5 for ‘05: A tech challenge for the Patent and Trademark Office

I thought it would be fun (and potentially very helpful) to start the blogging new year with a challenge to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The subject? Technology, of course. The scope? Simple. Easy stuff that doesn’t require an Act of Congress or promulgation of rules and regulations. Everything here can be accomplished readily during the course of 2005.

So here it is: Five simple technology improvements the Patent and Trademark Office can and should implement during 2005.

In no particular order:

1. Start using RSS. The potential here is enormous (think individual feeds for patent classifications, art units, etc.) but we want to keep it simple. So start with a simple news feed. Maybe get fancy and add a few (patent, trademark, federal register, etc.). RSS is making headway in government, and the Office, as a technology agency, needs to get on the bandwagon.

Put the simple feed(s) in place and then turn to building bigger, better, and more comprehensive feeds. Clearly there is interest in this service.

2. Make EFS software easier to download and install. The electronic filing system is underutilized because it is still cumbersome and intimidating. The Office has undertaken an enormous project in getting the system in place, but something needs to be done to increase the adoption rate. Congress has offered only minimal economic incentives to file patent applications electronically and has limited the incentives to a small fraction of applicants. This, alone, will not increase the adoption rate. So the Office must minimize the technological barriers to adoption and make it extremely simple to begin using the system.

An example? The latest version of the EFS software requires three separate downloads.

So here is the challenge: Package the required software into a single download and create a simple and familiar installation package (e.g., a Windows installer type interface that confirms installation of all components from a single package).

3. Make .pdf’s of published applications and issued patents available for download. Getting .pdf’s of patent documents can be a real nuisance (thankfully, Nipper regularly updates ‘The Guide‘). Enough already. It shouldn’t be this difficult. The Office has the images; make them available. Eliminating the viewer plugin would be a bonus.

4. Pick a portion of the website and completely redesign it. The entire website needs an overhaul. The site includes an enourmous amount of information, but the overall design and organization makes it difficult to locate and use a large amount of the available information. A complete overhaul is a massive project. The focus of this challenge is simplicity. So, redesign a portion of the site, possibly as a testing ground for a future overhaul of the entire site.

The portion chosen is largely irrelevant. Personally, I would suggest the patents home page. I visit this page numerous times each week, and am still confused by its layout and organization. If you haven’t seen the site, check it out. I think you’ll agree.

5. Make the Laws, Rules & Regulations, and Manuals more accessible online. As an example, the site for the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) is less than ideal (not to mention difficult to find from the patents home page. See #4).

Make these documents easier to use right from the website. Add search forms, etc. These documents control practice before the Office — they should be easy to access and use. For the challenge, pick one and make the change. As with #4, use it as a testing ground for the other documents.

Again, the document chosen is largely irrelevant. I suggest the MPEP for entirely selfish reasons.

That’s it. 5 for ‘05. Here’s hoping we’ll see some of these ideas implemented this year.