Patent Electronic Business Center 

IMPORTANT: PLEASE CHECK E-BIZ ALERTS FOR CURRENT SYSTEM STATUS & OUTAGES

Patent Electronic Filing System (EFS)

SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE: EFS will not be available between Saturday, October 16 at 10 PM and Sunday, October 17 at 6 AM ET

Download Required as of 01OCT2004: Submissions require that the user install and use a DTD file that has been posted on the USPTO EFS Software downloads page. This DTD implements a revised fee schedule effective 01 October 2004.

Users wishing to make submissions via EFS must install and use ABX v1.1, EFS-ABX PDF Writer and ePAVE 5.1e, which are available from the EFS Downloads page.

NOTE: To access images via Private PAIR, new EFS users must also register for Private PAIR and download USPTO Direct 6.0 SP2. Existing EFS and Private PAIR users are not required to upgrade to SP2 but may wish to do so if they utilize the Windows XP operating system.

Public PAIR Access to Image File Wrapper (IFW)

As of 31 July 2004 the USPTO provides access to Image File Wrapper contents for U.S. patents and patent application publications via Public PAIR. Users can view and download the electronic file wrapper in PDF format at no cost. To access Public PAIR, click the Public PAIR link above or select the Status & IFW link on the left hand side of the USPTO's home page under "Patents."

Private PAIR

USPTO-Direct 6.0 SP2 (Private PAIR Software) is available for download. It contains enhancements to support compatibility with Windows XP.