Change the Client Name for Matters That Have Invoices

There are instances when the client of a matter needs to change. Making this change is not an issue, unless the matter has invoices associated with it. In this situation, the client cannot be changed without deleting the invoices first. In order to keep everything intact, the solution is to create a duplicate matter. The old matter has a different A...

Update Matters from Patent Center, EspaceNet and TSDR

Matters can be updated from multiple sources from within the matter details page.  To do this, open the details page for a matter and click the “Update Matter” button on the left side of the screen.      A popup appears allowing one to configure the update as shown below.     Published US patent applications, issued US patents and PCT cases filed in...

Manually Creating a Matter

Aside from Excel imports or XML imports, matter can be created manually, as explained below. From the Matters module, click the Add button in the upper left corner of your screen. Complete the required information in the Add Matter popup window (shown below) and click the OK button. In the resulting Matter Details page you must, at a minimum, provid...

Email Conversations Tab (AppColl PM Plus)

Available for AppColl PM Plus, 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, a...

Generate Matter-Specific PTO Forms

With a few clicks AppColl can auto-populate many USPTO forms from data in your AppColl account. The form(s) are then exported to your computer as PDF file(s) which can be opened for viewing and/or editing in a PDF reader.   One or more forms can be generated for one or multiple matters. Forms can be generated for a single matter from the matter deta...

Ignore Matter Details Differences

AppColl can retrieve bibliographic information for your matters from Patent Center, PEDS, TSDR and EspaceNet. AppColl looks for any discrepancies between the data currently stored in AppColl and the data retrieved from one of the data sources mentioned above. If discrepancies are found, AppColl places a yellow triangle next to the data field(s) as s...

Create or Remove Matter Connections

Please Note:  Updating matters from Patent Center, PEDS, EspaceNet or TSDR will automatically add priority connections for patent and trademark matters. However, subject matter connections must be added manually or via a spreadsheet import. Matter Families, which are also known as "Related Matters" are built by establishing priority or subject matte...

Matter Statuses and Dates

Each patent and trademark matter in AppColl must have a status. In general, a matter's status is based on one or more dates in the matter itself. However, some statuses can be manually set. For example, if a matter only has a filing date, the matter status is 'Pending'. In general, the latest date is used to determine the status. For example, if a m...

Retrieve U.S. Trademark Applicants from TSDR

By default, AppColl does not retrieve U.S. trademark applicants from TSDR. However, users can enable retrieval and decide where the applicant is stored. From the Settings page in the upper right corner of any screen, scroll down to the USPTO Import Settings section. Click the "Import Trademark Applicant as matter" checkbox and select one of the radi...

Patent Center/TSDR/EspaceNet/PPUBS Status Indicators

AppColl interfaces with many public and private databases to retrieve information for patents and trademarks. At times, those databases may not be accessible or they are timing out. To provide as much transparency as possible, we have added status indicators to the bottom of each page in AppColl for Patent Center, EPO (i.e., EspaceNet), TSDR and PPU...

Update the AttorneyRef for Multiple Matters

The AttorneyRef is the unique identifier for all your matters. For patent and trademark matters, we generally recommend these values match the values in Patent Center and TSDR. There may be situations where you want to mass update the AttorneyRef for some or all matters. You can do this by exporting data to an Excel spreadsheet, making the changes a...

Work with Abstracts, Images, Claims and Claim Counts

Abstracts, images and claims for patent matters are managed from the abstract/image/claims tab In the matters module. AppColl automatically queries PPUBS to add the abstract, claims and primary figure for all U.S. patent publications and issued U.S. patents. This should occur within a few hours of a matter being added to AppColl, provided it has a p...

Inventor As-Filed Name for a Matter

On many occasions the name of an inventor may change between patents filed by that inventor. When certain PTO forms are filed the "as-filed" name ideally should be used in the forms for a matter. AppColl works most effectively if any one inventor has just one contact record with one name. To allow for matter specific variations of inventor names, Ap...

Regenerate Tasks for Matters

Changing or creating new task types take effect immediately. However, they are not applied retroactively. If you wish new or edited task types to apply to all existing matters, please follow the below instructions. First, in the Matters module, select the matter(s) needing the updated task type by checking the checkbox on the left of the matter in t...

What Tasks are Created When I File an Application?

The following charts outline the tasks that are created when U.S. Utility Applications and PCT Applications are added to AppColl.   U.S. Utility Applications (including continuation applications) Most of the following task types are created: When the Filing Date changes         and While the Matter Type contains “Utility”        and While the Countr...

Reassign Roles to Multiple Matters

Each matter may have multiple persons involved, such as attorney, partner, contributor, client, assignee, paralegal, foreign associate or law firm. You can easily update these values for multiple matters at once by following the steps below:   In the Matters module, select all of the matters you wish to change by clicking the check boxes for each ma...

How can I find and import all my U.S. Trademarks based on Attorney Name

It's possible to retrieve all your U.S. Trademarks by attorney name by using the TESS system.  Here's the steps. 1) Go to http://tmsearch.uspto.gov 2) Next click the "Word and/or Design Mark Search (Free Form)" link.3) Enter search string of ("attorney name") [AT]  such as ("john smith")[AT] and click "Search Query" 4) This will return a list of all...

What Information is Imported into U.S. Trademarks from TSDR?

Once U.S. Trademarks are  updated from TSDR , the following information is imported.  Client - comes from the Applicant field in TSDR Serial or Registration Number - If a matter only includes a reg number, AppColl imports the serial number. If a matter only has a serial number, AppColl imports the reg number, provided the case is registered. Title D...

Differences Between Matter Assignee and Client Fields

The Client field is normally used to indicate the entity that is paying for the work being performed on a matter. The Assignee is used to indicate the entity that has ownership of the matter. Often these entities will be the same. If so, only fill the Client field; if they are different, complete both fields. One primary use of the Assignee field is...

Import Priority or Subject Matter Connections between Patent Matters

Priority and Subject Matter connections can be added to your patent matters in a few different ways. XML files from Patent Center   XML files imported from Patent Center contain priority connection information for all U.S. matters and PCT matters filed directly in the U.S. As such, these connections are automatically added, during XML imports. Pleas...

Expiring Matters

AppColl automatically updates matters to an "Expired" Status when the Expiration Date for the matter is greater than or equal to the current date. As such, future expiration dates can be added and matters will properly update to 'Expired' once the date is reached. Please note:  AppColl automatically adds an expiration date for Provisionals when a fi...

Yellow Triangles Next to Matter Fields

AppColl displays a yellow triangle next to any field in Matter Detail pages when a discrepancy exists between the information stored in AppColl and the information AppColl received from one of Patent Center (via XML files), EspaceNet or TSDR. AppColl receives information from the USPTO in two ways. For U.S. Trademarks, AppColl retrieves (weekly) upd...

Matter Next External Task and Due Date

When adding or changing tasks, AppColl automatically updates two fields in the Matters module, the Next External Task and the Next External Task Due Date, with information from the task with the nearest due date that has an external deadline type for a particular matter. These fields can be useful when creating reports from the Matters module and ar...

Add Custom (User-Defined) Fields to Matters

You can add custom fields in the matters module - up to 16 string fields and 4 date fields - to store information associated with a matter that is unique to your account. These custom fields appear in matter detail pages around the middle of the page. When setup, these fields have identical functionality to the built-in fields. They can be added as ...

Populate the Application Data Sheet (ADS) Form AIA/14

AppColl provides a mechanism for generating the US PTO's AIA/14 Application Data Sheet, by extracting information from your database and automatically populating the form, which can then be downloaded as a complete PDF file. The following article explains which portions of the form AppColl can populate and by which means.   Inventorship AppColl popu...

Default Attorney

A default attorney can be specified for a client in the AppColl contacts module. In addition to generally indicating which attorney is responsible for a particular client, the setting has two specific uses in AppColl. 1) It is used in the PM Invent feature of AppColl to route an invention disclosure to a particular attorney. Click  here  for more in...

Complexity Field

AppColl has a standard complexity field that is available in the the Tasks, Matters and Billing modules. This field does not have any specific interpretation by the system, but it is intended to be used to indicate the complexity of the associated items such that schedules and billing costs can be adjusted accordingly. For example, you could create ...

Create Account Syncs to a PM Plus or Tandem Account

While an account sync can be created by following the steps here, you can also create one manually. This is necessary if you are creating a sync to an existing AppColl account. Before a sync can be manually added between a source and destination account (i.e., another PM Plus/Pro or Tandem account), the accounts must be authorized to sync with each ...

Multiple Country Matter Duplication

It is sometimes necessary to create multiple child matters for different countries that all share the same parent. For example, when creating matters for designated states from an EP matter.  This can now be done easily in AppColl by using the Multi-Country Duplicate feature. All relevant information is copied from the current matter to the created ...

Background Operations

A background operation is processing that occurs "in the background" while a user is performing other tasks in the system. The two main background operations are updating matters from the USPTO via the Update Matter button on the matter details page and scheduled reports, which run at specified days and times. To view background operations that are ...

How to Send Annuity Information to CPi

AppColl has created some reports that can be sent to CPi for annuity payments. The reports are created as a csv file that can only be run by scheduling the them in the report scheduler and emailing the results to yourself or CPi. The following video explains the necessary steps to set up this process. Please note there are two reports that CPi would...

Increase the Matter Count for your Account

You may add more users by navigating to the Account Management area:  1) Hover over the settings icon at the top right of any AppColl screen.  2) Select Manage Account.   3) Click on the Logins / Matters tab.  4) In the Matters row, enter the number of Matters you would like total for your account. If you have maxed out your matters, increase the nu...

List of all available columns for Matters

This is the list of all columns available from the summary list view in the Matters module. Most columns apply to both Patents and Trademarks. AbandonedDate: The date when a patent/trademark application is officially abandoned. Abstract: The patent abstract. ActualCost: Legacy information. Please do not use. AdverseParties: Parties who are adverse t...

Reassigning Tasks For a Matter

Occasionally the attorney or paralegal assigned to work on a particular matter changes. AppColl has a command in the Matters module to quickly change the owner of all open tasks for a matter to the newly assigned people. To reassign all open tasks for one or more matters to their default values based on the task types do the following: Update the co...

Matter Continuity Chains

When managing your matters, it's important to be able to easily view priority connected matters and their continuity chain. This can be especially important for tracking the progress of patent applications or other intellectual property matters. When you're in the matter details page, you can see the Continuity Chain, which illustrates how an Applic...

Selecting Matters for Invoice

You have three options to select the matters that will be included in an invoice. The selection is made using the "Matter:" dropdown. Note that billing items included in the invoice are subject to other criteria, such as start and cut-off date. All Matters Billing items for all matters for the selected client are available for inclusion in the invoi...

European patent with unitary effect (Unitary Patent)

To indicate that a European patent has unitary effect, select the “Unitary Effect” checkbox to the right of the country name. Please note that this checkbox only appears if the country selected is “European Patent Office” (EP).     You can use the “UnitaryEffect” field in reports and filters to show Unitary Patents.    ...

Matter Types Explained

Below is a list of the primary Patent and Trademark matter types that comes standard in AppColl.  Please note that you can add as many custom matter types to your account as desired. Please let support know what you would like added.   Patent Design – This is for a standard design patent whether U.S. or foreign. Feel free to use this for any country...

Populate the Fast Track Field in Matters

Patent Matters have a Fast Track drop down menu which is useful to record any type of enhanced prosecution timelines. In other words, these options allow an application to be examined out of it's normal order. Often times the goal is for complete examination within 12 months. This field is purely static. No tasks generate when a value is entered (al...

Earliest Benefit Date (EBD)

Overview From the Federal Register - “The EBD is a term used to refer to the earliest filing date for which benefit is claimed under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) and § 1.78(d). The EBD is determined on an application-by-application basis. The EBD cannot be the filing date of a foreign application or the filing date of a provisional applicat...