[Pct] PCT help desk phone number is dead

[Rick Neifeld]

Carl - Thanks, as usual.

Update:  The PCT Help Desk vm message now states "The Patent Cooperation
Treaty Help Desk. ... is temporarily unavailable to take your call...."

Also:  MPEP 502.01 provides various telephone numbers for FAX, including
the central fax (571) 273-8300 and also for PCT Operations, that is for
"Correspondence subsequent to filing in an international application before
the U.S. Receiving Office, the U.S. International Searching Authority, or
the U.S. International Preliminary Examining Authority" (571) 273-3201.

QUESTION: Does anyone know if (as I suspect) a FAX to the PCT Operations
fax number will result in quicker action than a fax to the central fax
number? (I would ask PCT Help desk this question if they were available.)

Rick

On Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 10:44 AM Carl Oppedahl <carl at oppedahl.com> wrote:

> Keep in mind that if nothing else works, you could fax Form 2038 to the
> Central Fax Number.
> On 4/2/2025 8:33 AM, Rick Neifeld via Pct wrote:
>
> I called and did get through to EBC, so that phone number works. The PCT
> Help Desk number still goes to a dropped call, after the transfer from the
> USPTO phone system's (stupid and time wasteful) intro message.
>
> My issue is paying additional ISA/US search fees within PatentCenter.  I
> had checked in PatentCenter  (by uploading a response to an Invitation to
> pay additional search fees and searching for an entry for additional ISA/US
> search fees)  and found no option to specify additional ISA/US search
> fees.
>
> I want to have the client use their cc number to effect payment, instead
> of my deposit account.  I see the only option to do that is via an SB17
> form (which is a bad option because it believe that will eventually expose
> the client's cc number in PatentCenter. (That is, assuming PatentCenter
> makes its file for the PCT application in the international stage public,
> which I assume it will do 18 months after the priority date.  This is a ...
> - *FLASH UPDATE - *
>
> ********Micheal from WIPO called me in real time in response to my post
> on this listserve, trying to help.  ... I spent the last 20 minutes are so
> on the phone with Michael from WIPO, where he was trying to help me with my
> USPTO centric problem. Michael said he was in a panic (I am paraphrasing),
> thinking that perhaps it was the IB's phone numbers that were not working.
> I told him it was laughable how good the IB's service was, he would call me
> in response to a listserve email post, whereas I spent literally hours
> trying to get help from the USPTO to resolve the same problem.
>
> Sigh.
>
> Any help via email reply appreciated.  Have to get to a client meeting
> now.******
>   Rick
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 10:00 AM Rick Neifeld <richardneifeld at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Is it just me, are all calls to PCT help desk this morning dead? For me,
>> the call rings, then ends.  It worked yesterday.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Best regards
>> Rick Neifeld, J.D., Ph.D.
>> Neifeld IP Law PLLC
>> 9112 Shearman Street, Fairfax VA 22032
>> Mobile: 7034470727
>> Email: RichardNeifeld at gmail.com;
>> This is NOT a confidential and privileged communication.  If you are not
>> the intended recipient, please delete this email and notify the sender you
>> have done so.
>>
>>
>>
>
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