e-Office Action Program
The e-Office Action program is designed to notify applicants, via e-mail, that a new Office communication is available for viewing and downloading in Private PAIR. Applicants who opt-in to the program will receive a daily e-mail notification that will replace the postal mailing of an Office communication. Program participation is optional and is based on patent applications that are associated to a Customer Number.
e-Office Action Benefits
Receive automatic e-mail notifications when new Office communication is available in Private PAIR and take advantage of the following benefits:
- A 21st century alternative to receiving paper Office communication via postal mail
- e-mail notifications can be several days faster than postal mail
- e-mail notification provides comprehensive information regarding the new Office communication
- Minimize risks associated with delayed or lost Office communication sent by mail
- View and download correspondence in Private PAIR to expedite the availability of docketed Office communication.
- Reduce paper processing errors and costs
e-Office Action Program Flexibility and Enrollment
Elect to opt-in or opt-out of the e-Office Action program at anytime.
- Provide up to three e-mail addresses to receive e-mail notification to ensure complete personnel and office location coverage
- e-mail notifications sent daily including weekends
- Receive reminder postcard when none of the new Office communications have been viewed within seven calendar days after receipt of e-mail notification and at least one of the Office communications requires an applicant’s reply
- Simply select the option to “Receive Correspondence Notification via e-Mail” in Private PAIR on the Customer Details for Customer Number screen
- Refer to the e-Office Action Quick Start Guide for step-by-step instructions
- JOIN TODAY! Visit Private PAIR to opt-in to the e-Office Action program
e-Office Action Document Code Descriptions
e-Office Action & Image File Wrapper (IFW) Document Code Description Guides
The following tables provide the Document Description of each IFW Document Code found in the Image File Wrapper, the Customer Number Outgoing Correspondence search, and the 40 most frequent doc codes listed in e-Office Action.
- Top 40 e-Office Action Document Codes
- Customer Number Outgoing Correspondence Search Document Codes
- Image File Wrapper Document Codes
The Customer Number Outgoing Correspondence and Top 40 e-Office Action doc code tables will list only ‘outgoing’ direction, or communications originating from the Office. The Image File Wrapper table will list all viewable document codes found in IFW.
What Participants are Saying:
“Using e-Office Action has made our practice more efficient. It is great to be immediately notified by email as soon as a new communication is issued by the USPTO. It means we do not wait for the Office Action to arrive in the mail, which can take several days for those of us on the west coast. We can access the communications immediately and report them to clients promptly. I also appreciate being able to tell, right in the e-mail notification, which case has received an action. It is especially helpful when I am away from the office, to have the information right there on my Blackberry.”
-Karen Canady, Ph.D., Esq., Los Angeles CA
“I am thrilled with the e-Office Action program! It has streamlined our whole IP process and reduced our costs considerably. I think it is a great thing, and long overdue”
-Kevin Wills, Patent Attorney, Microvision, Inc., Redmond, WA
“I believe the e-Office Action program is a huge success and a giant leap into the 21st century. I'm sure there have been many hours of hard work put into the PAIR project and as an end user it is greatly appreciated!”
-Robyn Pyle, Patent Legal Assistant, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, Austin, TX
“We have participated in the USPTO's e-Office Action pilot and the results have been fantastic”
-Albert Chen, Patent Attorney, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, New York, NY
Share your experience with the PAIR Team at PAIR@USPTO.gov
e-Office Action Information and Technical Support
e-Office Action additional information
e-Office ActionFAQs | OG Notice | Private PAIR
Information Sheet | Quick Start Guide | Computer Based Training
Top 40 e-Office Action Document Codes | Outgoing Correspondence Document Codes | Image File Wrapper Document Codes
Full technical support is available through the Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free) or at 571-272-4100 from 6 a.m. to 12 midnight Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, or by e-mail at ebc@uspto.gov.
