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<p>Thank you for finding this and posting about it.</p>
<p>What a terrible terrible shame that the USPTO has apparently been
paying for landlines for several thousand in-house physical fax
solutions. The landlines were surely costing something like $25 a
month per line, and there were as many landlines as there were
telephone numbers in the 571-272 telephone exchange. (Each USPTO
person who is allocated a voice line like 571-272-xxxx has been
allocated a corresponding fax line like 571-273-xxxx.)<br>
</p>
<p>We are surely looking at something like two or three million
dollars per year. All of which comes out of the pockets of our
clients, mind you.</p>
<p>It takes only a few mouse clicks to find that a modern fax
solution can save a lot of money compared to the kind of legacy
solution employed by the USPTO. Our firm's central fax number
costs us $1.99 per month (see <a
href="https://voip.ms/business/pricing"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://voip.ms/business/pricing</a>
). I will note that $1.99 is a lot less than $25, for those who
are keeping score at home. It gives us our faxes as PDF files,
which is surely what the USPTO would want for its internal
workflows. The total bill is $1.99 per month, plus about 3¢ per
minute for the inbound faxes. <br>
</p>
<p>If the USPTO ends up selecting any other provider that charges
more than about $2 per month, they are getting ripped off.<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2/9/2024 2:10 PM, Sandra L Etherton
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:0af101da5b8b$a7e0cbc0$f7a26340$@ethertonlaw.com">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Now that
the fax option to submit documents has been hard down for
days, I started researching how this could happen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Per
FedScoop, the Patent Office sent out an RFI in September
2023 to switch from RightFax to a cloud solution for faxes.
Did the Patent Office already switch? Is that what’s causing
the current fax outage?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">The irony
or prophecy is in the second line of the article, link
below: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">“While the current
USPTO fax system, RightFax, has only had one outage in 18
years, the system remains at risk for a larger disruption that
could get in the way of the office’s handling of public
customer document submissions”<span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><a
href="https://fedscoop.com/patent-and-trademark-office-looks-to-bring-faxing-to-the-cloud/"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://fedscoop.com/patent-and-trademark-office-looks-to-bring-faxing-to-the-cloud/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Links to
the RFI are at the bottom of this page: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><a
href="https://sam.gov/opp/0e651e45f4e1474cbd1ac0fb0914856a/view"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://sam.gov/opp/0e651e45f4e1474cbd1ac0fb0914856a/view</a></span><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Sandra</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:navy">______________________</span></b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#993366"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:navy">Sandra
L Etherton</span></b><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:navy">Registered
U.S. Patent Attorney</span><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">ETHERTON
LAW GROUP, LLC</span></b><b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">tel:
(602) 681-3331 | fax: (602) 681-3339 </span><span
style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">email:
</span><span style="color:#1F497D"><a
href="mailto:sandra@ethertonlaw.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">sandra@ethertonlaw.com</span></a></span><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#333333"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:navy"><a
href="http://www.ethertonlaw.com" moz-do-not-send="true">www.ethertonlaw.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-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">
Patentcenter
[<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:patentcenter-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com">mailto:patentcenter-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com</a>] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>Carl Oppedahl via Patentcenter<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, January 18, 2024 10:01 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> For bug reports, feature requests, and tips
and tricks about Patent Center.
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:patentcenter@oppedahl-lists.com"><patentcenter@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: [Patentcenter] Faxes to the PTO -
some legacy things do work<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p>Yeah, I imagine most practitioners do always file the
declaration with the application. I imagine I am quite out of
the ordinary, having to hand in inventors' declarations later.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>What happens to me is, I keep fiddling with the text of the
patent application, particularly the claims, with multiple
version changes leading up to the moment, late in the day on
the last possible day, that I click "submit" and e-file it at
the patent office.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The inventor declaration of course is tied to the notion that
the signer has reviewed the patent application that is going
to be filed, and agrees that he or she is an inventor
thereof. But in my case, given that the exact wording of the
application kept wriggling around until the very end, there is
no way the inventor could be expected to sign such a thing
until after the wriggling had ceased. Which means, no way
could the inventor even sign the declaration until
chronologically after the filing of the application had taken
place.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Yet another thing that happens to me is, the instructions
come in from foreign instructing counsel to please get
something filed at the USPTO. So I prepare inventor
declarations and send them to instructing counsel. The signed
declarations do not arrive until some days later, long after
the US patent application got filed. Which means, no way
could I managed to file the declaration with the application.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">On 1/18/2024 8:49 AM, Randall Svihla via
Patentcenter 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">We
always file the declaration with the application.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </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">
Patentcenter <a
href="mailto:patentcenter-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><patentcenter-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com></a>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Roger Browdy via Patentcenter<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, January 18, 2024 10:34 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> For bug reports, feature requests, and tips
and tricks about Patent Center. <a
href="mailto:patentcenter@oppedahl-lists.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><patentcenter@oppedahl-lists.com></a><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Roger Browdy <a
href="mailto:RLBrowdy@browdyneimark.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><RLBrowdy@browdyneimark.com></a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Patentcenter] Faxes to the PTO -
some legacy things do work</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">I
don’t think it is a joke. I bet there was a huge volume
of applications filed Tuesday night to avoid the DOCX
tax. We had to file one late at night and had a hell of a
time trying to do so. Couldn’t file the assignment/dec
forms with EPAS because of the problems and couldn’t get
back into PC to file the declaration directly, so have to
pay the surcharge for late filing of declaration because
of the PTO problems. In a fair world, we would be able to
get that refunded.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Roger</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </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">
Patentcenter <a
href="mailto:patentcenter-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><patentcenter-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com></a>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Patent Lawyer via Patentcenter<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, January 18, 2024 10:25 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> For bug reports, feature requests, and tips
and tricks about Patent Center. <a
href="mailto:patentcenter@oppedahl-lists.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><patentcenter@oppedahl-lists.com></a><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Patent Lawyer <a
href="mailto:patentlawyer995@gmail.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><patentlawyer995@gmail.com></a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Patentcenter] Faxes to the PTO - some
legacy things do work</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There was recent discussion about faxes
to the PTO and return faxes from the PTO. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Because of yesterday’s shit show with
Patent Center and because of other deficiencies in Patent
Center, I had to fax four separate submissions to the PTO
last night.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I did receive acknowledgment faxes back
from the PTO for each submission. So, that legacy
functionality is still there, and it still worked for me.
(I hope the PTO lurkers on this list don’t go and turn it
off!)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I use a service called eFax. It is not
free.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">PS. I am still laughing at Sandra E’s
joke about DDOS being just normal filers filing in a volume
the system can’t handle.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
</blockquote>
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