[Patentpractice] How to file office action responses / POAs without customer number

[Justin Miller]

Thank you to all who replied on and off list!

I was able to generate a customer number in exactly 10 seconds :-)

I appreciate the tip about moving the applications over en masse to ensure
I received correspondence - that will be very helpful.

It seems that my "just press every button" approach to changing my email
address and using ID.me made it harder for me:
[image: image.png]
https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/account-faqs#type-browse-faqs_210394

I wrote the EBC re: getting unverified, but this is of lesser importance
now that I can file with my new customer number.

Thanks!

Sincerely,
Justin P. Miller
Distinct Patent Law
Office: 727.513.4590


On Fri, Mar 7, 2025 at 4:05 PM Carl Oppedahl <carl at oppedahl.com> wrote:

> On 3/7/2025 1:43 PM, Justin Miller via Patentpractice wrote:
>
> I have left my previous law firm and am starting my own law firm. This
> happened a bit faster than I had anticipated, so I was not quite ready.
>
> A number of clients with pending patent applications have transferred
> their matters to my new firm. I need to respond to numerous office actions,
> and need to update the POAs first.
>
> Based on conversations with the AAU, my first step is to file a request
> for customer number, PTO/SB/125A:
> https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sb0125.pdf
>
> You can get a customer number instantly in Patent Center.   It takes three
> mouse clicks.   No need to wait two weeks.  What a pity (and how
> unexpected) that the AAU would get this so terribly wrong.
>
> My understanding is this takes 2 weeks.
>
> Nope.  2 minutes.
>
>
> I am told that I then need to file the Patent Electronic System
> Verification Form, PTO‐2042a:
> https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pto-2042a.pdf
>
> It seems that this form will connect the new customer number to a
> USPTO.gov login.
>
> I imagine that's going to take another 2 weeks.
>
> How have you been logging in at MyUSPTO and other places (like Patent
> Center) for all these years?  That user ID and password are already linked
> to your practitioner registration number and are already "verified".  Just
> keep using that user ID and password.  If necessary, update the email
> address that you use on that user ID.
>
>
> My question is how to file the new POAs and office action responses while
> I wait.
>
> I see that I can file a POA using contact information rather than a
> customer number, but I cannot see how to file the POA electronically.
>
> You just go to Patent Center, plug in the application number and
> confirmation number, and e-file the POA.  Same as you would e-file anything
> in any application.
>
>
> I created a new USPTO.gov login using my new email address, but it does
> not appear to have permission to file into any existing patent applications
> (I receive a 401 error).
>
> I would stop trying to use that user ID and password.  As far as I can see
> it was wasted time to try to create that.
>
>
> I have access to my old USPTO.gov login, but of course it is associated
> with the customer number of my previous law firm.
>
> You are entitled to keep using that old login ID.  If need be, you update
> the email address associated with that old login ID.  And then it is only a
> matter of a few mouse clicks to get yourself un-associated with any old
> customer numbers that you should not be associated with any more.
>
>
> Am I stuck using fax (which seems slow based on what you have all shared)
> or mail?
>
> No.  And mail would be just as slow as fax, or slower.
>
>
> Sincerely,
> Justin P. Miller
> Distinct Patent Law
> Office: 727.513.4590
>
>
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