9 thoughts on “Get it Done This Week: Weekday Patent Filing”
2
At the law firm where I worked, the attorneys and agents did not file patent applications, the staff (secretaries and paralegals) did. Hence, patent application filing was done M-F.
1
Curiosity aroused – given that the Office will not process on a weekend, and due-dates slide to the following Monday, why would one be filing on a weekend?
I “get” filing prior to a deadline, but any such concern – if it rises to such a level – should be handled more than weekend day (or two) prior to a (real) Monday due date.
1.1
Maybe some attorneys work in time zones other than Eastern time.
1.2
Curiosity aroused – given that the Office will not process on a weekend, and due-dates slide to the following Monday, why would one be filing on a weekend?
You may have never have prosecuted an application with prior art that was mere days before your filing. It happens. If the application is ready to be filed, get the filing date.
1.2.1
Ah – fair enough (I was thinking more in terms of action responses as opposed to strictly filings, so your point is well taken).
1.3
An example would be a tentative outside party disclosure due on Monday morning, which prompts filing a provisional/non-prov. over the weekend.
1.4
That question may make sense for office action responses. But we’re talking about patent applications. Sometimes, you just want an early filing date. If you get client approval/signatures on a Saturday, might as well get your client 2 extra days of priority.
1.5
It’s Micro entities primarily. Like me, those filers have day jobs unrelated to filing patents (Pro Se). So they file in thIer free time – weekends.
Data from published patent applications filed 2001-2017.
At the law firm where I worked, the attorneys and agents did not file patent applications, the staff (secretaries and paralegals) did. Hence, patent application filing was done M-F.
Curiosity aroused – given that the Office will not process on a weekend, and due-dates slide to the following Monday, why would one be filing on a weekend?
I “get” filing prior to a deadline, but any such concern – if it rises to such a level – should be handled more than weekend day (or two) prior to a (real) Monday due date.
Maybe some attorneys work in time zones other than Eastern time.
Curiosity aroused – given that the Office will not process on a weekend, and due-dates slide to the following Monday, why would one be filing on a weekend?
You may have never have prosecuted an application with prior art that was mere days before your filing. It happens. If the application is ready to be filed, get the filing date.
Ah – fair enough (I was thinking more in terms of action responses as opposed to strictly filings, so your point is well taken).
An example would be a tentative outside party disclosure due on Monday morning, which prompts filing a provisional/non-prov. over the weekend.
That question may make sense for office action responses. But we’re talking about patent applications. Sometimes, you just want an early filing date. If you get client approval/signatures on a Saturday, might as well get your client 2 extra days of priority.
It’s Micro entities primarily. Like me, those filers have day jobs unrelated to filing patents (Pro Se). So they file in thIer free time – weekends.
Good counter points peeps – thanks!
Comments are closed.