Patent It Yourself - PDF Archive

ChAPtER 10 | FINALING AND MAILING YOUR APPLICATION | 281
this section under “Fee ($),” and type the product
under the “Fee Paid ($).”
I recommend that you do not file any Multiple
Dependent Claims (MDCs) since the fee is high
and examiners don’t like them. However, if you do
file any MDCs, enter the fee from the right side of
this section in the MDC boxes. The fee is also in
Appendix 4 and at the PTO’s website.
3. Application Size Fee: If your specification and
drawings exceed 100 pages, fill in the boxes in this
section.
Note that the fees for extra claims and MDCs
are very high now.
4. Other Fee(s): Normally you won’t have any
additional fees at this stage, so you won’t have to
enter anything in the Other Fees section. However,
if you want to obtain a somewhat speedier
processing of your application, file a “Petition
to Make Special” (see Section I below). If your
petition requires a fee, type “Pet. Special” after
“Other Fee” and include the amount in the “Other”
box. If you’re enclosing an assignment (see Section
H below), type “Asgt. Recordal.” on the blank line.
Total the amounts in Sections 1 to 4 and enter the sum
in the “Total Amount of Payment” box at the top left of the
form.
Finally, sign and print the corresponding inventor’s
name and phone number in the next-to-last line of the form
and enter your phone number and sign and type the date on
the last line.
The PTO accepts payment by credit card, check, or
money order. If you pay by credit card, use the PTO’s Credit
Card Payment Form (CCPF—Form 10-4 in Appendix 7 or
PTO Form 2038) in conjunction with the Fee Transmittal.
The PTO will not accept debit cards or check cards that
require the use of a personal identification number as a
method of payment. Complete the CCPF as in Fig. 10L. Fill
in all credit card information, including the amount to be
charged to your credit card and your signature. Complete
the Credit Card Billing Address. That information is
required for verification of your credit card account.
Under “Request and Payment Information,” complete the
“Description of Request and Payment Information” with a
short statement of what you are paying for. In the present
case, since you’re paying a patent filing fee, write “Patent
Application Filing Fee.” Circle “Patent Fee” and write your
docket number.
If paying by check or money order, make payment to
Commissioner for Patents for the total amount, and attach
it to the transmittal letter.
CAUTION
Be sure you have enough credit reserve in your
credit card account or money in your checking account to
cover the charge. If your payment bounces, you’ll have to pay
a stiff surcharge. (Note that if the PTO makes any fee or other
errors, they are never penalized.)
Unfortunately, the PTO does not discount its fees for the
needy, handicapped, or aged, or allow such individuals to
postpone their fees.
c. Postcard
As stated in Inventor’s Commandment 18 at the beginning
of this chapter, you should enclose a receipt postcard with
every paper you mail to the PTO. Those few attorneys
who still file by mail use receipt postcards because the
PTO receives many thousands of pieces of mail each day
and occasionally loses some. It may be months before you
receive any reply to a paper you’ve sent to the PTO, so you’ll
want to be assured it arrived safely.
Fig. 10M indicates how an application receipt postcard
should be completed. Note that the back of the card
contains the inventors’ names, title of invention, the
number of sheets of drawing, the number of pages of
specification, claims, and abstract, the Patent Application
Declaration, including the number of pages and date it
was signed, the Patent Application Transmittal, the Fee
Transmittal, CCPF or the check number and amount, and
the NPR. Leave space at the bottom of the back of the card
for the PTO to affix its date and Serial Number sticker.
Occasionally, receipt postcards get lost because of their size
and inconspicuous color. I have had better results by using
colored (bright red) postcards.
Patent application of Mildred Goldberger and Nathan
Briskin for “Food Chopper With Convolute Blade”
consisting of two sheets of drawing, 12 pages of
specification, claims, and abstract, Patent Application
Declaration (2 pp., signed 2011 Nov 11), Patent
Application Transmittal, Fee Transmittal, Credit Card
Payment Form, Nonpublication Request, and Information
Disclosure Statement received for filing today:
Fig. 10M—Completed Back of Receipt Postcard
to Accompany Patent Application
The PTO will affix a sticker to your application postcard
receipt with the date your papers arrived and the serial