EFS Forms

Form-Fillable PDFs Available

USPTO currently has the following Form-Fillable PDFs available that will provide auto-loading of data directly into USPTO databases:

List of Changes made to the forms (updated 29DEC2008)

SB08a Information Disclosure Statement [PDF] (version 2.1.6, 29DEC2008)>> Instructions [DOC]
provides a means of listing all U.S. patents and U.S. publications, foreign patent documents and non-patent literature (NPL), submitted for consideration by USPTO in a non-provisional patent application

SB14 Application Data Sheet [PDF] (version 2.2.2, 01AUG2008) >> Instructions [DOC]
submitted in either provisional or non-provisional applications, and contains bibliographic data arranged in a format specified by USPTO

SB16 Provisional Application for Patent Cover Sheet [PDF] (EFS-Web version 1.0.1, 01AUG2008) >> Instructions [DOC]

SB28 Petition to Make Special Under Accelerated Examination Program [PDF] (version 2.2.9, 29DEC2008)
provides a means of filing a petition to make special, other than those based on health, age or the PPH pilot program. See Accelerated Examination for more information.

SB30 Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Transmittal [PDF] (version 2.1.5, 29DEC2008) >> Instructions [DOC]

SB66 Petition to Accept Unintentionally Delayed Payment of Maintenance Fee in an Expired Patent (37 CFR 1.378(c)) [3 pages] [PDF] (version 2.1, 01AUG2008)
>> Instructions[DOC]: Guidelines for Obtaining Automatic Grant of e-Petition Filed Under 37 CFR 1.378(c)

This form is to be used for auto-processing (i.e. immediate granting) of the Petition to Accept Unintentionally Delayed Payment of a Maintenance Fee in an Expired Patent. If you would like to submit this petition and do not want immediate processing, but would prefer to submit the petition to the Office of Petitions for processing in due course, please use the SB66¹ found on the USPTO's forms page. The SB66¹ may be submitted electronically, as a registered filer, via EFS-Web as a paper filed in an existing application/patent, or by mail.

SB130 Petition to Make Special based on Age [PDF] (version 1.0.7, 29DEC2008) >> Instructions [DOC]

EFS Form-Fillable PDFs require Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0.8, 7.0.9, 8.1.1, 8.1.2, or 9.0 ONLY. >> Download free Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0.8, 7.0.9, 8.1.1, 8.1.2, or 9.0.

EFS-Web utilizes standard web-based screens and prompts to enable you to submit a portable document format (PDF) document directly to the USPTO within minutes. A key component of EFS-Web is the use of PDF Form-Fillable documents, which are interactive forms with various field types and formatting options that auto-load field information directly in USPTO’s systems. PDF form-fillable files are portable; they may be circulated to various people in your office for completion prior to being submitted to the USPTO.

When used in conjunction with EFS-Web, PDF Form-Fillable documents can help the intellectual property community ease the filing and submission process and accelerate the processing of patent applications and documents in USPTO’s technology infrastructure for users.

PDF FORM-FILLABLE BENEFITS

Form-Fillable PDF’s allow USPTO to extract form data directly into the main database used to process forms so that the same information can appear in Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR)
By extracting data directly out of Form-Fillable PDF’s, EFS-Web users can minimize rework and improve data accuracy for all types of filings
Improved data accuracy reduces the need to file additional papers, such as “Correction of Filing” forms
Form-Fillable PDF’s require no PDF creation software; only the latest free version of Acrobat Reader is needed to use the forms.

IMPORTANT PDF FORM-FILLABLE FEATURES

Form-Fillable PDF’s from USPTO provide the following functionality:

Ability to print forms with data entered by the user o Ability to save the form electronically with data embedded
Capability to re-open the saved form to modify existing data
Ability to import data in XML format from document management systems and other databases
Ability to export data in XML format to document management systems and other databases

Other Important Information

There are many other PDF forms on the USPTO web site but these do not save data. These legacy PDF forms can be filled out and submitted to USPTO using EFS-Web; however, the field information will not be automatically loaded onto USPTO systems.

>> Download other USPTO Fillable Forms (requires Adobe 6 Professional to save files for submission)

If users create their own Form-Fillable PDFs, or modify USPTO Form-Fillable PDFs, the data will be accepted, however data in individual fields will not auto-load into USPTO systems.