[Patentpractice] RO/US being slow - national security review

Fri Aug 9 21:03:31 UTC 2024

Yes, Randall, it is relevant.  Thanks.

And, yes, Carl and others who’ve responded, it is a national security review that is the fly in the ointment.

I know that because I reached out to the PCT Help Desk and they ‘escalated’ the matter.  

Apparently triggered by that, I received a Form PCT/RO/132 communication indicating that an IA number has been assigned but the Record Copy has not been transmitted to the IB.

Well, I already knew that.  But thanks for the acknowledgement.  

And, the IB so far has not received a copy of the PCT/RO/132.  

What the communication did NOT acknowledge is that no International Filing Date has been accorded, other than leaving the space for it blank (as it is in PC).  

That appears significant since some of the deadlines in the PCT Rules (WIPO) are triggered by that date.

Art. 11(1) of the PCT says that the RO shall accord the IFD if the Applicant has met the requirements (of Art. 11(1)).  Doesn’t mention an IA number.

I guess the PCT/RO/132 doesn’t serve the purpose of the notification prescribed by Rule 20.2(c) that, upon a Positive Determination under Art. 11(1), the RO promptly shall notify the Applicant of the IA number and IFD.

Meaning, I guess, that in this case there has yet to be any ‘positive determination under Art. 11(1)’, even though that article does not mention any national security review.

Bottom line, I guess that during a security review, USPTO feels it does not have to comply with Art. 11(1) and accept the application as an IA.

Maybe that’s because, if the security clearance doesn’t go our way, it never will.

Has anyone ever had any luck with a petition or request to have an IFD accorded?  

Or better yet, jumpstarting the security clearance process by filing something?

*	E.g., submitting a copy of the IA as filed for certification

*	And how would one do that if one wanted to?
*	Is that done electronically, or hard copy only?

17 month deadline is Oct. 8th, so not yet antsy, but thinking about it.

Guy

Guy V. Manning 
LAW OFFICES OF GUY V. MANNING 
Intellectual Property Attorneys – Patent, Copyright, Trademark  
4200 S. Hulen Street, Suite 603      Voice  (817) 294-7744 

Fort Worth, Texas 76109  USA        Fax     (817) 294-7742  
guyvmann at gvmlaw.net <mailto:guyvmann at flash.net>   

NOTICE TO RECIPIENT: This e-mail is meant only for the intended recipient of the transmission, and may be a communication privileged by law. If you received this e-mail in error, any review, use, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. Please notify us immediately of the error by return e-mail and please delete this message from your system. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. 

AVISO AL RECEPTOR: Este mensaje tiene por destinatario exclusivo a la persona o entidad a la que está dirigida, y puede contener información confidencial y que no puede divulgarse. Si usted recibió este mensaje por error, le está prohibido divulgar, distribuir o copiar la información aquí contenida. Le agradeceremos que nos notifique del error inmediatamente por e-mail de respuesta y que borre este mensaje de su sistema. Muchas gracias por adelantado por su cooperación. 

AVISO AO RECIPIENTE: Este e-mail é destinado apenas ao destinatário da transmissão e pode conter informações protegidas por lei. Caso você tenha recebido este e-mail por engano, fica absolutamente proibida a sua revisão, uso, disseminação, distribuição ou cópia. Por favor avise-nos imediatamente do erro e por favor, exclua a mensagem de seu sistema. Desde já agradeçemos sua cooperação.

HINWEIS FÜR DEN EMPFÄNGER: Dieses e-mail ist für das Erhalten des Empfängers bezweckt und kann unter dem Gesetz als vertrauliche Kommunikation gelten. Wenn Sie dieses e-mail versehentlich bekommen haben sollten, jegliche Prüfung, Weiterleitung, Verbreitung oder anderweitige Verwendung sowie kopieren ist strengstens verboten. Bitte benachrichtigen Sie uns sofort des Fehlers in dem Sie diese e-mail zurück senden und bitte löschen Sie diese Nachricht von ihrem System. Vielen Dank im Voraus für Ihre Mitarbeit.

From: Patentpractice <patentpractice-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> On Behalf Of Randall Svihla via Patentpractice
Sent: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 6:19 PM
To: For patent practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com>
Cc: Randall Svihla <rsvihla at nsiplaw.com>
Subject: Re: [Patentpractice] O/US being slow (was RE: group letter)

Is this relevant?

PCT Receiving Office Guidelines

Chapter III: National Security Clearance

32.  The receiving Office, where required by the national law, reviews the international application for national security matters (Rule 22.1(a) <https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/texts/rules/r22.html#_22_1_a> ). Subject to the prescriptions of the national law, international processing may continue. National security clearance should, subject to paragraph 33 <https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/texts/ro/ro32_34.html#_33> , be given not later than at the time when the transmittal of the record copy is due under Rule 22.1(a) <https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/texts/rules/r22.html#_22_1_a> , that is, early enough for the record copy to reach the International Bureau before the expiration of the 13th month from the priority date.

33.  If clearance is refused or has, by the end of the 13th month from the priority date, not been obtained and is not expected to be obtained, the receiving Office notifies (Form PCT/RO/147 <https://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/pct/en/docs/forms/ro/editable/ed-ro147.pdf> ) the applicant and the International Bureau that the record copy and the search copy will not be transmitted and that the international application will not be treated as such.  If national security clearance is expected to be obtained soon, the receiving Office may postpone its decision to no longer treat the international application as such but must make the said decision and send the invitation before the expiration of 17 months from the priority date if no clearance has been received by that time (Section 330 <https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/texts/ai/s330.html>  and paragraphs <https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/texts/ro/ro285_287.html#_285>  285 to 287).

34.  For refund of fees where any prescriptions concerning national security prevent transmittal of the record copy and search copy, see Rules 15.4(iii) <https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/texts/rules/r15.html#_15_4_iii>  and 16.2(iii) <https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/texts/rules/r16.html#_16_2_iii>  and paragraphs <https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/texts/ro/ro268_271.html#_268>  268 to 271. 

From: Patentpractice <patentpractice-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com <mailto:patentpractice-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> > On Behalf Of Carl Oppedahl via Patentpractice
Sent: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 6:36 PM
To: 'For patent practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice.' <patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com <mailto:patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com> >
Cc: Carl Oppedahl <carl at oppedahl.com <mailto:carl at oppedahl.com> >
Subject: [Patentpractice] O/US being slow (was RE: group letter)

A reminder of the importance of using RO/IB whenever you can.

Even though the PCT Help Desk did not mention a security review, I am confident that is the actual explanation for the delay.

The way you will know this for sure is when you receive the letter telling you when they granted the FFL.  I predict it will turn out that the FFL got granted only a day or two before the record copy got sent to the IB.

On 8/6/2024 12:46 PM, guyvmann at gvmlaw.net <mailto:guyvmann at gvmlaw.net>  wrote:

Sort of related question:  

Why would it take the USPTO as RO almost three months (and counting) to transmit the IA to the IB?

Details:  

IA filed May 7, 2024;  IA number assigned by RO and appears in PC

Fees show paid.  Same $ amount shows in ePCT fee calc. sheet, doubtless derived from the Request

1.	i.e., they’ve been holding about $ 3800 of client’s money for nearly 3 months now

Priority claim to US provisional filed May 8, 2023 is recognized in the PC record.

PC’s status shows:  “Application Undergoing Preexam Processing 05/07/2024”

Case shows up in ePCT, with relevant info from Request (document sizes, names, etc.) which was entered into ePCT to generate the zip file, of course.

But ePCT says:

1.	No IA number assigned (to be assigned by RO)
2.	Priority claim too late (but don’t worry about it if you filed the IA timely)

In other words, the IB hasn’t heard from the RO since I downloaded the zip file.

And, of course, the expected ISA search and report (EPO) hasn’t even begun yet because the IB doesn’t have what it needs.

Are others experiencing this kind of delay?

I’m not sure whose cage to rattle about this.

Guy

Guy V. Manning 
LAW OFFICES OF GUY V. MANNING 
Intellectual Property Attorneys – Patent, Copyright, Trademark  
4200 S. Hulen Street, Suite 603      Voice  (817) 294-7744 

Fort Worth, Texas 76109  USA        Fax     (817) 294-7742  
guyvmann at gvmlaw.net <mailto:guyvmann at flash.net>   

NOTICE TO RECIPIENT: This e-mail is meant only for the intended recipient of the transmission, and may be a communication privileged by law. If you received this e-mail in error, any review, use, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. Please notify us immediately of the error by return e-mail and please delete this message from your system. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. 

AVISO AL RECEPTOR: Este mensaje tiene por destinatario exclusivo a la persona o entidad a la que está dirigida, y puede contener información confidencial y que no puede divulgarse. Si usted recibió este mensaje por error, le está prohibido divulgar, distribuir o copiar la información aquí contenida. Le agradeceremos que nos notifique del error inmediatamente por e-mail de respuesta y que borre este mensaje de su sistema. Muchas gracias por adelantado por su cooperación. 

AVISO AO RECIPIENTE: Este e-mail é destinado apenas ao destinatário da transmissão e pode conter informações protegidas por lei. Caso você tenha recebido este e-mail por engano, fica absolutamente proibida a sua revisão, uso, disseminação, distribuição ou cópia. Por favor avise-nos imediatamente do erro e por favor, exclua a mensagem de seu sistema. Desde já agradeçemos sua cooperação.

HINWEIS FÜR DEN EMPFÄNGER: Dieses e-mail ist für das Erhalten des Empfängers bezweckt und kann unter dem Gesetz als vertrauliche Kommunikation gelten. Wenn Sie dieses e-mail versehentlich bekommen haben sollten, jegliche Prüfung, Weiterleitung, Verbreitung oder anderweitige Verwendung sowie kopieren ist strengstens verboten. Bitte benachrichtigen Sie uns sofort des Fehlers in dem Sie diese e-mail zurück senden und bitte löschen Sie diese Nachricht von ihrem System. Vielen Dank im Voraus für Ihre Mitarbeit.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://oppedahl-lists.com/pipermail/patentpractice_oppedahl-lists.com/attachments/20240809/e2f960a9/attachment.html>