The document summarizes several new patent programs and initiatives: 1) The Post-Prosecution Pilot (P3) combines features of two existing programs and allows applicants to submit proposed amendments for consideration by a panel of examiners and present to the panel. 2) The eMod Text Pilot Program allows uploading and downloading applications and office actions as text documents. It has requirements for document formatting and supported fonts. 3) Recent changes to patent procedures and laws in India, the UK, and the USPTO are noted.

2. New Post-Prosecution Pilot (P3)
• Combines features
– Pre-Appeal Brief Review Conference Pilot (Pre-
Appeal)
– After Final Consideration Pilot Program (AFCP)
• Post-Prosecution Pilot (P3)
– Submit Proposed After Final Amendment for
Consideration by a Panel of Examiners
– Opportunity to Present to Panel (in person/phone)
– Panel Provide Brief Written Summary
 Claim status
 Reasoning for maintaining rejection
See, http://www.uspto.gov/patent/initiatives/post-prosecution-pilot

3. eMod Text Pilot Program
• eMod = Future EFS & PAIR
• Benefits
– Upload Applications (and other documents
eventually) as Word/text documents (.docx)
– Download documents as Word/text documents
(e.g., Office Actions)
• eMod Pilot Program Open
– BUT need to apply to the whole customer
number

4. eMod Text Pilot Program- Requirements
• Access to EFS-Web.
• Registered eFiler- opted into the eMod Text
Pilot Program via Customer Number.
• Registered eFilers may save a submission as
a work-in-progress for up to 7 days.
• Text intake feature
– Only available for new Utility Nonprovisional
submissions.
– Unavailable for all other submission types.
• All required fields must be completed in order
to proceed with the submission. The required
fields are indicated with an asterisk.

5. eMod Text Pilot Program- Requirements
• Open XML Word Processors (.docx)
– Microsoft Word 2007 or higher
– Google Docs
– Office Online
– LibreOffice
– Pages for Mac
• Specification, Claims, and Abstract submitted
as text (separately?)

6. eMod Text Pilot Program- EFS

7. eMod Text Pilot Program- EFS
• Warning Messages (yellow) for:
– Track changes,
– Comments*
– Bookmarks*
– Hidden Items*
– Continuous line numbering*
– Text decorations*
– Unused invalid fonts*
– Unnecessary document properties*
• *The system will automatically make changes
to the document.

8. eMod Text Pilot Program- EFS
• Warning Messages (yelllow) for:
– Abstract word count over 150
– Unsupported OLE Objects (Supported OLE
Objects include Visio.Drawing 11,
Equation.DSMT4, ACD.ChemSketch.20,
ChemDraw.Document.6.0, Equation.3)

9. eMod Text Pilot Program- EFS
• Unable to Proceed further (red warning):
– Duplicate application parts
– Invalid Page Size – cannot exceed Letter or A4
– Contains Content control
– Contains Custom XML
– Invalid font

10. eMod Text Pilot Program- EFS
• Valid/Recommended Fonts:
– Georgia
– Times New Roman
– Arial
– Arial Black
– Arial Narrow
– Arial Rounded MT Bold
– Tahoma
– Verdana
– Trebuchet MS
– Courier New
– Calibri

11. eMod Text Pilot Program- PAIR

12. eMod Text Pilot Program- EFS
• Download Outgoing Correspondence
(e.g., Office Actions)

13. BREXIT & European Unitary Patent and
Unitary Patent Court
• UK government has confirmed it is proceeding
with preparations to ratify the Unified Patent
Court Agreement. (28-Nov-2016)
• https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-
signals-green-light-to-unified-patent-court-
agreement

14. Inauguration- USPTO Changes
• USPTO Political Appointees Will
Resign by Inauguration
(Jan 20, 2017)
– Director- Michelle Lee???
– Deputy Director- Russ Slifer
– Chief of Staff- Vikrum Aiyer
– Chief Communications Officer-
Patrick Ross (Jan 19)
– Plus a few others
• Commissioner for Patents- Drew
Hirshfeld will then be Acting Director
for the USPTO.

15. India Changes
• India’s new law is now similar to Australia in
that they have a date of 6 months (previously
12 months) from the first official action for
putting an application in order for grant.
• There is an extendable period of 3 months, if
the extension of time & fee is paid before the
expiration of the 6 months’ time.
• Docketing
– 6-month deadline for the application to be in
order for grant.
– 1-month from the mail date of the examination
report to respond to the examination report
(“instructions due – soft deadline”).

16. India Changes
• Previously in India, the claims could not be
amended at the time of the national phase
entry.
• Under the new law, deletion of claims is now
allowed at the time of the national phase entry
to reduce the filing costs.
• However, no changes to the specification or
additional claims may be added at the time of
entry.