New USPTO website on the way

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is planning a complete redesign of their website. A beta version of their new site is currently running at http://beta.uspto.gov/ and the USPTO has been encouraging its users to provide feedback regarding the website layout and functionality before the planned site launch of February 5, 2015.

The USPTO website (www.uspto.gov) provides services to the general public as well as to patent and trademark practitioners. It is a valuable tool for those interested in filing, processing, and procuring patents and trademarks from the United States government. Some of the tools provided by the website include:

• The ability to electronically file patent and trademark applications;
• The ability to make payments for governmental fees related to patent and trademark applications;
• The ability to electronically search through the patent and trademark databases; and
• The ability to review prosecution history files of pending and issued patents and trademarks.

This website remains a very important resource to anyone that participates in the intellectual property space as it also provides essential information for inventors and practitioners regarding their rights relating to the patent and trademark process.

It would be advisable for any one that frequents the USPTO site to become familiar with their new website and provide feedback ahead of its February 5th launch. It would also be advisable for patent attorneys and agents to inform their secretaries and paralegals of this upcoming change to allow them the opportunity to become familiar with filing and fee payment functions on their behalves.