Systems and methods for preparation of an intellectual property filing in accordance with jurisdiction-and/or agent-specific requirements
First Claim
1. A method of operating an information service to facilitate preparation of intellectual property documents suitable for filing in one or more of plural target jurisdictions, the method comprising:
- registering for each of plural associates, at least one target jurisdiction and a computer readable encoding of a plurality of form documents corresponding to target jurisdiction and associate specifications therefor wherein the form documents include fields defined for completion of matter-specific information;
distributing at least a portion of the form documents to an originating filer for use in preparation of the intellectual property documents suitable for filing by respective ones of the associates wherein the distribution is at least one of (i) responsive to selection by the originating filer of one or more of the target jurisdictions and, for each selected target jurisdiction, a respective one of the associates, and (ii) periodic supply to the originating filer of the computer readable encoding of at least a portion of the form documents for each of plural associates;
receiving filing documents from the originating filer, wherein the filing documents comprise at least a portion of the form documents completed with matter-specific information from the originating filer; and
automatically determining, by a computer, responsive to the filing documents, respective associates for receipt of the filing documents, and forwarding the filing documents to the respective associates.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A facility has been developed whereby an applicant (or his representative) may file corresponding applications in multiple jurisdictions using multiple associates while automating the preparation of filings in accordance with jurisdiction- and/or associate-specific requirements and/or procedures. An intellectual property filing portal or hub is employed, which in some realizations is hosted on public, packet switched data network and communicates with both applicants (or representatives) and associates. The intellectual property filing portal facilitates selection, by applicants (or representatives) of particular jurisdictions and associates based at least in part on fee quotations in accordance with particulars of an intellectual property filing and in accordance with fee structures of the particular jurisdictions and foreign associates. In addition, the intellectual property filing portal facilitates registration of associate- and jurisdiction-specific form documents and fee schedules for at least partially automated preparation of formal documents.
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Citations
59 Claims
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1. A method of operating an information service to facilitate preparation of intellectual property documents suitable for filing in one or more of plural target jurisdictions, the method comprising:
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registering for each of plural associates, at least one target jurisdiction and a computer readable encoding of a plurality of form documents corresponding to target jurisdiction and associate specifications therefor wherein the form documents include fields defined for completion of matter-specific information;
distributing at least a portion of the form documents to an originating filer for use in preparation of the intellectual property documents suitable for filing by respective ones of the associates wherein the distribution is at least one of (i) responsive to selection by the originating filer of one or more of the target jurisdictions and, for each selected target jurisdiction, a respective one of the associates, and (ii) periodic supply to the originating filer of the computer readable encoding of at least a portion of the form documents for each of plural associates;
receiving filing documents from the originating filer, wherein the filing documents comprise at least a portion of the form documents completed with matter-specific information from the originating filer; and
automatically determining, by a computer, responsive to the filing documents, respective associates for receipt of the filing documents, and forwarding the filing documents to the respective associates. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59)
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2-4. -4. (canceled)
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5. An information system for transacting an intellectual property filing with plural targets therefor, the information system comprising:
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a network including an originating node and plural target nodes, the target nodes corresponding to associates licensed or otherwise authorized to make intellectual property filings in one or more target jurisdictions; and
an intellectual property filing portal coupled by the network to the originating node and at least a portion of the target nodes, the intellectual property filing portal responsive to a selection at the originating node of at least one target jurisdiction and at least one associate corresponding thereto for the intellectual property filing, automatically supplying the originating node with particularized requirements of the selected at least one target jurisdiction and at least one associate, the intellectual property filing portal further responsive to receipt via the network of one or more intellectual property filings prepared in accordance with the particularized requirements of the selected at least one target jurisdiction and at least one associate, supplying corresponding ones of the target nodes with respective portions of the received one or more intellectual property filings for filing by respective ones of the selected at least one associate in respective ones of the selected at least one target jurisdiction. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of operating an intellectual property filing portal for servicing intellectual property filing transactions using a network accessible information service, the method comprising:
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responsive to a selection by a user of at least one target jurisdiction and at least one associate corresponding thereto, supplying the user, from the information service via the network, with a computer readable encoding of one or more form documents, wherein the form documents are specific to the at least one target jurisdiction and at least one associate and wherein the form documents include fields defined for completion of matter-specific information; and
receiving from the user, at the information service via the network, one or more documents suitable for filing completed with matter-specific information for a corresponding matter, and in accordance with the one or more form documents, automatically determining, by a computer, the at least one associate corresponding thereto, and forwarding same to the selected corresponding at least one associate for filing in the selected at least one target jurisdiction. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computer implemented method of operating an intellectual property filing service, the method comprising:
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receiving at a computer, a transmission from a user, having at least one selection of two or more target jurisdictions and corresponding associates for an intellectual property filing;
in response to the at least one selection, supplying a transmission from the computer to the user, of two or more target jurisdiction and associate specific documents for completion for each jurisdiction;
receiving at the computer, the completed two or more target jurisdiction and associate-specific documents; and
forwarding, from the computer, respective ones of the target jurisdiction and associate-specific documents, to each of the selected associates for filing in respective of the selected two or more target jurisdictions. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A computer implemented method for initiating filing of one or more intellectual property related documents, said method comprising:
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selecting two or more target jurisdictions from amongst a set of supported jurisdictions; and
responsive to each selected target jurisdiction, obtaining a computer readable encoding of one or more form documents, wherein the one or more form documents are specific to the target jurisdiction and to a respective associate therefor; and
supplying at least a portion of a set of filing documents in accordance with the one or more form documents, for transfer to the respective associate suitable for filing in the selected target jurisdiction. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A computer implemented method for initiating filing of one or more intellectual property related documents, said method comprising:
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selecting one or more target jurisdictions from amongst a set of supported jurisdictions;
for at least one selected target jurisdiction, selecting from amongst one or more attorneys or agents available therefor; and
for each selected target jurisdiction, automatically transforming, by a computer, a computer readable encoding of intellectual property application data to a format appropriate for filing and consistent with requirements of the selected target jurisdiction, the transforming being in accordance with a computer readable encoding of filing requirements for the selected target jurisdiction; and
electronically transmitting the transformed computer readable encoding to an attorney or agent for filing in the selected target jurisdiction. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A computer implemented method of preparing one or more intellectual property filings, said method comprising:
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receiving, at a target computer, a selection of two or more target jurisdictions from an originating computer system;
responsive to the receipt of the selection, supplying, from the target computer to the originating computer system, a computer readable encoding of filing requirements for the selected one or more target jurisdictions; and
receiving, at the target computer, in computer readable form, at least one document suitable for filing in respective ones of the selected two or more target jurisdictions and prepared at the originating computer system in accordance with the computer readable encoding of filing requirements. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43)
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44. An information system for preparing intellectual property filings for at least one target in accordance with requirements therefor, the information system comprising:
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a selection facility by which a user thereof selects the at least one target;
a retrieval interface to intellectual property application data stored;
a retrieval interface to requirement data corresponding to the target;
a filing preparation facility responsive to the selection facility to automatically transform, by a computer, the intellectual property application data into a target-specific intellectual property application filing format suitable for filing in accordance with the target requirement data; and
automatically prepare, by a computer, at least one additional document in accordance with the intellectual property application and suitable for filing in accordance with target requirement data for each target selected by the user. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52-53. -53. (canceled)
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54. A method of making a computer readable encoding of one or more target jurisdiction- and associate-specific form documents, the method comprising:
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maintaining a data store of target jurisdiction- and associate-specific form documents for transacting an intellectual property filing in the target jurisdictions using respective of the associates;
encoding, based on contents of the data store, an enumeration, for transmission to a computer, of at least a subset of the target jurisdictions and respective of the associates therefor;
receiving a selection of one or more of the target jurisdictions and respective associates;
automatically retrieving, by a computer, based on the selection, corresponding of the target jurisdiction- and associate-specific form documents; and
automatically encoding, by the computer as a response to the selection for transmission to the computer, the retrieved target jurisdiction- and associate-specific form documents. - View Dependent Claims (55)
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56. (canceled)
Specification