[Pct] PCT help desk phone number is dead

[Carl Oppedahl]

Rick's question is not idle.  As I have blogged here 
<https://blog.oppedahl.com/sluggishness-of-uspto-workflow-for-inbound-faxes/>, 
the USPTO has staffed the Central Fax Number so poorly that it is 
commonplace for an inbound fax to languish untouched for two months or more.

It is difficult to imagine that the fax number at PCT Operations would 
be even more poorly staffed.

On the other hand, the EO/DO/US is so poorly staffed that it takes half 
a year just to get a Filing Receipt after entering the US national phase.

On 4/2/2025 9:29 AM, Rick Neifeld via Pct wrote:
> 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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