at uspto.gov) to learn more. I politely asked how can 
> the USPTO claim 100% of EFS-Web functionality is provided if the 
> Patent Center doesn’t provide a properly working preview feature found 
> in EFS-Web. Again, I was told I would need to contact the developers.
>
> Jeff Lindsay
>
> jeff at jefflindsay.com
>
> +1 920-257-7347
>
>
>
>     On Nov 9, 2023, at 1:49 PM, Carl Oppedahl via Patentcenter
>     <patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com> wrote:
>
>     And if we can please memorialize them in a place where our
>     listserv people can do some cluster analysis on it. You will see
>     some of the CP tickets where an EBC ticket number is included in a
>     CP ticket text description.  Can people please look to see if your
>     situation that prompted you to call the EBC happens to match an
>     existing CP ticket.  If so, then please post to ask one of the
>     editors to add your EBC ticket number to the existing CP ticket.
>
>     If there is no existing CP ticket for your situation, then please
>     post to ask one of the editors to create a new CP ticket, and add
>     your EBC ticket number to the new CP ticket.
>
>     On 11/9/2023 11:14 AM, James E. Lake via Patentcenter wrote:
>
>         As we continue to encounter the infuriating, frequent errors
>         in PC, it seems in our best interest to document a body count
>         with the EBC that these errors are occurring. Below please
>         find an example.
>
>         One of the justifications for inaction by the PTO has been
>         something like, “most users find that PC works just fine” or
>         “we do not have reports of errors.” Well, most users
>         encountering errors find a way to get their work done by
>         signing out then logging back in, switching browsers,
>         restarting the computer, clearing the cache, waiting 30
>         minutes, etc. etc. etc. This mode of operation appears to be
>         completely acceptable to PTO and perhaps even expected under
>         NWOW. It is “unfreakingbelievable” (thanks Suzannah) that
>         users are subjected to such disdain and spend double, triple,
>         or quadruple the time to complete the final administrative
>         step in PTO submissions.
>
>         Yes, it is a royal pain to make error reports, but it will be
>         more of a royal pain for the present mode of operation to
>         continue for years. Developers keep saying they cannot
>         duplicate the errors. Maybe if they have stacks of thousands
>         of well-documented error reports they will finally drop their
>         lame excuse. I doubt the EBC will timely reply or send any
>         useful info, but the point is to create a body count of real,
>         continuing errors. Report an error especially if you are
>         forced to file by fax or mail. Learn how to take screenshots
>         (shift+command+s in Windows) and paste the screenshot into the
>         email. (Tip: decreasing the window size before the screenshot
>         helps the image fit better.)
>
>         James
>
>         *From:*James E. Lake
>         *Sent:*Thursday, November 9, 2023 9:12 AM
>         *To:*'ebc at uspto.gov <mailto:ebc at uspto.gov>'<ebc at uspto.gov>
>         <mailto:ebc at uspto.gov>
>         *Subject:*Blank page Patent Center
>
>         I am currently unable to open Patent Center in MS Edge or
>         Firefox or Google Chrome. After authenticating into MyUSPTO
>         and selecting Patent Center from the menu, the web page opens
>         with the correct URL identified in the tab, but the page is
>         completely blank. Reloading the page does not change it.
>
>         Suggestions?
>
>         Screen shots attached.
>
>         <image002.png>
>
>         <image003.png>
>
>         Tried again and received this error
>
>         <image004.png>
>
>         <image001.png>*/James E. Lake/*
>
>         Shareholder, Randall | Danskin
>
>         +1 (509) 747-2052 <tel:5097472052>
>
>         www.randalldanskin.com
>         <http://www.randalldanskin.com/>;www.linkedin.com/in/james-lake-1318b84
>         <http://www.linkedin.com/in/james-lake-1318b84>
>
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>
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