As a part of our continuing effort to modernize USPTO application systems, filing formats
for patent applications now include DOCX.
Filing in DOCX eliminates the need to convert structured text into a PDF for filing.
Additionally, uploading in DOCX with supported fonts eliminates the non-embedded font error,
which is the most common error when uploading a PDF document.
Registered or unregistered users may file Utility non-provisional, provisional, and
US 371 National Stage applications currently, and we are working to add even more filing
types.
Your document can contain the specification, claims, abstract and drawings sections in
DOCX format in a single file.
Using the USPTO’s Patent Center tool, filing patent applications electronically has never
been easier.
Unique to Patent Center is a training mode where DOCX documents may be anonymously uploaded
and pre-checked by the system without submitting the application for processing.
For example, by selecting a new Utility nonprovisional filing type
and entering application data in the required fields,
a multisection document may simply be dragged and dropped for upload.
Available only to documents filed in docx format, the system performs real time section
detection and content validation – helping to identify issues that may otherwise delay
processing of the application.
A feedback document is provided so you can view the exact location of each identified
issue and address them before officially submitting the patent application.
The application can be submitted with warnings present, or the document may be removed, corrected,
and reloaded for submission.
The ability to make corrections pre-submission may decrease the number of non-compliant notices
you receive from the USPTO, saving you valuable time and allowing the application to be processed
without delay.
User metadata such as author, comments, and bookmarks are scrubbed from the document pre-submission,
so that only the substantive information desired to be seen in the image file wrapper is preserved.
Advancing to the review and submit screen, after entering efiler information and selecting
the submit button, the electronic acknowledgement receipt shows
a dummy application number, the documents submitted,
and an SHA-512 secure hash which ensures that the application is unaltered as it travels
through the application process.
To exit training mode, select “quit training mode” at the top right corner.
This takes you back to the Patent Center home page.
Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/docx to sign up for future training events and to
learn more about filing in docx format, the best way for authoring and processing
your patent applications!