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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D">I’m pretty sure that the PTO rules require every account to be for a single person only and disallow this kind of role-based multi-person account.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Goudy Old Style",serif;color:#1F497D"><a href="mailto:richard@schafer-ip.com"><span style="color:#0563C1">richard@schafer-ip.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> Patentpractice <patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>James Katz via Patentpractice<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, February 6, 2024 5:21 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> For patent practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com><br>
<b>Cc:</b> James Katz <jkatz@lsk-iplaw.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Patentpractice] Assignment Center - can you save progress part way through? No<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">So we have now found that Assignment Center appears to “silently” automatically save in-process submissions. We have tested abandoning a submission at various screens, including at the final
submission screen and have found that our progress was saved and we could return later to complete the submission.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">So in order to implement a second pair of eyes on submissions, our assistants will stop once they reach the submit screen, return to the home screen, go back in to the saved submission and print
the completed cover sheet to PDF, they will then email that PDF to the attorney along with a copy of the assignment document that was uploaded. The attorney will review and respond with approval after which the assistant will go back in and submit. At least
one downside to this approach is that the attorney will be unable to review the actual uploaded assignment document. So if the wrong document was uploaded, but the right document was attached to the email for review, the attorney will not know.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Another solution we considered but discarded was to create a dedicated MyUSPTO account for assignment submissions to which everyone has access. This would allow one to go in and review a saved
submission. However, not only would this be cumbersome to have to log out of one’s personal MyUSPTO account and into another (and maintain two 2FA entries, etc.), it was also unclear if multiple users could be logged in to the same account at once. I also
did not check if this would violate some PTO TOS somewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Another thing we have found is that when entering multiple email addresses to receive submission confirmations, etc., each recipient will receive an email addressed only to them. So from that
email you cannot tell who the other recipients are. Furthermore, the email itself, e.g., the subject line and body, do not identify the application number or client/matter. Only the id number assigned to the submission by Assignment Center is identified.
You have to open up the attached cover sheet document to see the application number.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Jim<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">James L. Katz</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">patent attorney<br>
312.854.8372 ▪ direct<br>
312.291.0864 ▪ fax<br>
<a href="mailto:jkatz@lsk-iplaw.com"><span style="color:#0563C1">jkatz@lsk-iplaw.com</span></a><br>
<br>
<b>LEMPIA SUMMERFIELD KATZ LLC</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">20 south clark street, suite 600 ▪ chicago, illinois 60603 ▪ <a href="http://www.lsk-iplaw.com/"><span style="color:#0563C1">www.lsk-iplaw.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">Please note:</span></b><span style="color:black"> This message is intended for the individual or entity named above and may constitute a privileged and confidential communication. If you are not the intended
recipient, please do not read, copy, use, or disclose this message. Please notify the sender by replying to this message, and then delete the message from your system. Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">From:
</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Patentpractice <<a href="mailto:patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com">patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com</a>> on behalf of Carl Oppedahl via Patentpractice <<a href="mailto:patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com">patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com</a>><br>
<b>Date: </b>Monday, February 5, 2024 at 10:57 PM<br>
<b>To: </b>For patent practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <<a href="mailto:patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com">patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com</a>><br>
<b>Cc: </b>Carl Oppedahl <<a href="mailto:carl@oppedahl.com">carl@oppedahl.com</a>><br>
<b>Subject: </b>[Patentpractice] Assignment Center - can you save progress part way through? No<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p>Nope, it turns out to be impossible to save the submission package part way through. See
<a href="https://blog.oppedahl.com/some-of-the-defects-in-the-new-assignment-center/">
https://blog.oppedahl.com/some-of-the-defects-in-the-new-assignment-center/</a> .<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">On 1/29/2024 4:15 PM, Carl Oppedahl via Patentpractice wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p>Yes, it looks like that.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>It looks like <b><i>if the exact same person</i></b> wants to save progress and come back, they maybe can do that. There is one extremely blurry slide toward the beginning of the slide deck that gives the impression that you can do that. But it looks like
it is impossible to pass a partially completed filing project over to a colleague for a "second pair of eyes". Or to pass it to a colleague for e-signature.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">On 1/29/2024 4:05 PM, James Katz via Patentpractice wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">It also seems that they removed any ability to “save progress” or otherwise save a submission for review before it is submitted.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So there goes our workflow where our assistants upload an assignment and save it before submission, then forward the EPAS link to the attorney for review before the assistant then submits.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jim<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">James L. Katz</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">patent attorney<br>
312.854.8372 ▪ direct<br>
312.291.0864 ▪ fax<br>
<a href="mailto:jkatz@lsk-iplaw.com"><span style="color:#0563C1">jkatz@lsk-iplaw.com</span></a><br>
<br>
<b>LEMPIA SUMMERFIELD KATZ LLC</b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">20 south clark street, suite 600 ▪ chicago, illinois 60603 ▪ <a href="http://www.lsk-iplaw.com/"><span style="color:#0563C1">www.lsk-iplaw.com</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">Please note:</span></b><span style="color:black"> This message is intended for the individual or entity named above and may constitute a privileged and confidential communication. If you are not the intended
recipient, please do not read, copy, use, or disclose this message. Please notify the sender by replying to this message, and then delete the message from your system. Thank you.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">From:
</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Patentpractice
<a href="mailto:patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com"><patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com></a> on behalf of Carl Oppedahl via Patentpractice
<a href="mailto:patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com"><patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com></a><br>
<b>Date: </b>Monday, January 29, 2024 at 4:57 PM<br>
<b>To: </b><a href="mailto:patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com">patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com</a>
<a href="mailto:patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com"><patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com></a><br>
<b>Cc: </b>Carl Oppedahl <a href="mailto:carl@oppedahl.com"><carl@oppedahl.com></a><br>
<b>Subject: </b>[Patentpractice] some initial reactions to the USPTO's training slides for son-of-EPAS</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p><b><i>Cumbersome login now required. </i></b>It used to be that anybody could submit an assignment for recordation. Now you have to do a cumbersome login with two-factor authentication. I suspect this means the person doing the recordation session will
have previously been forced to do a Real ID or other invasive prove-who-you-are procedure.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><i>Stupid terminology.</i></b> The designer of son-of-EPAS calls the recordation session "filing an application". This is nuts.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><i>No functional enhancements for the paying customer.</i></b> After all this big talk about how wonderful this son-of-EPAS system is going to be, I clicked around a bit to try to see what functional enhancements it is going to provide. For example
I figured the least they would do is make it so that you can check the status of a recordation submission. Nope. No enhancements of any kind so far as I can see.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><i>Blocks you from including an application number that they can't find in their system.
</i></b>It looks like if your patent application is not in Patentcenter, you will be blocked from including it in your recordation submission. I suspect this means it will be impossible to record against a PCT application filed in an Office that is not the
RO/US.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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