IF IT AIN'T PAPER, IS
Posted by Douglas Sorocco, January 18, 2004 at 12:42 pm
IF IT AIN'T PAPER, IS IT STILL A WRAPPER?
As of July 1, 2003, it's official, all new patent filings will be scanned and the paper copy thrown away, and over the next fifteen months all pending application files will be scanned and the remaining paper copies thrown out as well.
The natural consequence of converting to electronic patent application files (or file wrappers) is increased spending on computers. Total proposed IT spending for the USPTO is $387 million in 2008, compared to $280 million this year. That is a lot of scanners.
"/>
<date name="when" value="Sun, 18 Jan 2004 22:42:05 GMT