This is a auto-generated Article of all your definitions within the glossary.
Glossary
This is a auto-generated Article of all your definitions within the glossary.
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Account Synching / AppColl Tandem
An AppColl Tandem account is a no-cost, secure way to provide corporate clients access to their own IP portfolio information. Tandem accounts provide a set of features that allows a corporation to view and generate reports based on data that is sent to the account automatically from their attorney’s AppColl account.
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Actuals
Actual spending on activities in the past.
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Affiliated
A person is Affiliated with a matter if they are listed as the Matter Partner, Matter Attorney, Matter Contributor or Matter Paralegal. AppColl can generate reports based on matter affiliations.
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Attorney Ref
This is your unique name associated with a matter. No two matters can have the same Attorney Ref. This value would normally be the same as the Attorney Docket No. on file with the USPTO.
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Auto Docketing for US Patents & Trademarks
Automatically generate docketing tasks for US Patents from USPTO e-Office Action emails. US Trademarks are auto-updated. AppColl includes hundreds of task types for U.S. Patent & Trademark Law, and PCT Law through national phase entry. Each task’s rules use triggering events to automatically create docketing items and additional settings to automatically calculate the due date. Foreign matters can easily be docketed manually.
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Automated Email Communication Handling
Easily keep a record of all emails sent between you and your client regarding matters without having to manually upload files to specific folder locations in AppColl. Through use of special email addresses, AppColl provides a mechanism by which users can simply Cc or forward emails directly to AppColl, and the email will be saved in the correct folder in the AppColl Files module corresponding to the associated client or matter. The email and all attachments are stored as an .eml file, which can be opened directly by many email systems, including Microsoft Outlook.
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Automatic download of documents and XML data
Spend less time logging into Patent Center. When a USPTO e-Office Action email is processed by AppColl, any documents associated with the e-Office Action will automatically be downloaded and attached to any docketing tasks generated. At the same time, the bibliographic (XML) information for the associated matter is updated. This feature essentially removes the need to manually log into Patent Center after receiving office actions associated with US patents.
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Auto populate PTO Forms
Save time and improve accuracy by having AppColl populate dozens of Official USPTO forms, including the Application Data Sheet. Create custom form letters and emails populated with information from your AppColl database.
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Awards
If your corporation provides bonus awards for inventors submitting disclosures and filing patents, AppColl can automatically calculate the award amounts and feed that information, after approval, to your payroll department for processing. The payment calculation is flexible and supports award programs that divide a fixed amount across all inventors, with minimum and maximum payouts.
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Billing Module
AppColl’s Billing module is a full featured billing and invoicing system. Law firms can track time, easily invoice clients and record payments. Corporations can load billing information from law firms and track spending. The Billing module is completely integrated with the other modules in AppColl so you leverage all data already entered. No more transferring data to or from other systems or having to work with different products with different interfaces.
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Budget
Allocation of resources in future plan for a given time period
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Client Ref
This optional field is the client’s reference number.
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Comprehensive Matter Database
AppColl’s Matters module stores information for all IP related matters, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and contracts. Create your own custom fields for managing information specific to your business. Automatically populate information for US and Foreign patents from public databases
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Conflict Checking
Identify conflict of interest situations where doing the best thing for one client may harm another due to an adverse relationship between the two clients. Search information in all matters and contacts, including metadata such as adverse party relationships, keywords, and technologies to find potential conflicts. Searches can be constructed using full Boolean expressions.
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Contacts Management
Maintain a full database of all contact information related to patent prosecution. The information stored in AppColl’s Contacts module is used to quickly populate USPTO forms and form letters.
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Create and Schedule Custom and/or Graphical Reports
AppColl’s powerful filtering easily creates reports of select data. Set reports to be emailed with a customized schedule and format to fit your needs. Control access to reports with AppColl’s query language or make personal reports for a single user. Use Advanced Graphical Reporting tools to understand and manage your business more effectively. Generate customizable line, bar and pie charts aggregating your data in complex ways. Drag, drop, and resize charts to customize your dashboard showing the most important information when you log in. Create your own reports by easily customizing any of the numerous standard reports provided.
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Create and Schedule Custom Reports
AppColl’s powerful filtering easily creates reports of select data. Set reports to be emailed with a customized schedule and format to fit your needs. Control access to reports with AppColl’s query language or make personal reports.
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Customer Number
A customer number is a unique identifier assigned to individuals, businesses, or entities that interact with the USPTO in the context of IP applications and registrations. It serves as a way for the USPTO to associate and manage all applications, correspondence, and records related to a particular customer or entity. When you or your organization interacts with the USPTO to file applications, pay fees, or conduct other business related to your intellectual property, you would typically provide your customer number to ensure that your requests and filings are correctly associated with your account.
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Data Import/Export
All modules can import and export any information in comma-separated-value (CSV) format. Create custom reports in Excel using data from any module. Quickly import data from other IP management systems into AppColl. Make bulk changes to data in AppColl by uploading a spreadsheet. Store local copies of your data with a few clicks.
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Disclosure Form
The invention disclosure form is fully customizable to meet your needs so that you can collect the information you need to make quick a decision on patent filing for an idea. You can include up to 48 questions with responses that can be free-form text, drop-down list selections or dates. The text and description of each question is entirely up to you. When completing the form, Inventors can add as much text as they desire to answer each question. You can make some form fields required, some optional. You can also setup meta-data such as products, keywords and technologies that inventors can select from to categorize their ideas. If supporting documents are required for a disclosure, Inventors can easily drag and drop documents into the form.
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Email Conversations Tab
The Conversations Tab allows another view for the emails that are sent into AppColl for a particular matter. Now when an email comes to a Matter's Intake email, AppColl will display the message on the Conversations Tab in a similar way as your email inbox. With this feature, you can easily download attachments, view, and reply to messages sent to the Intake address for that matter.
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Filing Date
The actual date that an application is filed. For PCT national phase filings, this is the national phase entry date.
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Final Due Date
The final due date for a task that has extendable deadlines. For example, the final due date for a ‘Respond to Non-Final Office Action – 3 Month Deadline’ would be six months from the office action mail date.
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Forecast
Estimate of spending in near(ish) term future based on client properties, matter properties, and/or tasks.
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Form Field Explorer
Form fields are used to insert information from your AppColl account into emails or documents. The purpose of this Explorer is to list all available form fields, allow previewing of their values, and easy insertion of the correct field name into email templates.
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Inter Partes Review
Inter partes review (IPR) is a trial proceeding conducted at the Board to review the patentability of one or more claims in a patent only on a ground that could be raised under §§ 102 or 103, and only on the basis of prior art consisting of patents or printed publications.
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Invention Manager
A simple and easy-to-use disclosure submission and management system that allows inventors to document their inventions. Our software also provides patent committees with a comprehensive view of all disclosures, their status, next actions and more. Patent committees can combine similar ideas, edit disclosures, redirect a disclosure’s current step in the process flow and reassign actions.
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Manage Internal Workflows
Create custom task rules to automatically handle foreign patent law, internal reminders, client reminders, or anything else you may want to add. Manually add custom tasks to matters or automatically generate them from one or more triggering events. Communicate with team members via automated form-filled emails.
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Matter Attorney
The person primarily responsible for a matter.
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Matter Contributor
A person contributing to the prosecution of a matter.
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Matter Partner
The person overseeing the prosecution of a matter.
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NPL
NPL stands for Non-Patent Literature: While issued patents and published patent applications make up a substantial majority of all prior art references, the USPTO can still issue a number of rejections based on non-patent literature (NPL). Non-Patent Literature is any document and/or publication that is not an issued patent or published patent application.
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Official Filing Date
A PCT filing date. It should only be populated for National Phase applications claiming priority to a PCT. It should be blank for all matters other than National Phase application.
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Patent Attorney Registration Number
A Registration Number (sometimes referred to as a "Patent Bar Registration Number" or simply "Patent Registration Number") is a unique identifier assigned to individuals who are registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as patent attorneys or patent agents. These professionals are authorized to represent inventors and applicants in patent matters before the USPTO.
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Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
The PCT is an international treaty with more than 150 Contracting States.1 The PCT makes it possible to seek patent protection for an invention simultaneously in a large number of countries by filing a single “international” patent application instead of filing several separate national or regional patent applications. The granting of patents remains under the control of the national or regional patent Offices in what is called the “national phase”
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PM Invent
Efficiently capture inventor ideas and contact information in an organized manner. A few clicks send an email to an inventor with a link to an invention disclosure form. A simple workflow is included that facilitates discussion on the disclosure between the inventor and the attorney.
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Prior Art Management
Use AppColl’s Prior Art module to manage prior art references across complex matter families and generate accurately populated Information Disclosure Statements in seconds for uploading to the USPTO. Also store documents associated with the references for easy access.
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Priority Date
The earliest filing date based on a priority chain.
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QuickBooks™ Online Integration
Quickly and accurately synchronize invoices created in AppColl with QuickBooks Online. With this feature, you can transfer invoices directly from AppColl to QuickBooks Online, and then synchronize any payments entered in QuickBooks Online back to AppColl. Invoice line-item details are transferred, and a PDF of the AppColl invoice is attached to the QuickBooks Online invoice for reference. Also, client contact information can be transferred to keep both systems consistent.
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Ref Date
The date from which the Respond By and Final Due Dates are calculated. For example, the Ref Date for a ‘Respond to Non-Final Office Action – 3 Month Deadline’ would be the date the office action was mailed.
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Respond By
The due date for a task before any extensions. For example, the Respond By date for a ‘Pay Issue Fee’ would be three months from the Notice of Allowance mail date.
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Role
The designation that determines how a contact is used. For example, a contact with a Paralegal Role will be available in the Role drop down in the details page for a matter.
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Scoring
Invention Manager allows you to create as many attributes as needed for reviewers to rank on the disclosure scoring form. These attributes can be weighted and contribute to an overall numeric score or a qualitative textual opinion.
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Secure Document Storage
AppColl’s Files module provides a centralized place for storing all documents associated with your business. Stop maintaining your files locally. By placing your documents in AppColl’s cloud, anyone with a login has immediate access. Documents are encrypted and automatically backed up to multiple physical locations. No need to worry about scheduled backups from your local computer.
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Signature Authority
A defined multi-step workflow for invoice approvals, based on monetary thresholds and delegation, ensuring proper review and authorization.
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Task
A record that contains information about an item that has completed or something that someone needs to complete. This mostly includes docketing tasks, although it could refer to internal workflows or actions. A task can be an informational item, a prosecution history item from the USPTO, or an item that requires an action.
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Task Owner
The person responsible for completing a Task. Only one person can be the owner of a Task. Within each matter, each task can have a different owner, and they may be different than the attorney responsible for the matter. For example, a paralegal may own certain tasks within a matter.
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Trust Account Reporting
Trust account reports are used to assist in reconciling actual bank account balances with debits and credits from retainers received from customers. These reports are automatically generated from retainer type billing items in the Billing module.
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User Management
Control user access to your account with fine-grained permissions. For each user, specify which modules can be accessed and if they can add, change or delete records in that module. Restrict users to their own information in the system, such as their own assigned matters, billing items and docketing tasks.