Patent office starts taking applications online

Inventors can now file patent applications electronically with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which has taken the first step in moving its current paper-based process online.

"We have provided a software system that allows an applicant to submit a patent application online," said Wesley Gewehr, PTO's deputy chief information officer for systems modernization. "On our Web site are the authoring tools necessary to help an applicant prepare their information. Plus, we provide a software package that pulls the various pieces of the application together. These pieces could be text files or image files."

The site, PTO's Patent Electronic Business Center, uses digital certificates to provide the security necessary for patent applications. Inventors can apply for a digital certificate online, or in person at offices nationwide.

A digital certificate provides users with "authentication, security and non-repudiation," said Robert Porter, director of PTO's office of systems development and maintenance. "It is also the source of the encryption key."

This system provides PTO with assurance that an inventor is who they say they are. It also adds a high level of security to the process. The application is encrypted when it is sent to PTO, meaning it cannot be intercepted and read.

PTO also offers a system that lets inventors track the status of their applications as their inventions move through the lengthy process.

This is not PTO's first foray into e-government. The agency already provides a mechanism for filing trademarks online. Currently, 17 percent of all trademark applications are filed online, and the agency expects that number to rise to 95 percent in the next two to three years, Porter said.