Policy

In the interest of providing better service to its customers, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has established a Video Conference Center (VCC) to expedite patent and trademark prosecution. The VCC is presently administered by the Patent Academy and is available for authorized official business during normal business hours (8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, EST). For more information see the the VCC Lecture Topics and Schedule. The USPTO's onsite videoconferencing system is state-of-the-art, fully encrypted and capable of interfacing with all major vendors videoconferencing equipment. 

In addition to the standard components of a PC and a videoconferencing system, USPTO's equipment includes a high speed, high resolution (G-4) facsimile machine for transmitting documents over secure lines.

Location

Secure video conference links are available between USPTO and the Partnership PTDLs for use in conducting USPTO business. The videoconferencing facilities can be found at the following locations:

Great Lakes Patent and Trademark Center (GLPTC)
Detroit Public Library
5201 Woodward Avenue (2nd Level)
Detroit, MI 48202
Phone: (313) 833-3379
Fax: (313) 833-6481
E-mail: glptc@detroit.lib.mi.us

Sunnyvale Center for Innovation, Invention and Ideas (Sc[i]³)
665 W. Olive Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Phone: (408) 730-7300
Fax: (408) 735-8762
E-mail: patents@sci3.com

Texas Intellectual Property Partnership (TIP²)
Science & Engineering Services
Sterling C. Evans Library Annex
Texas A&M University Libraries
College Station, TX 77843-5000
Phone: (979) 458-1819
Fax: (979) 458-1802
E-mail: TIP2@lib-gw.tamu.edu

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450

Scheduling Procedures

Customers wishing to utilize videoconferencing rather than coming to the USPTO for a face-to-face interview should contact the patent examiner or trademark examining attorney and identify two alternative dates and time for a video conference. The patent examiner or trademark examining attorney will then contact Patent Academy personnel who will, in turn, make all the arrangements. The customer will be contacted as to the date and time of the videoconference. All Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries (PTDLs) are eligible for implementing a direct videoconference link to the USPTO for examiner interviews, board hearings and other meetings, although at this time only Partnership PTDLs are operationally linked.

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Is there a question about what the USPTO can or cannot do that you cannot find an answer for? Send questions about USPTO programs and services to the USPTO Contact Center(UCC). You can suggest USPTO webpages or material you would like featured on this section by Email to the webmaster@uspto.gov. While we cannot promise to accommodate all requests, your suggestions will be considered and may lead to other improvements on the website.