United States Patent and Trademark Office OG Notices: 16 December 2003
Status of Office of Public Records Services The Office of Public Records (OPR) processes and fills orders for both certified and uncertified copies of Patent and Trademark Office documents and records assignments and other documents related to title. This is an update of actual processing times during the month of October 2003: Document Services Goal Actual Processing Time Certified Documents Patent Applications-As-Filed 7 days 5 days Patent Related File Wrappers 25 days 33 days* Patent Copies 10 days 5 days Patent Assignments 10 days 6 days Trademark Applications-As-Filed 7 days 5 days Trademark Related File Wrappers 25 days 13 days* Trademark Assignments 10 days 7 days Trademark Registrations, Expedited 5 days 4 days Trademark Registrations, Regular 14 days 6 days Uncertified Documents Patent Copies 5 days 2 days Plant Patents 5 days 1 day Patent Assignments 10 days 3 days Patent Related File Wrappers 25 days 41 days* Trademark Copies 5 days 3 days Trademark Assignments 10 days 2 days Trademark Related File Wrappers 25 days 10 days* *Includes turnaround times for files on Official Search and File Reconstruction. During the month of October 2003, a total of 16,093 public orders (23,786 copies) were filled and closed, or 5,143 orders more (594 copies less) than the FY-04 planning number of 10,950 orders (23,192 copies) to be closed for this month. Please do not submit "follow-up" or duplicate copies of orders. Customers should use the above actual processing time for each product as a guide as to when they can expect their orders to be completed. In cases where an urgent deadline is approaching, contact OPR Customer Service at (703) 308-9726 or 1 (800) 972-6382 for assistance with a particular order. Customers are encouraged to fax orders for copies directly to the Document Services Division at (703) 308-9759 and to pay by PTO Deposit Account, MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover. Copy orders also may be placed through the Internet by accessing the PTO home page at www.uspto.gov and selecting the "Order Copies" option. Information on the status of pending orders may be obtained by calling (703) 308-9726 or 1 (800) 972-6382 (outside the Washington, DC Metro area), or via E-mail: dsd@uspto.gov. ASSIGNMENT SERVICES Goal Actual Processing Time Submission Method Internet (EPS or eTAS) 2 days 1 day Fax 5 days 1 day Paper 30 days 158 days The Assignment Services Division is currently mailing recordation notices for paper documents received in the Office of Public Records on May 27, 2003. Customers are encouraged to file assignments via the Internet or by fax. Information on howq to file assignments via the Internet can be found at the USPTO Electronic Business Center website at www.uspto.gov/ebc/indexebc.html. Fax submissions may be made directly to Assignment Services Division at (703) 306-5995. Information on the status of pending assignment recordations may be obtained by calling (703) 308-9723 or 1 (800) 972-6382 (outside the Washington, DC Metro area). November 6, 2003 TED PARR Director, Office of Public Records